1880 channel tunnel attempt - REPORT 2/6/2009

[Obscurity]

ok firstly i would like to say a big thanyou to Powersurge for inviting me along to this place.

I dont think its somewhere i would bother going back to :lol: i hate walking and this is one LONG walk to the entrance.

I have added a couple of pictures from the day. We visited the channel tunnel first thing, then on to the old folkestone station and finally i showed Powersurge round Road of Rememberance.

anyway on with the report:

From as far back as Napoleonic times there had been proposals for a channel tunnel and in 1875 planning on both sides of the channel became serious. There were earlier attempts than this one on the english side but they were unsuccessful and all flooded. But, at abbot's cliff near folkestone a test bore was sunk in 1880 along with another at shakespeare cliff in 1881. THe government became worried that a channel tunnel would make britain vulnerable to invasion meaning that very little work proceeded after 1882 untill the project was abandoned in 1898. originally the bore was planned to be completed by 1886.

Today the tunnel is very unstabe and in a state of disrepair. there has also been very recent downfalls meaning one of the main features being the carving dated 1880 is no longer visable.

audit leading to the 1880 bore attempt.

some light paining

some various photos of the bore...notice the condition getting worse as you get further in

finally a couple of photos of sunny folkestone...what a day to go exploring

enjoy

Xplora

 

[Maniac]

It's definitely getting worse in there, I've been 3 times and each time it seems worse with timber having fallen on the audit tunnel, and big chunks of chalk falling from the roof.

I can't believe that graffiti has gone, not that I want to question your judgement, but I have to ask are you absolutely sure as it's very easy to miss it if you can't remember where it is - I completely missed it the first time I visited the place dispite looking for it. Shame if it is

Maniac

 

[PowerSurge]

It was a brilliant day for exploring. Glad you enjoyed the walk to the 1880 Channel tunnel Xplora, don't say I didn't warn you :lol:

Thanks also for showing me the Road of Remembrance Bunker (queue another one of Powersurge's comedy entrances this time resulting in some skin loss from the back of my hand :lol: ) But it was well worth it to have a look at the bunker.

Anyway on with some of my pics from the day. I didn't have my normal kit on me and my torch kept playing up. So excuse the quality of the pics they were taken on my £58 Samsung Tesco’s special

As I have already posted pictures of the 1800 Channel Tunnel, I didn't actually take any pictures on this occasion.

Remembrance Bunker

Folkestone Harbour Station

 

[PowerSurge]

It's definitely getting worse in there, I've been 3 times and each time it seems worse with timber having fallen on the audit tunnel, and big chunks of chalk falling from the roof. I can't believe that graffiti has gone, not that I want to question your judgement, but I have to ask are you absolutely sure as it's very easy to miss it if you can't remember where it is - I completely missed it the first time I visited the place dispite looking for it. Shame if it is

Maniac

There was defiantly a nasty lump of chalk on the floor where the graffiti had been, and the wall was very jagged. I had a quick look before my torch died and sadly I couldn't see it

 

[Ryda]

Such a shame, that was some amazing graffiti. Its nice to know a lot of us have photo's to remember it with. Makes what we do actually quite helpful to documenting history as opposed to "breaking & entering", "criminal damage" and all the other shit that links with the UE name lol