LONDON WINE VAULT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1152, 25 September 1883, Page 3

LONDON WINE VAULT.

Tlie wine vaults of London are one of the most interesting sights, but they nre not to bo seen every day nor by everybody. A visitor who was fortunate enough to secure a tasting order, in company with two others, made a tour of the St. Katherine and London dock vaults, fie saw over 5.000,000 packages of port and sherry, over 1,000,000 of claret, and 500,000 of spirits, and the total quantity was 260,000,000 gallons. In fact there were gallons for every man, woman and child of the population of Great Britain. Some of it had been in store for years. The owners had forgotten all about it, and the old and mouldy casks had rotted away at their chines, and had been several times replaced, One lot of 1000 gallons of sherry had been in the vaults for nearly fifty years. It was brought from the South of Spain by its owner, who had fallen dead in the vaults. The wine, along with his other property had passed into Chancery, and the litigation which has continued for nearly half a century is as far from being ended, apparently, as when it began. But the wine has been growing old and valuable and if sold now would probably bring five guineas a gallon. These vaults are simply great cellars under the dock houses. In area they aggregate some thirty-five acres. They extend under the Thames on one side and well under Tower Hill on the other. They are about sixteen feet from floor to roof, and are by no means regular in form, but reach out in strange passages and alleys in all directions. They are bonded by the Government, and owners can have their property in them as long as they like without paying Customs duties.