Report - 1880 channel attempt – June 2008

ok firstly i would like to say a big thank you to Powersurge for inviting me along to this place.
I don’t think its somewhere i would bother going back to, 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 Remembrance.

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 until the project was abandoned in 1898. Originally the bore was planned to be completed by 1886.

Today the tunnel is very unstable 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 visible.

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

I may need to visit this, only because it's been a dream for the last 2 years, Is it by any chance a long walk from Samphire Hoe? or is my reccy a bit shite xD

it is located near capel le ferne. Head for martellio towers and take a walk down toward dover along the bottom of the cliffs. That is where you want to do your reccy. It is sealed up though.

Obscurity wrote:

it is located near capel le ferne. Head for martellio towers and take a walk down toward dover along the bottom of the cliffs. That is where you want to do your reccy. It is sealed up though.

sealed is no good..just wont have it mate lol

well when i say sealed i mean its not open. There is a padlock on it and it is checked by southeastern rail who hold the key for it.

Obscurity wrote:

well when i say sealed i mean its not open. There is a padlock on it and it is checked by southeastern rail who hold the key for it.

Ryda got permission to do it a while back..ive heard of this permission do you know what it is obs

hahaha, he didnt get proper permission. Just went down with the same guy i did who happens to own a key

Obscurity wrote:

hahaha, he didnt get proper permission. Just went down with the same guy i did who happens to own a key

Ah so thats his idea of permission..think i know the guy in questiomn with the key..