Report - Ramsgate Tunnels

[fortknox0]

After debating what new challenges to overcome, me, obscurity and frosty decided to try and get all sections of the Ramsgate tunnels explored. As far as were aware it hasn’t been done since 1993 when they were much more easily accessible.
The main train tunnel was originally opened in 1863 and was part of the train line running from Margate to the Ramsgate Harbour Terminus and was used up until 1926. It was then leased to an amusements company who constructed a spur tunnel to new terminus at Hereson Road and used it as a scenic railway which opened in 1936.
In 1939, after already being rejected twice, the home office granted permission to construct a series of tunnels for use as air raid shelters which included the main train tunnel and Hereson Road scenic railway tunnel.
The tunnels are now split into 3 sections (+ ellington road section ) :
The Main Train Tunnel (aka Eastcliff) Section
Cannon road Section
and Westcliff Section

Main Train Tunnel

This section runs from Ramsgate seafront to dumpton and has a spur from part of the air raid tunnels which is blocked by downfall near the gas works on boundary road.

Ramsgate Seafront Southern Portal

Old Sign From Scenic Railway

Old Corrigated Iron Wall – wall on the left separates main tunnel from Hereson Road spur

Dumpton Entrance

Old Rusty Watering Can

LOOKING UP THE VICTORIA PARADE ENTRANCE

Looking towards marina esplanade entrance

Stairs up to dumpton park drive entrance

Spur leading from main train tunnel into air raid tunnels

Looking down tunnel

Stairs leading up to arklow square

Blocked entrance at arklow square

Concrete lined section leading to st lukes

 

[fortknox0]

Re: Ramsgate Tunnels - FULL REPORT (very pic heavy)

Blocked entrance at st lukes

Downfall preventing access into cannon road section

West Cliff Section
This section is by far the most unstable of the entire system. Theres a very big down fall down the Liverpool Lawn spur and the section heading up to the old hospital is flooded. After the war, as a cost saving measure, a waste water pipe was laid in the main tunnel of the westcliff section.

Spur heading down towards the old hospital

Flooded section of hospital spur

The “underground hospitalâ€￾ lol

Concrete lined section

Old graffhiti

Warning sign

Caped of entrance at ground level

Going the opposite way to the hospital spur is the tunnel leading down towards the queen street car park entrance.
Looking back towards hospital, queen street and addington street junction

Weird random wall, possibly into an old private entrance

Chalk lined section

Going into the concrete lined section

The original entrance has been back filled with the slabs they originally used to seal of the entrance and caped of at ground level.

After this it was back into the sections main tunnel...........


We headed down towards the westcliff harbour entrance passing the liverpool lawn spur on our left.....

So we thought we better head down to take a look!

To start with this spur isn’t in to bad a condition.... but the further we went the worse it got..

Then we were met by a massive chalk fall. Theres a small hole at the top enough to climb over but as we were crawling through the chalk ceiling was crumbling down on top of us

 

[fortknox0]

Re: Ramsgate Tunnels - FULL REPORT (very pic heavy)

We finally got to the concrete lined section and followed it to the sealed entrance where at some point loads of junk had been dumped

Old pram??

Back into the main tunnel we passed some old light fittings and kept going until we got to the spencer square entrance.....

The chalk tunnel turns to concrete and heads up some stairs

In concrete section there was LOADS of grafhitti all dated around the early 1940s

Original entrance now sealed

After that we made our way to the westcliff harbour entrance

Original entrance concreted and backfilled, good luck to whoevers been trying to dig through that!!

Slightly of to the side there was a chalk room, it didn’t lead anywhere but filled with chalk rubble

Next to the room was a chalk carving