North Entrance - Dover - Feb 2011

[Ramsgatonion]

Had a nice trip to Dover the other day, and did the North Entrance for the first time. This has been covered quite a few times, so I will just quote the history from Underground Kent for those of you unfamiliar with this fortification.

The weakest link in fortress defence is often the entrances, so it is hardly surprising that much ingenuity goes into their design. The North Entrance to the Western Heights was the nearest to the town of Dover and most convenient for access, either for supplies or by an attacking force. Accordingly, its defences were substantial, comprising two bridges and a tunnel. The entrance dates from the Royal Commission period of the 1860s, and superseded the entrance dating from Napoleonic times - a single bridge over a ditch.

The two bridges crossed the twin ditches (or lines), which were separated by an earth bank – the tenaille. Neither bridge was fixed. The first of the two had a drop-down section hinged at the tenaille end, while the second had a section that could be raised. The roadway cut through the tenaille was ‘S’ shaped, so that artillery fire could not be brought to bear on the entrance to the tunnel from the approach road.

Having crossed the two bridges, the road entered a tunnel, with a pair of massive doors at the outer end. These slid on rails from deep slots either side of the tunnel, and did away with the obvious weakness of hinges. The tunnel then turns sharp left, runs straight for 50m or so, then turns right towards the inner gateway. The road bed of the tunnel was laid with 6� cubes of oak, probably to guard against sparks.

 

[Maniac]

Gotta love the North Entrance.

My grandfather remembered driving through that tunnel when it was still the main road in and out of that part of Dover, only about 40 years or so ago.

 

[Wevsky]

Gotta love the North Entrance. My grandfather remembered driving through that tunnel when it was still the main road in and out of that part of Dover, only about 40 years or so ago.

right the marks on the wall by the sliding doors at drawbridge ,they look like rope marks frm many years of use..i was also told they would have been scrape marks from like you say when it was used for the main road..whats your opinion maniac im sure youve seen the marks im on about

 

[Maniac]

Gotta love the North Entrance. My grandfather remembered driving through that tunnel when it was still the main road in and out of that part of Dover, only about 40 years or so ago.

right the marks on the wall by the sliding doors at drawbridge ,they look like rope marks frm many years of use..i was also told they would have been scrape marks from like you say when it was used for the main road..whats your opinion maniac im sure youve seen the marks im on about

I'm pretty sure they are scrape marks from lorries and large vehicles as the turns in there are quite tight. If they were rope marks, there would probably only be 1 or 2 really deep ones, as the rope would tend to settle into the same position every time.

 

[Wevsky]

I'm pretty sure they are scrape marks from lorries and large vehicles as the turns in there are quite tight. If they were rope marks, there would probably only be 1 or 2 really deep ones, as the rope would tend to settle into the same position every time.