Eastcliff Caverns

On the opposite side of Ramsgate to St, Augustines caves, on the Eastcliff, beneath King George VI Park, is another extensive network of chalk passages, known as the Granville Caves / Eastcliff Caverns. These too were used as public shelters during both world wars.

These were originally constructed hundreds of years ago, and their origin remains a mystery.

A description in a Victorian newspaper of the nineteenth century describes them thus:

"The caverns at East Cliff deserve particular notice: they are formed by an excavation at the distance of thirty feet from the cliff, and parallel with it, descending gradually to the level of the shore. This subterraneous passage receives its light from arches of such large capacity as to resemble rooms, which are cut at right angles through the chalky cliffs opening to the sea and these arches being in summer carpeted with turf, and covered with shrubs and flowers, appear very picturesque. The lowest arch terminates in a passage leading directly to the beach."

Walking along the Eastern undercliff, you can still clearly see blocked up entrances to these tunnels in the cliff face. Higher up in the cliff, tantalisingly out of reach, some of these entrances still remain open. They are still carpeted with turf, as described in the old account above, over a hundred years ago.

A section of the cliff face beneath King George park, showing some of the entrances

How could we get in there and explore them?

Pictures and information of this tunnel system are very rare, with the old picture below being the only one I've seen from inside

Old photo of the Eastcliff Caverns. The daylight can clearly be seen shining into this main shaft from the many cliff face entrances

All we had to go on was the old photo above, and the Victorian account of them. There was no choice - we had to get in there and see what they were like now.

But How? Entrances into this system were rumoured to be from within the cellars of the Granville Hotel, the Pavilion in Winterstoke Gardens, and beneath the bandstand in Wellington Crescent. However, it seemed they had all long been sealed up. So what about the cliff face? Ladders would not reach that high, so the only solution was abseiling down the cliff of course!

One of the intrepid gang disappearing over the cliff edge at King George Park

Once in King George VI Park, we scaled the cliff railings and entered the heavy undergrowth on the edge of the cliff. The concrete promenade below seemed a long way down! After securing the ropes, the descent began. It was very scary, and the ground looked a long way down!

After descending about 40ft down the cliff face, getting off the pitch at the tunnel entrance was quite easy - a pendulum movement to swing into the entrance and then off!

After battling with seagulls and pigeons that had taken up residence in the entrance, we proceeded inside. The passage was cold and dark (see plan below) and was about 7 ft high. It went in about 30 feet, then turned right angles for about 60 feet before re-emerging at the cliff face, in a kind of U shape.

Section of cliff showing the entrance and exit for the first section of tunnel

On emerging from the exit, it looked like there had originally been a wooden platform that would have then joined up with the second section of cavern. However it had long since rotted away, so there was no choice but to abseil the remainder of the cliff face to the ground.

Entrance and exit to the second section high in the cliff beneath the park

A week or so later, we then abseiled down into the second section of tunnel further along the cliff face to the right. This passage was also open at both ends, and involved a low crawl over a lot of sandbags (left over from the war?). After a long slow crawl, we emerged half way up an old well shaft! Using a second rope, we were able to abseil down 8ft to the base of the well shaft. This also had an exit out into the cliff face at the base of the well! Using "abseil speak", it was our first split pitch!

Looking up from the bottom of the well shaft! The tunnel comes out halfway up the well shaft

Point of entry after 40ft abseil. Tunnel curves to the left. (note pigeon iguano!)

The third section of the caverns also went in a U shape, with the exit also blocked (see picture below). This exit would have come out at the bottom of the cliff, which has been breeze blocked up. These caverns fitted the old Victorian description exactly!

Blocked up beach level entrance

Looking back from the blocked exit towards the open entrance!

Looking at the original B+W photo, and from the early description of this sytstem, it seems that at one point all three sections of the caverns were joined, but may have become seperated by roof falls.

Eastcliff caverns tunnel plan (click to expand)

At the far end of the cliff face, where the promenade ends, is the last section of this system, referred to as the "Rifle Range tunnel".

The passage ran from the beach entrance straight up through the cliff, and emerged in undergrowth at the far end of the rifle range, within King George VI park (hence it's name!)

The exit has now been blown with explosives and is just a pile of rubble. The beach entrance at the bottom of the cliff has also been completely sealed up, but appears to have been quite wide.

