Visited over the course of several weeks, and using a mixture of film and digital.
A very different form of tunnel construction to the usual Napoleonic era hand hewn tunnels and WW2 lined tunnels normally found in and around Dover.
Until recently, an Engineering Company used the front sections as storage, they have now moved on and the tunnels are now explorable.
The Winchelsea, Westmount & Priory Hill Tunnel system seems to have been extended from the original quarry caves by using a boring machine, with the floor sections being cut in afterwards and blockwork arch sections being inserted at regular intervals.
At what point the extensions were constructed? Assumption would lead us to believe it was in the period 1936-8 - then again, we all know what assumption is the mother of! Possible the boring machine was already on site, being used in the quarry but very little information is forthcoming.
Entering the Priory Hill section
Looking back to the breeze block wall
The far end of the Priory Hill section
The Westmount section
Fiveways Junction - all the tunnels converge at this point.
The walls are covered in 1940s graffiti
A very different form of tunnel construction to the usual Napoleonic era hand hewn tunnels and WW2 lined tunnels normally found in and around Dover.
Until recently, an Engineering Company used the front sections as storage, they have now moved on and the tunnels are now explorable.
The Winchelsea, Westmount & Priory Hill Tunnel system seems to have been extended from the original quarry caves by using a boring machine, with the floor sections being cut in afterwards and blockwork arch sections being inserted at regular intervals.
At what point the extensions were constructed? Assumption would lead us to believe it was in the period 1936-8 - then again, we all know what assumption is the mother of! Possible the boring machine was already on site, being used in the quarry but very little information is forthcoming.
Entering the Priory Hill section
Looking back to the breeze block wall
The far end of the Priory Hill section
The Westmount section
Fiveways Junction - all the tunnels converge at this point.
The walls are covered in 1940s graffiti
