Fan Bay Deep Shelter
One I’m sure anyone in Kent will know well, but still a real favourite. I spent what felt like just over an hour down there, but was actually nearer 3 hours, trying to understand it better.
This was the deep shelter built in 1941for the command and crew (just under 190 in total, but probably not all present at once) of the three 6 inch guns that would fire across the Channel. It’s accessed via a hole at the site of the original entrance, and then via 3 staircases, the first of which is actually a slide that can making getting in (and more particularly getting out) lots of fun in wet weather.
It has an unusual plan which I’ve never quite understood, and seems more like a work in progress. Sections of colliery hood steelwork are stacked against the walls in some places and also the crinkly steel roof and wall sheeting. The 1981 survey plan below refers to these as “dangerous roof rings removed†(should that be “dangerous if the roof rings are removed�) – was this something the farmer did in the 1950’s when the surface buildings were removed and if so why did he stop? There are also two secondary escape tunnels which would have run to the cliff face, and some collapses.
The irregular plan is really interesting – it’s like the Royal Engineer designer was away on holiday that day so the work experience trainee designed it.
There’s some good WW2 graffiti down there if you look hard.
The ventilation ducting which runs up the staircase has chicken wire wrapped round it as though it was meant to have, or once had, plaster or asbestos covering – can’t think why that would have been removed so perhaps it never had it.
Also nearby are the much shallower ammo bunkers.
Latrine location on the left of entrance, or fire bucket?
Unlined chalk tunnel leading to secondary entrance/exit
DIY store for tunnel builders
The mud slide
1981 plan
One I’m sure anyone in Kent will know well, but still a real favourite. I spent what felt like just over an hour down there, but was actually nearer 3 hours, trying to understand it better.
This was the deep shelter built in 1941for the command and crew (just under 190 in total, but probably not all present at once) of the three 6 inch guns that would fire across the Channel. It’s accessed via a hole at the site of the original entrance, and then via 3 staircases, the first of which is actually a slide that can making getting in (and more particularly getting out) lots of fun in wet weather.
It has an unusual plan which I’ve never quite understood, and seems more like a work in progress. Sections of colliery hood steelwork are stacked against the walls in some places and also the crinkly steel roof and wall sheeting. The 1981 survey plan below refers to these as “dangerous roof rings removed†(should that be “dangerous if the roof rings are removed�) – was this something the farmer did in the 1950’s when the surface buildings were removed and if so why did he stop? There are also two secondary escape tunnels which would have run to the cliff face, and some collapses.
The irregular plan is really interesting – it’s like the Royal Engineer designer was away on holiday that day so the work experience trainee designed it.
There’s some good WW2 graffiti down there if you look hard.
The ventilation ducting which runs up the staircase has chicken wire wrapped round it as though it was meant to have, or once had, plaster or asbestos covering – can’t think why that would have been removed so perhaps it never had it.
Also nearby are the much shallower ammo bunkers.
Latrine location on the left of entrance, or fire bucket?
Unlined chalk tunnel leading to secondary entrance/exit
DIY store for tunnel builders
The mud slide
1981 plan