Blocked up tunnel entrance

At one point the existing rifle range wanted to expand into this tunnel, and an excerpt from a 1994 planning notice said:

"PLAN FOR RIFLE RANGE IN DISUSED TUNNEL:

A 50 yard 0.22 rifle range at the disused Montefiore tunnel in King George VI Memorial Park. (Planning permission - Broadstairs Council)

Disused tunnel entrance, which is on the Northerly side of the park. To prevent access by the public, the Southerly side of the site would need to be fenced for a distance of 100 yards by 5 foot linking wire fencing... erection of a range hut for storage at the Westerly end of the tunnel entrance..."

Tunnel exit surfaces at the far end of this rifle range

Old Victorian map showing Eastcliff Lodge, on the Montefiore land prior to it becoming a park.

Note the tunnel entrances are clearly marked on this plan!

An old picture of Eastcliff Lodge

Now demolished I believe. Looking at the plan above, perhaps the tunnels originally connected with this house.

The Six Mile Mine

The "six mile mine" is located beneath wasteland next to Honeysuckle Road in Ramsgate. It stretches quite a way beneath it, with the only accessible entrance at the time being from the garden of a house in Honeysuckle Rd. The owners kindly gave us permission to explore this system about 15 years ago.

Despite it's name, the tunnel system did not extend for six miles, it went for more like half a mile (as shown in the plan) before being blocked by a heavy roof fall. The original system apparently did extend beyond this, for a total of about six miles, as far as Margate. (Could this be the same system referred to in the 'Frank Illingworth's Puzzle Tunnel' post?)

It's original purpose is unknown - was it an old chalk mine? A folly? Used for smuggling? It's a mystery. It was however used as a shelter during both world wars.

Exploring this tunnel system was fascinating. It was about 6ft high in most places, but dropping to a crawl in other parts. There were many side tunnels leading off in different directions. If you had discovered it for the first time, without knowing how far it went, it could be very daunting, and one could easily become lost!

Inside was cool and dark, with regularly spaced alcoves in the chalk walls to hold candles.

I have no idea how much of this system still remains intact - there has been a lot of development work in the wasteland behind the Honeysuckle pub recently, with the construction of a new doctors surgery and car park. It would be nice to think that some of this secret history still remains beneath it!

The tunnel entrance!

Inside the mine

Showing a typical cross-section. Note the rather ornate candle recess to the left

Low section of tunnel

One of the areas of the tunnel where we were reduced to a crawl!

A small roof fall

Which was possible to clamber over and continue on our journey!

Roof fall blockage!

Unfortunately a heavy roof fall blocked our way into the rest of the system (the remaining 5 1/2 miles!?)

An old map from the nineteenth century, showing the surrounding area and location of the six mile mine. There were numerous chalk pits and limekilns in the area at the time

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Thanks to my esteemed tunnelling colleague Paul for the pictures!

Ramsgate Flour Mill (Rank Hovis) Air-Raid Tunnel

Introduction

The Ramsgate Flour Mill was built in 1865, and closed in 2005 when the site was sold by Rank Hovis to a private developer, as it was no longer commercially viable. It is situated next to the site of the old Ramsgate Town Station, which has long been demolished and is now a block of flats (Chatham Court).

The mill survived two world wars, but sustained heavy bombing during World War 2. As the threat of war came nearer, air raid tunnels were dug. One “for the men” was dug under the old railway cattle pens (to the rear of the site), which gave the shelter about 25 feet of chalk and concrete as protection.

For the office workers, a separate shelter was constructed, which was a brick lined tunnel dug from the general office down into the ground. Under the mill, this was made wider to give a fair size room. A way out was up two long flights of concrete steps into the Margate Road.

The shelter was provided with a bucket toilet, gas curtains either end, lighting and heating. When “Hudsons look-out” gave the alarm, the office staff would pick up their ledgers and file down the stairs and carry on working in their underground office. During the war, the mill was very lucky. A lot of damage was done for nine bombs fell on the mill site, with only one failing to go off.

The street entrance to the air raid shelter was bricked up after the war, and the entrance from beneath the office was also sealed up. Apart from a brief inspection in 1984, the tunnel has been blocked up ever since. However, by kind permission of the site’s new owner, and an ex-employee showing us where the entrance was, we recently gained access to the office air raid shelter.

Entry is now via a locked manhole cover, inconspicuously located on the site. Not the most obvious location for an entrance! (fig 1)

Figure 1: Manhole cover lifted revealing entrance beneath!

