Explored with the wickerman
After a weekend out and about looking at various bits and pieces around our area and devising plans we ended up back in dover as always and had a night on the beers and got pretty wrecked before wandering round a 2am explore. Early the next morning the wickerman (nik24) mentioned this place to me. We had spoken about it before and been aware of it for a long time but had just never got around to doing anything with it. Nik let slip that he had been for a wander and had a look around and found what looked like a very probable entrance.
It sounded like the dig was on
We made our way up through the fields with every possible piece of digging equipment we may require and allowed ourselves the day to work at it.
The hardest part was actually getting all the equipment to the entrance to which it transpired would be one of the easiest things we had ever opened and didnt require any of the stuff we had dragged up there.
Set in dense overgrowth was a wire mesh full of brickwork and rocks. What made this really stand out apart from its obscure location was the fact the concrete and brickwork used to fill it resembeled old 1940s rubble. Coinsidence? I think not.
We set to work clearing some of the overgrowth with a plan to dig around the mesh. While nik was sorting the tools and standing on the rocks we noticed how loosely packed they were. Few snips of the mesh and they begun to fall out of position. We continued moving rocks to find the top of a tunnel. After stopping scratching our heads thinking it was too easy we blasted a torch in and sure enough this was the start of the tunnel. A little while later and we were in with very little effort at all. The place had been sealed about 25years since it had been used for rescue training by the firebrigade during construction of the channel tunnel.
The original use of the place was an underground dressing station during WW2 and it was based below a large battery site.
The tunnels themselves are pretty unique with one of the access tunnels built at a 13 degree incline which i have not seen previously anywhere else. This was for bringing the hospital beds in and out of the dressing station.
The main tunnel was what made this place really appealing. I belive this is the longest steel lined tunnel under dover and is completely straight. It was quite impressive and the place had remained untouched with no graffiti or fire damage which is rare for dover.
There was also the remains of a motor which i think was used with the winch which would have pulled the beds up and down the slope when in use as a dressing station.
Anyway, thanks to nik for mentioning this one and for initially going for a look. Hope you enjoy the shots guys.
The entrance slope used to move the beds in and out of the tunnels.
Base of the entrance slope where the tunnels widen
The old motor for winching beds up the slope
The main tunnel
Old wheelbarrow i think left from the fire training days.
One of the other entrances. Much steeper and with steps.
