Kiwi Chateau     

Drive-Time (Via Michelin):
     Embry to Ramsgate:
          Embry to Coquelles EuroTunnel:
               1hr 5 mins (60 miles incl motorways)
          EuroTunnel:
               Waiting-Time plus 35 mins for the train.
          Folkestone EuroTunnel to the BoB Memorial:
               52 mins (28 miles)
EuroTunnel Costs for 1-day Return: Circa £48 

Web:       www.ramsgatetunnels.org

Address:  Ramsgate (Heritage Regeneration) Trust Limited
              16 Vale Square
              RAMSGATE
              Kent, CT11 9DF

Main Entrance:
             On the seafront in Marina Esplanade

TUNNELS TO REOPEN IN JUNE 2014 !

The Ramsgate Tunnel Deep Shelter System was first opened by H.R.H. The Duke of Kent on the 1st June 1939. A target date has now been set for the tunnels to reopen for Explorer tours on the 1st June 2014, exactly 75 years after their first opening.

Geoff McIntosh (your author/host) has joined this society as a "friend", so that he might be kept appraised of developments...

Extract from the Ramsgate Tunnels website:

" With the Second World War looming, and having suffered as the most-raided place in Britain during the Great War (WWI), Ramsgate was acutely aware of the dangers of aerial attack and coastal shelling. The local authority embarked on ambitious plans to provide underground shelter from attack within five minutes walk of every house.

Initially central government would not sanction these plans but, thanks to a determined effort by the Mayor and local authority, permission was finally granted to construct nearly 2½ miles of tunnels 60 feet below the town with access from all major areas of population. These were the largest and only civilian air raid protection tunnels to be sanctioned by government and their unique design was made possible due to the special geology of the town.

The tunnel design incorporated a former Victorian railway tunnel of almost one mile in length which meant the complex was capable of sheltering up to 60,000 people.

During the first Blitz of any town in Britain, Ramsgate suffered over 500 bombs in less than five minutes, completely devastating whole areas of the town. Remarkably, thanks to the safety of the tunnels, only 28 civilians lost their lives in this raid but almost 1,000 people were rendered homeless. Many of the homeless moved the remains of their possessions into the former railway tunnel and took up permanent residence, some remaining below ground until war ended. Despite its location close to occupied France, Ramsgate was one of the safest towns in Britain.

From the arrival of the railway and through the devastation of World War II, Ramsgate’s tunnels were one of  the town’s most important assets. "

" Ramsgate was in the forefront of two World Wars as a Naval Base and was in close proximity to RAF Manston during World War II.

Access to the World War II tunnels will only be possible by guided tours in sections that are safe to use. Before entering the network an introductory film will be shown and visitors will be given a safety briefing before being issued with safety equipment. Areas of the tunnel will be fitted out as in the 1940s to give a real sense of life underground and provide an informative, educational and enjoyable experience. "

Tunnel History:

1863:   Construction of Railway Tunnel

1926:   Closure of Railway Tunnel

1939:   Tunnels commeced & opened
           Beginning of WWII

1940:   24th August:
           The world's first blitz

1945:   WWII ends
           -Tunnels abandoned

1954:   Plan to reuse Tunnels for "Cold
           War"

1965:   Tunnel Railway closes

1988:   Plans initiated for
          "experiencing" the Ramsgate
           Blitz

1996:   Tunnels surveyed

Wikipedia:

" The Tunnel Railway (also known as the Ramsgate Cliff Railway, the Ramsgate Tunnel Railway, the Ramsgate Underground Railway and the World Scenic Railway) was an underground railway in Ramsgate, Kent, England. Following the restructuring of railway lines in Ramsgate in 1926 the section of line between Broadstairs and Ramsgate Harbour including the tunnel was abandoned. This narrow-gauge railway was opened in 1936 to connect tourist attractions and shops near Ramsgate harbour with the new railway main line at Dumpton Park.

Except for its two stations — one at each end of the tunnel — the line ran entirely underground. The line was built in less than three months, and on its completion in 1936 was one of the shortest independent railway lines in the country. It was open for only three years before being converted to a major air-raid shelter during World War II. After the war's end, it was not included in the 1948 nationalisation of British railways but remained in private hands.

Passenger numbers fell during the 1960s, and the line became economically nonviable. Following a train crash in 1965, the owners decided to close at the end of September that year. The tunnel still exists, sealed and disused, but no trace of the stations remains. "