Tunnel Road, East Caves, Reigate - 23-04-07

[MarkR]

visited last night with Riddlers, Pauln, Lesbub, REEF, Ali and Nik.

access was kindly arranged by the Wealden Cave & Mine Society.

Reigate Road Tunnel was opened to traffic in 1824, the East side caves were probably dug as wine and beer vaults soon after.

During World War Two when they were adapted as air raid shelters and a civil defence centre.
The caves as seen now are largely shaped by the wartime modifications.

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/1073/tun1xg9.jpg

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/6950/tun2pk8.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/7259/tun3bz2.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3552/tun4lo1.jpg

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5100/tun5xk1.jpg

http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/1202/tun6qe7.jpg

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6228/tun7yd7.jpg

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6546/tun8wd0.jpg

And this was totally unexpected and a great surprise a Cold War display with huge map showing the locations of the ROC posts in the South East! a nightmare to try a photograph though!

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/5950/roc1ss1.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/1002/roc2gt0.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9184/roc3qe6.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9007/roc4pl1.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/702/roc5zk8.jpg

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6835/roc6yw2.jpg

[pauln]

And a few more

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m288/_demon/Reigate/224d0699.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m288/_demon/Reigate/8acdb033.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m288/_demon/Reigate/0e81bc3d.jpg

And down the road from the tunnel was this sign cut into the wall

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m288/_demon/Reigate/efccfaef.jpg

P