Great Britain 1880 channel tunnel 01/02/08

[superwide]

Thanks to Trench and Powersurge for arranging this fun explore to the 1880 Channel tunnel attempt, when it was said to wear cloths you don't mind getting dirty and boots, it was no understatement. It is one very wet and dirty hole, but also beautiful in a dirt wet hole kind of way. :?

So on a cold and windy day Trench, Powersurge, Scrimshady, Littlewide, D60 and myself took a long walk by the sea.

As Trench and Powersurge guarded the entrance in case of snow drifts, we went in.

The first section of tunnels is strange, starting with a low sleeper lined tunnel leading to a lined low arched section then back to sleepers again.

The sleepers on the floor are like sponge in some areas and make a strange squelching noise under foot due to the water running under them. Once you enter the main bore the going is good to start, most of the sleepers on the floor are good and protect you from the stream running below your feet. As you progress it just gets muddier and the water gets deeper. It gets to a stage that without boots you can go no further, so as the others decide not to go on, I put my boots on. I start going in a little more and after about 50 ft it get to deep for even for boots, annoying really as I could see what looked like a larger chamber up ahead but just could not reach it.

I think the next visit should deliver a more extensive explore as scrim is going to bring his waders and I am going to suit up in my dry suit.

Here are some of the pics D60 took.

Thanks again to Trench and Powersurge.

The trip back was a little cold.

 

[PowerSurge]

It was a brilliant outing if a little on the cold side. Nice to meet Scrimshady, Super wide, Little wide and D60. I didn’t take all my kit on this visit as I was on guard duty, and only really stayed around the entrance. But I did have a little compact digital camera with me, so here's a few of mine.

D60 looking for his pet seal

Trench keeping guard

Gary the snail and his family

All that remains of the old wooden door that used to secure this site.

Great little B&W video clip of tunnel http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NMEYy6Y_3zA

This is just how cold it was. The team walking back to the cars

Thanks to everyone who came along. It was a good trip.

 

[scrimshady]

brilliant explore, thanks to trench and powersurge for letting me in

 

[superwide]

The fun continued all day for D60, he lives near Sutton in Surrey the poor bloke left my house at about 5 and got home at 1:45 in the morning....not a happy chap as he has to be up at 5 to go to work in the city.

 

[Ryda]

Looked like a bitterly cold but damn good explore! thanks for the pics guys, lightpainting looks good in these tunnels

 

[superwide]

Cool lightpainting, how did you manage to run around in all that soggy mess of chalk and clay without falling over?

Luck and a pair of welly boots.