Antiques Roadshow's Fiona Bruce discovers 'hidden' history as she admits 'I had no idea'

In Sunday's episode of Antiques Roadshow, viewers were whisked away to the historic Crystal Palace Park in London. Fiona Bruce, the show's esteemed host, was rendered utterly gobsmacked during the programme.

The episode, which first aired in 2023, showcased Fiona strolling through parts of the iconic park. While on her educational exploration around the park, Fiona stumbled upon an obscure fragment of the past that would surprise most.

In the show, viewers learnt that no traces of the original glass building, which was destroyed by a fire in 1936, survived.

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However, Fiona's voiceover revealed: "A hidden remnant from the original site still exists."

In a conversation with a volunteer named Jules Hussey, BBC fans discovered there's a team of people working to to resurrect one part of the sites history.

During their exploration of this secret slice of heritage, Jules informed Fiona that they were standing in the ancient Crystal Palace subway, reports Express.

She conveyed to the astonished BBC presenter: "None of this has been touched since 1865. The actual engineering of it is so fantastic that it's holding up modern transport."

Fiona expanded on the significance of the subway, detailing its public opening in 1865 and how it was created by architect Charles Barry Jr to possess a stone vaulted ceiling.

Curiosity piqued, as the BBC star enquired about its historical uses. Jules shared that the subway provided a passage for people between a once-present train station and the Crystal Palace itself.

The subway, a hidden gem with a history of use as a World War II air raid shelter, remains unknown to many.

Fiona was astonished upon discovering it, admitting: "I had no idea this was here! No idea whatsoever and I used to come around here as a kid. I went to school not that far from here."

Jules responded: "You never know what's under your feet do you?" to which Fiona agreed as the BBC host replied: "You don't! I'm sure that's true for a lot of people who live in the area."

The Crystal Palace Park Trust's website says that the restoration of the Grade II* listed Crystal Palace Subway was completed in September 2024, just in time for its 160th anniversary.

Their website reads: "The Grade II* listed Crystal Palace Subway is a beautifully designed and crafted relic of Victorian construction, built to provide access to the Crystal Palace for first-class rail passengers."

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.