These tunnels, in the former Winchelsea Quarry, were used during WW2 as air raid shelters. They were constructed in the form of four parallel corridors with two intersecting passages. There were four original entrances in the quarry and two more which spur off from a junction at the opposite end of the tunnel. The quarry entrances are now used as workshops by the company which owns the tunnels and the other two entrances have been sealed. One was located behind the Westmount building and the other was located in another chalk pit in Tower Hamlets, where the houses of 'The Abbots' road are now located. According to ARP records of the time, the shelter was designed to accommodate just over 1,000 people. Some wartime photos still remain of people sheltering in these tunnels as well as many dated etchings on the chalk walls.
It was with the kind permission of the owners, that I was allowed to visit and photograph this site.
Plan of the tunnels
Bored tunnel
Looking towards one of the entrances
Bored chalk section
Inside the workshop area
Unlined tunnel connecting the main corridors
Latrines
Bored chalk tunnel
Junction of one of the interconnecting tunnels
Smooth, concrete lined tunnel
These would have led to the other two entrances but have been bricked up
Looking through a hole in one of the bricked up sections
Looking into lined section
Passage leading to one of the exits
One of the workshop areas
3 comments:
I used to use these tunnels to get two wichelsea co op from aster school the entrance was in our allotments as i remember there was two artesian wells in the tunnel i used.I used to pick up my mums shopping and take it to Maxton where I lived. That was 1954
Does anybody have the contact details for the owners, so I can arrange access, if possible, for an overnight paranormal investigation (Ghost hunt)for my group?
Thanks.
Steve.
Hi, please contact me for the information you require
jeffeferon@yahoo.co.uk
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