So here it is my first visit to the north and south casemates and the Infamous pipe of terrorise arrived in Dover for sun rise and made our way to the casemates after a walk of about 45 minutes we arived at the destination and made our way through some prickly bushes and some thorns then the stairs were ahead of us and we eagerly made our way inside down the stairs to the bottom and there was the round drum that looked like a large boiler with a hole cut in the side and an Illegible makers plate on the side with some rather large wing nuts surrounding the hole. Please let me know if you have any idea what this is, so onwards we went through two rooms ending it a single urinal and what could of once been a stall (shit house) turning back around past the “boiler” and there is another staircase leading down to a lower floor and on our left there was a view of the casemates with the floor missing so quick photo and onwards to the lower floor on entering the casemates in the first room we saw a fireplace saved from theft and vandalism by it’s out of reach position high up the wall on the second floor wit the floor missing.
Passing through here to the last casemate there is a ventilation shaft that is now blocked off but prior to being blocked someone had thrown a telegraph pole down now stuck there for an eternity.
Leaving the ventilation shaft and turning back around there are a set of large wooden doors with a hole in the bottom smashed out , so in we went , the tunnel on the other side of the door was an unlined chalk tunnel that seems a bit strange after all the Beautiful brick work that has been carried out there with 30 foot span arches and Finicals adorning the tops and outside of the arches I was so surprised to see unlined tunnels . I think this may be a emergency escape or just unfinished. Walking back around now to the part I was excited about the tunnel of terror, or the infamous pipe of doom . Back at the bottom of the stairs we went through the two rooms one of which had the remains of a shelf that would have been 7feet long and 3 inches thick protruding at least a foot from the wall the brackets were still in place but all were bent or snapped so sad.
Arriving at the urinal in almost perfect condition there behind us was the hole in the wall leading to the crawl through and the south casemates. In we went me first and followed by damo the thirst part of the tunnel was most definitely a lay on your belly type of thing but within 6 foot you are able to crawl on your knees to the first resting place that is I think an old cave in up and over the pile of soil we go and on then to the pipe.
On reaching the pipe I started to wonder if I would fit as it’s a bloody site smaller than I Imagined so I offered my head to the pipe arms outstretched and I shuffled in, the pipe was the exact same with as my shoulders so had a proper job getting into it and even more of a job getting through.
Through I went until my feet were in the pipe and that’s where I lost traction so had a bit of a struggle moving on but on I went and thank god the pipe wasn’t to long , about 8 to 10 feet I reckon after I pulled damo out the pipe (he got stuck) we went on and after a bit had another belly down experience through a small gap of no more than about 14 to 18 inches we popped up in the south casemates and wow was it worth it no crappy tagging lots of things still in place from light fittings to shelving above the soldiers beds presumably to fold clothes and place helmets on.
Even though this part of the explore was Pretty much the same as on the other side of the pipe the fact there was no graffiti apart from chalk scrawled on the stairs made it worthwhile, we then hopped out of the window in to the dry mote and had a walk up and down looking for artifacts find number one was what a think was a mess tray that dinner would have been served on, then close to that a Crittle window frame then a tray containing a glass jar a mug two plates and some other bits and pieces. If you spend time looking around the mote I am sure there is tones of things just left there , but for me seeing these things makes me wonder who last touched who has touched and who will touch in the future.
So time to leave now back through the pipe crawl spaces over old collapse up the stairs out in to day light and the 45 min walk back to where I parked, which was a Subdued walk as we processed what we have seen and what we had done.
If you fancy your chances with the pipe then pick some thin friends that are not Claustrophobic and are prepared to pull and push you out as required don’t go Maverick and do this on your own as I would say the chances of staying here till the next exploring team arrives is pretty high.
Now for a bit of history on the place and why it was so hard to access,
Building started in the 18th century as the Spanish and French armada sailed off the coast, This was of course in response to napoleons planned invasion in 1804 lieutenant colonel William twistsWas ordered to modernise the defence of the Western Heights two forts drop redoubt and the Citadel Were constructed both linked by series of dry motes At the same time the grand shaft which is a triple helix staircase was also constructed to allow the maximum number of troops to Be deployed In the minimum amount of time. Fortifications were left in an unfinished state after a truce was established with France And soon fell into A state of abandonment and disrepair, then 1850s France emerged as a new threat and Napoleon started to dominate Europe in order to balance the power of the region Lord Palmerston rarely sided with the French. By 1859 the threat of invasion loomed once again after the Royal commission, the Weston heightsdefences were designed as a state-of-the-art Barrack and a gun complex that was protected by 4 miles of dry ditches since it’s redevelopment and up until World War II the military occupied this area as part of the modernisation of the north and south front casemates were constructive to provide protection to the dry diches ,a now Buried caponier sat in the middle.
