The Grand Shaft

• Adam Fuhrer
  February 5th, 2008 at 10:42 pm

  Love it!

• VonSkippy
  February 6th, 2008 at 1:21 am

  I saw the title and thought it would be an article about Bush’s proposed tax rebate.

• Miss Cellania
  February 6th, 2008 at 1:24 am

  VonSkippy, I wish I had made that title up myself.

• CSI
  February 6th, 2008 at 1:34 am

  Three separate, yet intertwined, staircases, each on top of the other? I know this is in theory a fairly simple arrangement, yet my mind can’t quite picture it. The engineers of the day must have had their work cut out for them designing this without computers.

  I like the titles of the soldier’s female companions in the original sign. Officers have “ladies”, NCOs have “wives”, enlisted men have “women”. This says a lot about the social stratification of the time.

• Rosi
  February 6th, 2008 at 11:37 am

  Also in the cliffs of Dover there is a bomb shelter, and secret tunnels and rooms were cut into the chalk during WW2 and used as a military HQ. The earlier shaft is just a small part of it. I think there are also tunnels built underneath Dover castle (on top of the cliffs) which are from medieval time, but if I remember correctly most of them are closed off now. But the best bit about the cliffs is the small terrace built on the very top of the cliffs (attached to the castle) looking out over the sea. If you’re ever in the area, visiting Dover Castle and the wartime tunnels is a pretty good day out. I live pretty close, and I’ve been there at least three times now, and its still fun.

• PT
  February 6th, 2008 at 1:55 pm

  I went down this shaft when I was in Dover once, about 25 years ago. At the time it was completely derelict - the gates at the top were welded shut and the tunnel mouth was bricked up, and the bottom of the shaft was full of trash including the wreck of an old car! I have some photos somewhere. I’m so glad to see someone had the grace to restore it, instead of just filling it in.

• PT
  February 6th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

  Question for #5 Rosi: if you live nearby, do you know if the 19th century gun turret is still there on Admiralty Pier? That was an incredible relic. It didn’t look like much, just a low circular building, but inside were a pair of 16 inch caliber muzzle loading cannons, with the steam rammers to load them and run them out. I have photos of that too, somewhere.

• c-dub
  February 6th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

  Reminds me very much of St. Patrick’s Well in Orvieto, Italy.

• PT
  February 6th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

  Oh never mind, I found it myself. http://www.doverturret.co.uk/

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