A previous explore to another site in the area uncovered a door hidden in the undergrowth, but the time we had other places to get to. Noting the location we promised ourselves a return visit to investigate. Various avenues of research didn't throw up any information on the site, so we had no idea what we were likely to encounter - what we found initially was a long tunnel with a huge pipe, probably about 600 yards in length. It looked to be constructed in a cut and shut manner, and the concrete blocks had various dates marked on them through 1952 & 1953.
The tunnel, looking back to the entrance
At the end of the tunnel, we stood in a opened out section with valves & hydraulic equipment looking at a ladder heading up into a lit room.
Fully expecting to surprise a security guard and his Thermos, we weren't really ready for what we found
. The lit room turned out to be Hill Reservoir's underground pumping and plant station!
He we were, surrounded by dials, levers and switches, any of which could have cut off Folkestone's water supply!
Diaries going back several years recorded the flow readings daily
It looks like a calibration survey is due soon
That could be interesting!
Flow Meters & Gauges
Main Incoming Supply switches
How much did we want to play with these!
Having spotted an alarm on the hatch above us, a few more pipe shots and a quick departure
The only info I have been able to glean was that the tunnel was begun in 1952, and completed in the autumn of 1953 and served as the original access shaft.
The tunnel, looking back to the entrance
At the end of the tunnel, we stood in a opened out section with valves & hydraulic equipment looking at a ladder heading up into a lit room.
Fully expecting to surprise a security guard and his Thermos, we weren't really ready for what we found
. The lit room turned out to be Hill Reservoir's underground pumping and plant station!
He we were, surrounded by dials, levers and switches, any of which could have cut off Folkestone's water supply!
Diaries going back several years recorded the flow readings daily
It looks like a calibration survey is due soon
That could be interesting!
Flow Meters & Gauges
Main Incoming Supply switches
How much did we want to play with these!
Having spotted an alarm on the hatch above us, a few more pipe shots and a quick departure
The only info I have been able to glean was that the tunnel was begun in 1952, and completed in the autumn of 1953 and served as the original access shaft.