On opening the cover, there was an 8 ft drop onto a steep and narrow flight of concrete steps leading down in the opposite direction. The steps begin level with the street outside (Margate Road), where the original street entrance would have been (now bricked up). A rusted metal handrail was fixed to the wall, which also acted as a handy foothold when dropping down into the entrance. (fig 2)

Figure 2: Looking down the manhole into the entrance (8 ft drop to steps)

Descending the concrete steps, the tunnel was brick lined throughout, with a smooth vaulted ceiling. It was tall and narrow, just wide enough for one person to walk along comfortably. About 6 ½ ft high and 3 ft wide (fig 3)

Figure 3: Descending the concrete steps

The concrete steps descended steeply. The walls were whitewashed, and very clean throughout the length of the tunnel. There was no graffiti at all on any of the walls, indicating this was indeed not a public air-raid shelter, and also it had not been used for a very long time!

After 24 steps, the tunnel levelled, and turned left at right angles (fig 4). After turning left a second time, the tunnel continued down for a further 10 steps.

We had travelled about 30 feet into the tunnel, and about the same distance down.

After the steps ended, the tunnel continued straight ahead.

We passed through the remains of a wooden door frame, with leather straps (and buckles) hanging from the top of it. (figs 5,6). This was where the first gas curtain would have been.

Figure 4: Tunnel frequently turns at right angles

Figure 5: Wooden door frame with leather straps which would have held the gas curtain

Figure 6: Another view of the wooden door frame

This tunnel now intersected with another one, crossing at a 45 degree angle, running to the left and right.

To the left was a deep alcove, with the remains of a curtain. This was where the bucket toilet would have been, with the cloth curtain providing the only privacy. (fig 7)







The tunnel continued on to the right for about another 15 feet, before again turning at right angles and opening out into a large chamber. (fig 8)

Figure 7: Toilet recess with remains of privacy curtain

Figure 8: Underground office chamber

This underground chamber was about 16 feet long, 6 ft wide and 7 ft high, and was the wartime office room.

The tunnel continued on from the other end of this underground office, turned 90 degrees left again, then right, and we passed under another wooden door frame, with the same leather buckles hanging from the top, which was the remains of the second gas curtain protecting the wartime office chamber. (fig 9)

Figure 9: Remains of second gas curtain

Then we came to two long flights of steps leading steeply up to the surface, beneath the office floor (fig 10). The exit was blocked by concrete slabs (fig 11). The remains of the wooden planks or trapdoor that had originally covered the exit could be seen.

Figure 10: Steps leading back up to the surface beneath the main office building

Figure 11: The blocked up exit beneath the floor of the main office

Figure 12: The bricked up street level entrance to the air raid shelter can be seen from Margate Road. An air vent in the bricks is all that gives this location away

Figure 14: Ascending the steps towards the office building. The roof detail is well made and quite intricate here

Figure 15: Looking down the main tunnel, showing a typical cross-section. (A very old broom can be seen at the end)

Conclusion:

The tunnel was extremely well constructed, completely built with bricks, and painted white. This was in stark contrast to the nearby Ramsgate Public Air Raid tunnel system, which had been roughly hewn out of the chalk in a hurry, it seems this private shelter had been constructed to a high standard. Construction would have been funded privately, by the Hudson company who owned the mill at the time.

It was also very clean, with no signs of wildlife, or graffiti. The construction (such as the bricks, dimensions of tunnel and ceiling architecture) made it look almost part of the mill itself, and built in the nineteenth century, however, it was subsequently found out that it was of more recent construction, built on the eve of world war two to enable the mill office staff to continue working, even during a heavy air raid.

Site Plan:

The Well

Also on the Hovis Mill site is a deep well, used to supply water to the screenroom. It is 120 feet to the water, which is at a depth of 26 feet.

A description of the well by L.G. Gray in his book “From Wind to Power”, 1985:

“The well was dug by a local firm of contractors by the name of Haskings in the year 1898. Just above the water level there is a short safety tunnel used when things are being lowered down. Small shelves were dug into the chalk to put candles on, the only source of light down there, and the walls are covered with dates and names of all those who ventured down there, either to dig the well or do maintenance on the pump. I deeply regret that on my last trip down there I did not take a camera with me, for there is now almost one hundred years of history inscribed in chalk, 120 feet down. The old two throw pump is still down there, but I doubt if anyone will ever go down there again. The water was so crystal clear that one could see right through the water to the bottom. If one moved the water, the light would dance and reflect all over…”

The well is still accessible from one of the out-buildings, now a store room. However, in 2006 you would never know it was there, as it has been capped off, and a partition wall built over the top. However, by shining a torch through a small 1 inch diameter hole, you can see it clearly beneath. It is roughly hewn from chalk, and around 3 ft diameter. The water authority has recently installed a modern piece of measuring equipment to it.

Current site of well. The black probe entering into the hole is some kind of measuring device put there by the water board when the mill site was vacated