History:
Opened on the 1st June 1939 by the duke of Kent and Richard Brimmel, Ramsgate tunnel is a air raid shelter designed to saves the lives of the people of Ramsgate and on the 24th August 1940 it did exactly that. Approx 500 bombs were dropped on Ramsgate in just over 5 mins, 1,200 homes were destroyed or damaged but remarkably only 31 people died and 50 seriously hurt or injured, a number that would of been significantly more if it wasn't for the tunnel. The tunnel consists of 3 sections (Westcliff, Cannon rd & Eastcliff) and had 11 Entrances in use, each entrance located no further and 5 mins away from the furthest house. Each entrance was fitted with a gas tight steel door which were closed in rotation to ventilate the tunnels adequately. The tunnels ran at a depth of 50 to 90 feet, following the line of existing roads above wherever possible. Tunnels for the most part were 6' wide by 7' high with curtain fitted toilets at every 70 foot intervals and a first aid post every 1000 feet, it also had its own hospital wing! The tunnel was also lucky to have been visited by prime minister Winston Churchill, He was visiting the town when it encountered an air raid to which he was ushered to the queen street entrance and told politely to put out his cigar as smoking is prohibited in which he replied "there goes a gooden" as he threw it to the ground. In 1946 after the war, most of the entrances were sealed apart from the railway entrance at Eastcliff where the scenic railway restarted it seasonal services.
Explore:
Visited with @richiemelon, we had a failed attempt at this back in July so we came back with a better plan and this time it worked! Once entering the smell of sewage was overwhelming which would become apparent a short way into the tunnel, this was a good way to kill a couple of hours while getting another location ticked off the list! and for me it had a bit of everything. Crawling, climbing, Crouching but the best part for me was the original Graffiti left by those who used the shelter during the war. there was also an old bed frame there from the 40's which I found pretty cool. We missed the Hospital Section as the muddy water was too deep to walk through without wellies so that just gives me another reason to go back! On with the photos, they are only from my iPhone so go easy on me.
Original Entrance to Westcliff section
Through the stinky bit
Original Graffiti
The old Bedframe
A few of the tunnel
Opened on the 1st June 1939 by the duke of Kent and Richard Brimmel, Ramsgate tunnel is a air raid shelter designed to saves the lives of the people of Ramsgate and on the 24th August 1940 it did exactly that. Approx 500 bombs were dropped on Ramsgate in just over 5 mins, 1,200 homes were destroyed or damaged but remarkably only 31 people died and 50 seriously hurt or injured, a number that would of been significantly more if it wasn't for the tunnel. The tunnel consists of 3 sections (Westcliff, Cannon rd & Eastcliff) and had 11 Entrances in use, each entrance located no further and 5 mins away from the furthest house. Each entrance was fitted with a gas tight steel door which were closed in rotation to ventilate the tunnels adequately. The tunnels ran at a depth of 50 to 90 feet, following the line of existing roads above wherever possible. Tunnels for the most part were 6' wide by 7' high with curtain fitted toilets at every 70 foot intervals and a first aid post every 1000 feet, it also had its own hospital wing! The tunnel was also lucky to have been visited by prime minister Winston Churchill, He was visiting the town when it encountered an air raid to which he was ushered to the queen street entrance and told politely to put out his cigar as smoking is prohibited in which he replied "there goes a gooden" as he threw it to the ground. In 1946 after the war, most of the entrances were sealed apart from the railway entrance at Eastcliff where the scenic railway restarted it seasonal services.
Explore:
Visited with @richiemelon, we had a failed attempt at this back in July so we came back with a better plan and this time it worked! Once entering the smell of sewage was overwhelming which would become apparent a short way into the tunnel, this was a good way to kill a couple of hours while getting another location ticked off the list! and for me it had a bit of everything. Crawling, climbing, Crouching but the best part for me was the original Graffiti left by those who used the shelter during the war. there was also an old bed frame there from the 40's which I found pretty cool. We missed the Hospital Section as the muddy water was too deep to walk through without wellies so that just gives me another reason to go back! On with the photos, they are only from my iPhone so go easy on me.
Original Entrance to Westcliff section
Through the stinky bit
Original Graffiti
The old Bedframe
A few of the tunnel
