It has now been precisely 365 days since a colossal 20-metre-long sinkhole dramatically opened up on Godstone High Street in Surrey. Yet, as the anniversary passes, the scene remains largely unchanged. Construction work persists, the road is still firmly closed, and Surrey County Council has yet to provide a definitive date for the completion of repairs.
A Hollow Road and Childhood Memories
Eric Eamon, an 87-year-old resident living mere metres from the site, recalls the day before the incident with eerie clarity. "I was walking down the road with my daughter," he says. "I turned to her and mentioned that the cars sounded different going over the road. The very next day, the sinkhole appeared. I realised they must have been driving over a completely hollow road."
Mr. Eamon, who played in the Victorian sand mines beneath Godstone as a child, suspected the cause long before authorities did. "When I was around 10, on wet days we used to play in those mines. All the children would get a candle from the shop and play hide and seek!" he reminisces.
Businesses Struggle Without Compensation
The sinkhole, which measured six metres wide and quickly filled with water from a burst pipe on February 17 last year, forced 30 residents from their homes. Initially, repairs were estimated to take three to six months. However, one year on, local businesses are suffering with no end in sight.
Shane Fry, owner of a garage on Godstone High Street, has seen his turnover plummet by 10-15 percent. "We've been offered no compensation, none," he states. "We're lucky to get a break from business rates inside the road closure, but that's only about £200 a month. It's nothing when you've got a workforce and a car park to rent. It's been a long-winded and tedious process."
Pub Profits Plunge Amid Uncertainty
Alison Cullinan, 58, who has owned The Hare & Hounds pub for 21 years, describes the situation as having "taken the rug from beneath our feet." As an independent pub leasing its premises, she relies heavily on regulars to stay afloat. "It's terrifying that we just don't know what's going to happen or when it will end," she adds. "We've been given no compensation, and there's nothing to say it won't happen again."
Complex Underground Network Delays Repairs
Surrey County Council attributes the prolonged delays to the discovery of an extensive 19th-century underground mine network in June 2025. Over 667 tonnes of grout have been pumped into 125 holes, some up to 15 metres deep, to stabilise the area, with more tunnels continually being found.
Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, explains: "This remains a highly complex incident. Our teams are working to ensure the long-term stability and safety of the area before we can rebuild and reopen the road." The council aims to reopen the road in spring but emphasises that safety must come first.
Mounting Costs and Public Frustration
More than £2.3 million has already been spent on repairs, with the total cost expected to reach at least £3 million. Hundreds of residents attended a council meeting with local MP Claire Coutinho last month but left without a firm end date, exacerbating feelings of frustration and abandonment.
Comparisons to major construction projects highlight the scale of the delay. While the Empire State Building was completed in one year and 45 days, and the Eiffel Tower in just over two years, local projects like Hammersmith Bridge are not expected to reopen until 2027—a six-and-a-half-year repair timeline.
For now, Godstone High Street remains a symbol of protracted disruption, with residents and business owners clinging to hope as they endure the ongoing construction and uncertainty.
