Hereford East Street tunnels and Booth Hall's freeman prison

Michael O'Reilly, 82, has since moved away from Hereford to live in Rippon, Yorkshire. But his childhood home was number 95, East Street

Mr O’Reilly recalls two blocked-up passages in both the front and rear cellars of his childhood home. He and his family lived in number 95 from around 1944 before the house was demolished in 1952 to make room for a private car park.

The East Street car park with a view to the cathedral (Image: Google Maps)

Now, almost 75 years since Mr O’Reilly lived in East Street, he searches for confirmation of what he believes the cellars used to access, now buried under tarmac.

Mr O'Reilly said number 95 was situated directly opposite the historic Booth Hall, parts of which is thought to have been built between 1380 to 1390 according to Historic England’s website.

The strictly private parking area was once the site of number 95 (Image: Google Maps)

Mentioned in a deed of 1392, the Hall was acquired by the city under a licence from the King in the same year for holding the 'Sessions of the Justices of Assize’ or the 'Peace or the Pleas of the City’, says Historic England.

Booth Hall’s basement also operated as a freemen's prison before it “finally became an inn” around the end of the 18th century. A fire back in October 2010 laid waste to the building’s interior, with the hall still being worked on even now.

Evidence of number 95's existence can be seen on the wall to the right (Image: Google Maps)

Mr O’Reilly theorizes Number 95's cellar was once a holding room for Booth Hall jail's occupants, that the blocked passageway of the house’s front cellar led to the prison itself, and the back cellar's lead to Hereford Cathedral - a stone's throw away from the private car park the house once occupied.

Booth Hall is still being worked on after the 2010 fire (Image: Google Maps)

The rear cellar acted as the family’s main kitchen and had “no hot water” - the only tap was in the front cellar, used for storing coal.

Mr O’Reilly fondly remembers when the very narrow East Street “used to be two-way” and how when he clambered onto a ledge of their back garden wall, he could glimpse an amazing view of the Cathedral. He and his brother ask those with any details of East Street’s history to please get in touch.