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Report - - St Augustines Caves, Ramsgate, Section 1 20/9/09 | Underground Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - St Augustines Caves, Ramsgate, Section 1 20/9/09

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Frosty

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Visisted with fortknox0 and obscurity.

St Augustines caves were a heavily sought after section of tunnels underneath 'the grange' in Ramsgate, they were used during both world wars and were capable of sheltering thousands of civilians.
They were very extensive and even contained an underground ballroom!
Unfortunately most of the network has been lost due to a sever cliff collapse, which was probably caused due to severe weakening of the cliff face with extensive digging, bombing and severe weather. The rest of the tunnels are probably still there just waiting to be found.

The grange was originally an architechts house, his name was Augustus welby pugin, also the designer of various tunnels and buildings around the country, it is now owned by monks, who soon, unfortunately are likely to be moving out due to heating costs and other such costs of such an old and large building.

Access was originally via openings in the cliff at the bottom and stairs at the top for public access, and a private acess from inside the grange itself, the access point from inside the grange has only been opened once and probably will not be opened again.

Unfortunately this is aonly a small section of what would have once been an amazing network.

hope you enjoy the few photos i have :)

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The above image is quite interesting, due to the year of construction of this network, the carved graffiti in the stone clearly shows the date 1867, im not sure what it was doing in here and what a&c means, perhaps a company of some sort from the time.

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Here are a few old photos showing the cliff collapse, and an even older photo showing the original entrances and grange from just off shore.
These were borrowed from micheals book store, many thanks.

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thanks for looking!

Frosty.
 

goan

Chatbox Retard
28DL Full Member
Was there more to see from inside the grange or does the grange and public access lead to the same place? Nice pics
 

Frosty

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
They were all originally connected, but the secion shown in the report wasnt accessed via the grange :) im sure there must be more entrances around, its just a case of finding a proper set of plans for it as theres so much :thumb

Frosty.
 

fortknox0

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Some good photos mate. When we got in we couldnt believe it. Think the original system is now in 2 or 3 parts, with the majority of what was originally there collapsed. According to the plans of the cliff reinforcments all of what survived the collapse along the cliff face was completely filled with concrete as part of the repairs started in 1948.

In the 1930s it was opened to the public as a tourist attraction called "sea caves". A sign can be seen above the gate in the top left of pic 9.

Heres some of my pics from the first section.....

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