In my previous post i came across some one called the "Mole Man" who apparently dug up to 8 meter deep tunnels under his house in London.
This made me curious to find out a bit more about this man and his story.
So, who is the "Mole Man"?
his name is William Lyttle he was a British civil engineer and born in 1931 and originally from Ireland.
picture source: www.theguardian.com
In the 1960s he inherited a 20-room house at 121 Mortimer Road in Hackney. This is where all starts. Most likely it all started because Mr. Lyttle wanted some more space starting with a wine cellar. So he started digging.
picture source: www.hackneycitizen.co.uk
But he did not stop! He continued digging for about 40 years! His tunnels spread out about 18 meters in all direction.
picture source: www.mylondon.news
But the digging had his price. He cause quite some damage to the community and even cause some power breakdowns or broke the water supply of his neighbors. Even sinkholes where caused buy his excessive digging. He excavated at least 33 tons of debris!
picture source: www.karenrusso.co.uk
Naturally this could not go on forever. In 2006 Lyttle was evicted from his house and had to face court in 2008. He was charged with a fine of £293,000 and banned from going back or even near his old house.
picture source: www.karenrusso.co.uk
He was eventually rehoused in an apartment (top floor) in 2009 where he died in June 2010. But not before he knocked a whole in his apartment walls to connect kitchen and living room!
picture source: www.bbc.com/
What do you think of this man? Was he just crazy or maybe something more then that. Some quotes of him mad me wonder...
"There is great beauty in inventing things that serve no purpose."
“Curiosity is my curse. If I make a start, I must know where it ends,”
William Lyttle
with this said i leave it up to you what to think about that.
Here some interesting articles about what happen to the house after his death
www.vogue.co.uk
Sources
www.karenrusso.co.uk
https://londonist.com
https://wikipedia.org
www.bbc.com
https://maricopa1.wordpress.com
www.theguardian.com