Amidst the turmoil of the First World War, the residents of Southampton strove to maintain a sense of normalcy, embodying the spirit of "business as usual." However, the August Bank Holiday of 1915 proved that "pleasure as usual" was a far more challenging ideal to uphold.

While those with the luxury of a motor car could escape to the shores of Bournemouth or the seclusion of the New Forest, the average Sotonian found themselves confined to the town. 

The usual well-patronised railway excursions were cancelled due to the demands of the war effort. 

Similarly, the time-honoured fair on the Common was unable to proceed due to military exigencies.

In its place, a smaller gathering of booths and side-shows sprang up on the West Marlands, offering a welcome, if more modest, distraction. 



Adding to the holiday atmosphere, a contingent of ladies, led by the Mayoress, Miss Bagshaw, successfully raised funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution by selling miniature lifeboat flags.

Despite these efforts, the bank holiday was largely considered a disappointment. Persistent rain rendered outdoor attractions a "dismal failure," though it did lead to a prosperous day for the town's cinemas and theatres.

However, the most talked-about event of the weekend was a mysterious occurrence in Palmerston Park. 

The dark oval in the foreground of this Southampton Pictorial Picture from August 1915 shows the mysterious subsidence that took place in Palmerstone Park on the Sunday Morning of the August Bank Holiday.The dark oval in the foreground of this Southampton Pictorial Picture from August 1915 shows the mysterious subsidence that took place in Palmerstone Park on the Sunday Morning of the August Bank Holiday. (Image: Echo)

On the Sunday of the bank holiday weekend, a police constable discovered a large, basin-shaped hole near the park's statue. 

The clean-cut nature of the cavity, measuring approximately 30 feet in diameter and 12 feet deep, initially led to speculation of a German Zeppelin attack.

This exciting theory was quickly dismissed, though the true cause remained a subject of intense debate among the townsfolk. 



Some believed the railway tunnel running beneath the park had collapsed, but an inspection proved this to be false. Another popular suggestion was that the hole was connected to an old, nearby canal, though its actual location was some distance away.

As speculation continued, the hole was roped off to allow for a thorough investigation by Corporation workmen. 

Ultimately, no definitive explanation for the cavity ever emerged. 

The theories of underground tunnels and old canals were discounted, and the cause was simply recorded as subsidence, leaving the true origin of the mysterious hole to the imagination.