The casemates and caponier were buried in 1960 something as part of the operation “let’s forget the war ever happened”
So that said on with some photos please appreciate I only had an iPhone with me for photos so they are a bit up and down to say the least.
Bet a special thanks to damo for taking on the pipe of terror,
Please enjoy , see you underground
Passing through here to the last casemate there is a ventilation shaft that is now blocked off but prior to being blocked someone had thrown a telegraph pole down now stuck there for an eternity.
Leaving the ventilation shaft and turning back around there are a set of large wooden doors with a hole in the bottom smashed out , so in we went , the tunnel on the other side of the door was an unlined chalk tunnel that seems a bit strange after all the Beautiful brick work that has been carried out there with 30 foot span arches and Finicals adorning the tops and outside of the arches I was so surprised to see unlined tunnels . I think this may be a emergency escape or just unfinished. Walking back around now to the part I was excited about the tunnel of terror, or the infamous pipe of doom . Back at the bottom of the stairs we went through the two rooms one of which had the remains of a shelf that would have been 7feet long and 3 inches thick protruding at least a foot from the wall the brackets were still in place but all were bent or snapped so sad.
Arriving at the urinal in almost perfect condition there behind us was the hole in the wall leading to the crawl through and the south casemates. In we went me first and followed by damo the thirst part of the tunnel was most definitely a lay on your belly type of thing but within 6 foot you are able to crawl on your knees to the first resting place that is I think an old cave in up and over the pile of soil we go and on then to the pipe.
On reaching the pipe I started to wonder if I would fit as it’s a bloody site smaller than I Imagined so I offered my head to the pipe arms outstretched and I shuffled in, the pipe was the exact same with as my shoulders so had a proper job getting into it and even more of a job getting through.
Through I went until my feet were in the pipe and that’s where I lost traction so had a bit of a struggle moving on but on I went and thank god the pipe wasn’t to long , about 8 to 10 feet I reckon after I pulled damo out the pipe (he got stuck) we went on and after a bit had another belly down experience through a small gap of no more than about 14 to 18 inches we popped up in the south casemates and wow was it worth it no crappy tagging lots of things still in place from light fittings to shelving above the soldiers beds presumably to fold clothes and place helmets on.
Even though this part of the explore was Pretty much the same as on the other side of the pipe the fact there was no graffiti apart from chalk scrawled on the stairs made it worthwhile, we then hopped out of the window in to the dry mote and had a walk up and down looking for artifacts find number one was what a think was a mess tray that dinner would have been served on, then close to that a Crittle window frame then a tray containing a glass jar a mug two plates and some other bits and pieces. If you spend time looking around the mote I am sure there is tones of things just left there , but for me seeing these things makes me wonder who last touched who has touched and who will touch in the future.
So time to leave now back through the pipe crawl spaces over old collapse up the stairs out in to day light and the 45 min walk back to where I parked, which was a Subdued walk as we processed what we have seen and what we had done.
If you fancy your chances with the pipe then pick some thin friends that are not Claustrophobic and are prepared to pull and push you out as required don’t go Maverick and do this on your own as I would say the chances of staying here till the next exploring team arrives is pretty high.
Now for a bit of history on the place and why it was so hard to access,
Building started in the 18th century as the Spanish and French armada sailed off the coast, This was of course in response to napoleons planned invasion in 1804 lieutenant colonel William twistsWas ordered to modernise the defence of the Western Heights two forts drop redoubt and the Citadel Were constructed both linked by series of dry motes At the same time the grand shaft which is a triple helix staircase was also constructed to allow the maximum number of troops to Be deployed In the minimum amount of time. Fortifications were left in an unfinished state after a truce was established with France And soon fell into A state of abandonment and disrepair, then 1850s France emerged as a new threat and Napoleon started to dominate Europe in order to balance the power of the region Lord Palmerston rarely sided with the French. By 1859 the threat of invasion loomed once again after the Royal commission, the Weston heightsdefences were designed as a state-of-the-art Barrack and a gun complex that was protected by 4 miles of dry ditches since it’s redevelopment and up until World War II the military occupied this area as part of the modernisation of the north and south front casemates were constructive to provide protection to the dry diches ,a now Buried caponier sat in the middle.
The casemates and caponier were buried in 1960 something as part of the operation “let’s forget the war ever happened”
So that said on with some photos please appreciate I only had an iPhone with me for photos so they are a bit up and down to say the least.
Bet a special thanks to damo for taking on the pipe of terror,
Please enjoy , see you underground
