Old Channel Tunnel Boring

In the 1880's several exploratory test borings were made to study the feasibility of digging a tunnel beneath the English Channel to France. One was at the site of a colliery at Shakespeare's Cliff near Dover, now known as Samphire Hoe and the site of an access tunnel for the modern Channel Tunnel. Another was in the cliffs near to Martello Tower No.1 at Folkestone (see last two photos). This boring machine was left in the collapsed entrance of the boring until in the 1980's it was removed and put on display by the constructors of the new Channel Tunnel in an exhibition centre at Folkestone. A third test boring was made into the Warren chalk close to the sea at Abbot's Cliff between Folkestone and Dover. The pictures below of this tunnel were taken in March 1978. The entrance has now been changed from sleepers to a brick built entrance. There are a series of drainage adits with similar entrances along the seawall in this part of the Warren. One of them, no.20, is the old Channel Tunnel Boring.

 

View of entrance to test boring Dec.2000.

 

Entrance to test boring March 1978.

 

Close up of old sleeper entrance.

 

Sleeper lined tunnel.

 

Further down tunnel.

 

Masonry section, probably where tunnel goes under main

Folkestone-Dover railway line.

 

Old sleeper retaining walls.

 

Junction of tunnels, left tunnel goes straight on to dead end. Right tunnel is the

test boring and curves away to the seaward side.

 

Further down the old boring, note the shape of the tunnel as left by the boring machine.

There are no longer any sleeper walls or shoring.

For the rest of the tour click on 'Next Page'.