Visited with: @UrbanZ and @Dora Grew Up
Short History (More history in my Plotting Room report):
South Foreland Battery was constructed at the beginning of WW2 and was placed in a key location on White Cliffs in Dover. It consisted of multiple underground shelters, surface buildings, and four 9.2" guns.
Most of the original surface structures have since been demolished, but many of the underground structures, such as this one, still survive. This was one of two deep underground shelters built in 1941, and is accessible by an inclined entrance on the surface lined with corrugated steel. Separate underground Fortress and Battery Plotting Rooms also exist on the site. The site is now on public land and regularly used by locals out for walks etc.
Explore:
On a lovely rainy day, traipsing around woods for a good hour finding surface remnants and or features we believed to be related to the shelter, such as a concrete vent and a heavy concrete slab (which once removed only contained a blocked-off well), we started to get a little miffed as to how such a blatant place could have eluded us for so long.
A a few expletives later and a disheartened walk back to the car thinking we would never find the bloody place, we checked our sources one last time and Dora decided to go back for one final look, and I'm so glad she did, as 10 minutes later we were in.
The most annoying part was we must have been within a meter of so of the entrance on multiple occasions, yet somehow still missed it, think I'll blame this on the other two
.
I must admit though, even if we've had to do a lot of research, sites that are easily found don't seem to tickle my fancy as much as the ones that thoroughly infuriate me trying to locate, and the other plus is it keeps my ever-growing beer belly at bay, well, I like to think so.
Anyhow, my first sight of the corrugated metal lined stairway leading down into the dark chasm was quite spectacular, the rusted steel columns adding to the ambiance, and I couldn't wait to get in so, without further ado that is exactly what we did.
About halfway down the main staircase it flattens out before turning approximately 90° to the right, then descends down again into the main shelter, which is compromised of multiple tunnels running parallel to each other with a separate tunnel at either end.
We spent a good while in here and had a great time. Although not the best of conditions it was a great little explore (like much of Dover is), and is definitely one worth visiting if in the area.
Onto the pics.
Old map of the shelters.
Looking down main entrance staircase.
3.
Main Passageway.
5.
Back-filled entrance.
7.
8.
9.
Ventilation duct.
Looking back at main entrance.
12.
Thanks for looking.
Short History (More history in my Plotting Room report):
South Foreland Battery was constructed at the beginning of WW2 and was placed in a key location on White Cliffs in Dover. It consisted of multiple underground shelters, surface buildings, and four 9.2" guns.
Most of the original surface structures have since been demolished, but many of the underground structures, such as this one, still survive. This was one of two deep underground shelters built in 1941, and is accessible by an inclined entrance on the surface lined with corrugated steel. Separate underground Fortress and Battery Plotting Rooms also exist on the site. The site is now on public land and regularly used by locals out for walks etc.
Explore:
On a lovely rainy day, traipsing around woods for a good hour finding surface remnants and or features we believed to be related to the shelter, such as a concrete vent and a heavy concrete slab (which once removed only contained a blocked-off well), we started to get a little miffed as to how such a blatant place could have eluded us for so long.
A a few expletives later and a disheartened walk back to the car thinking we would never find the bloody place, we checked our sources one last time and Dora decided to go back for one final look, and I'm so glad she did, as 10 minutes later we were in.
The most annoying part was we must have been within a meter of so of the entrance on multiple occasions, yet somehow still missed it, think I'll blame this on the other two
.I must admit though, even if we've had to do a lot of research, sites that are easily found don't seem to tickle my fancy as much as the ones that thoroughly infuriate me trying to locate, and the other plus is it keeps my ever-growing beer belly at bay, well, I like to think so.
Anyhow, my first sight of the corrugated metal lined stairway leading down into the dark chasm was quite spectacular, the rusted steel columns adding to the ambiance, and I couldn't wait to get in so, without further ado that is exactly what we did.
About halfway down the main staircase it flattens out before turning approximately 90° to the right, then descends down again into the main shelter, which is compromised of multiple tunnels running parallel to each other with a separate tunnel at either end.
We spent a good while in here and had a great time. Although not the best of conditions it was a great little explore (like much of Dover is), and is definitely one worth visiting if in the area.
Onto the pics.
Old map of the shelters.
Looking down main entrance staircase.
3.
Main Passageway.
5.
Back-filled entrance.
7.
8.
9.
Ventilation duct.
Looking back at main entrance.
12.
Thanks for looking.
Last edited:
