North Military Rd. Tunnel

(Christ Church Tunnel)

Situated at the lower end of North Military Road Dover, on the way up to the Western Heights, the entrance to Christ Church Tunnel is well hidden behind some buildings and covered by profuse vegetation. The start of the tunnel is well constructed and the first 200 ft concrete lined. The section after the concrete lining finishes is in a very poor state with the timber props being soft enough to push your finger through. The next section where the tunnel forms a tee the roof has collapsed and looks to be in a very unstable condition. The left hand part of the tee has further falls in sight and only a small gap to squeeze through. The right hand part of the tee has a slightly bigger hole to get through, so it is possible to get through without touching the roof and perhaps bringing it down. The tunnel then turns to the left and after a short way there is a bricked up entrance which I believe would have led back onto North military Road. The purpose of the tunnel is unknown, it could perhaps have been a WW2 air-raid shelter tunnel. Thanks to Paul Wells for giving me the location of the tunnel. Photos taken April 2001.

 

Plan of tunnel courtesy of Paul Wells.

 

Heavily overgrown entrance to tunnel.

 

Concrete entrance to tunnel is half filled with rubble.

 

First section of tunnel goes straight into hillside and is concrete lined.

 

The tunnel turns to the right, ahead and to the left the it soon comes to a dead end.

 

Conditions are noticeably wetter now with water dripping from the roof.

 

Near the end of the concrete lined section fallen wooden props can be seen.

 

The tunnel is now cut through the chalk and the first cave-in can be seen.

 

At the chalk fall, where the roof has fallen in there is a space above the fall.

 

Close up to the fall a way over the top can be seen.

 

On top of the fall, looking into the left hand part of the tee.

The roof is very unstable here.

 

Looking into the right part of the tee, there is a bigger gap to squeeze through.

 

The passage to the right continues towards a bricked up entrance.

Note the brickwork at the top right of the chalk fall.

 

Looking back the way I've come over the main cave-in.