Reporting here on a small military-related tunnel in Aldershot. Normally I wouldn't post something as small as this up as a report, but it appeared on this forum a few weeks back as a lead to be checked out.There's also discussion of this tunnel on the South-East History Boards website and there seems to be no interior photos of the tunnel anywhere on the internet. So I put this report up in the hope that it is spotted by the people of South-East History Boards and by other local historians.
With thanks to @oldblagger who put this up as a lead in August.
REPORT
1. Wellington Avenue Tunnel
Aldershot is a major garrison town and has been since 1854 when the garrison was established during the Crimean War. It's almost certain that this tunnel is military related. It's entrance can be seen across the road from the Tesco's car park and it heads south towards the site of a former barracks (now redeveloped as a school and housing estate).
Difficult to make out what the tunnel was for, but unlikely to be for the movement of people as it's only about 5ft high. Beyond where it has been backfilled, it heads upwards to the grounds of the old barrack site. Cable runs line the walls.
First view looking in
Ends with all this backfill after about 30metres. I can make out that the tunnel extends upwards to the surface where all this backfill is. Warning: there's asbestos among all that junk
And looking back to the entrance
Cable runs line the walls
2. Cemetery Hill Command Bunker
It is known that a WW2 era command bunker lies under Cemetery Hill, with an entrance said to have been at the end of a grassy track running alongside South Atlantic Drive. A ventilation vent can be seen at the top of the hill. Well I found that grassy track and it ends at a high chainlink fence that is boarded and can not be seen through. As this is within a military housing estate, and following a terrorist related incident at a military housing estate at RAF Marham last month, I decided it was best not to be climbing fences in this sort of area given the current security alert status.
Anyways documents posted elsewhere suggest that the command bunker was built as follows:
"This consisted of 2 parallel adits (6' x 7'), each approximately 370' in length and 170' apart. A Chamber system and Galleries (10' x 9') connecting the Adits extended to a total linear footage of 659', representing, with the Adits, a total of 76610 cu. ft. of excavation. The Adits were lined for the most part with timber sets, made of old railway sleepers, and partly with small Colliery Arches (5' x 6' 6"). The Chambering was lined with large Colliery Arches (8' x 9'). The general gradient throughout the system was 1 in 200."
According to several sources, two people died in this bunker in the 1970s when they lit a fire inside and died of smoke inhalation. I have been unable to confirm the validity of this story. Sources suggest the bunker may have been permanently sealed after this incident.
3. Underground Reservoir at Upper Hale
A couple of miles away at Upper Hale a military underground reservoir, reported several times on this forum back in 2013 and 2014. The hatches are now welded shut and access currently impossible. The "pots" seen on the surface in my photo have all been chopped off and replaced with concrete caps.
Thought I would add my own photos from 2014 to get all things underground Aldershot related into one thread.
History copied from other reports: South of an area known as 'Caesar's Camp' was a major water catchment area for Aldershot Camp which had its own water supply from Aldershot Town. There were (and still are) a number of uncovered reservoirs and until recent years a water tower and pump house on the other side of the road. These would feed smaller header reservoirs and water towers in the camp which in turn fed tanks in the roofs of the barracks.
Photos shown from two of the four chambers present here
Thanks for reading
With thanks to @oldblagger who put this up as a lead in August.
REPORT
1. Wellington Avenue Tunnel
Aldershot is a major garrison town and has been since 1854 when the garrison was established during the Crimean War. It's almost certain that this tunnel is military related. It's entrance can be seen across the road from the Tesco's car park and it heads south towards the site of a former barracks (now redeveloped as a school and housing estate).
Difficult to make out what the tunnel was for, but unlikely to be for the movement of people as it's only about 5ft high. Beyond where it has been backfilled, it heads upwards to the grounds of the old barrack site. Cable runs line the walls.
First view looking in
Ends with all this backfill after about 30metres. I can make out that the tunnel extends upwards to the surface where all this backfill is. Warning: there's asbestos among all that junk
And looking back to the entrance
Cable runs line the walls
2. Cemetery Hill Command Bunker
It is known that a WW2 era command bunker lies under Cemetery Hill, with an entrance said to have been at the end of a grassy track running alongside South Atlantic Drive. A ventilation vent can be seen at the top of the hill. Well I found that grassy track and it ends at a high chainlink fence that is boarded and can not be seen through. As this is within a military housing estate, and following a terrorist related incident at a military housing estate at RAF Marham last month, I decided it was best not to be climbing fences in this sort of area given the current security alert status.
Anyways documents posted elsewhere suggest that the command bunker was built as follows:
"This consisted of 2 parallel adits (6' x 7'), each approximately 370' in length and 170' apart. A Chamber system and Galleries (10' x 9') connecting the Adits extended to a total linear footage of 659', representing, with the Adits, a total of 76610 cu. ft. of excavation. The Adits were lined for the most part with timber sets, made of old railway sleepers, and partly with small Colliery Arches (5' x 6' 6"). The Chambering was lined with large Colliery Arches (8' x 9'). The general gradient throughout the system was 1 in 200."
According to several sources, two people died in this bunker in the 1970s when they lit a fire inside and died of smoke inhalation. I have been unable to confirm the validity of this story. Sources suggest the bunker may have been permanently sealed after this incident.
3. Underground Reservoir at Upper Hale
A couple of miles away at Upper Hale a military underground reservoir, reported several times on this forum back in 2013 and 2014. The hatches are now welded shut and access currently impossible. The "pots" seen on the surface in my photo have all been chopped off and replaced with concrete caps.
Thought I would add my own photos from 2014 to get all things underground Aldershot related into one thread.
History copied from other reports: South of an area known as 'Caesar's Camp' was a major water catchment area for Aldershot Camp which had its own water supply from Aldershot Town. There were (and still are) a number of uncovered reservoirs and until recent years a water tower and pump house on the other side of the road. These would feed smaller header reservoirs and water towers in the camp which in turn fed tanks in the roofs of the barracks.
Photos shown from two of the four chambers present here
Thanks for reading
