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
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 hospital†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
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
Cannon Road Section
This was probably the hardest section to get into, even though its been done alot more then westcliff. Other then afew small downfalls its in pretty good condition, although part of it was flooded (the water was coming up from the floor!)
Junction under paradise road
Waster water pipe running up ellington road
A short way up ellington road there was a recess on the left so we squeezed over the pipe and it just lead to an old water tank and an air shaft
In the wall at the bottom of the air shaft there was a grill looking into another room, we went further up ellington road and there was another recess on the left leading into....
Old entrance at cannon road
Heading down paradise road and round to the townly castle entrance the tunnel was partly flooded and there were afew small downfalls
Sign near townley castle
Looking up steps
Looking down steps
Back filled tunnel at school lane
Looking back
Back in the main tunnel it turned concrete lined until the blockage leading into the main train tunnel section
Looking back from blockage
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
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 hospital†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
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
Cannon Road Section
This was probably the hardest section to get into, even though its been done alot more then westcliff. Other then afew small downfalls its in pretty good condition, although part of it was flooded (the water was coming up from the floor!)
Junction under paradise road
Waster water pipe running up ellington road
A short way up ellington road there was a recess on the left so we squeezed over the pipe and it just lead to an old water tank and an air shaft
In the wall at the bottom of the air shaft there was a grill looking into another room, we went further up ellington road and there was another recess on the left leading into....
Old entrance at cannon road
Heading down paradise road and round to the townly castle entrance the tunnel was partly flooded and there were afew small downfalls
Sign near townley castle
Looking up steps
Looking down steps
Back filled tunnel at school lane
Looking back
Back in the main tunnel it turned concrete lined until the blockage leading into the main train tunnel section
Looking back from blockage