Days Out Underground by Peter Naldrett

Author:Peter Naldrett
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781844865666
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-04-09T16:00:00+00:00

When the lights come on, the full extent of the tunnels is revealed.

People made the decision to set up long-term homes in the main tunnel for various reasons. Maybe their house had been destroyed, or maybe they were extremely fearful of what was to come. Although the conditions in the subterranean shelter were far from palatial, this was a popular place because it was safe. And the decision to go ahead with this controversial shelter was justified on Saturday 24 August 1940, which turned out to be Ramsgate’s worst day of the war. At the time, the aerial assault on the town was the worst ever experienced. The leading aircraft in the raid was shot down as it approached Ramsgate, prompting the rest of the pilots to drop their entire load onto the town and return to Germany. In total, the German planes dropped 500 bombs onto the coastal town in five minutes, killing 29 civilians and two soldiers as well as damaging 1,200 homes. Experts agree that the death toll would have been much higher if it hadn’t been for the underground tunnel network that could hold up to 60,000 people – more than the population of Ramsgate at the time. There was room down here for everyone living nearby, and without it the toll of the war in the Southeast would surely have been far higher.

GOING DEEPER…

The tunnels at Ramsgate are now famous for their role in World War II, but back in 1863, when it started out as a railway tunnel, the underground system had also played a crucial role in the town’s development. The Ramsgate Harbour Station was accessed by the tunnel, which linked with London and allowed goods to be brought to and from ships bound for or coming from Ostend. The tunnel was abandoned in 1926 when a new station was built in Ramsgate, though a light was shone on it once again ten years later in 1936, when an electric railway was developed to link the train station with the beach and the ‘Merrie England’ amusement area. It featured a five-minute journey through the tunnel, with illuminated scenes from around the world on display along the route. The tunnel became a tourist attraction in its own right and remained popular until it was closed in the 1960s. When you visit, look out for the large letters that lean against the wall of the tunnel. Originally spelling out ‘Tunnel Railway’, they are now a rusty reminder of Ramsgate’s past as a bustling seaside resort.

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