Southend tunnels under Ecko Plastics?
Iain Laskey`
A friend who works at Ecko Plastics in Southend told me last night that
his factory has loads of tunnels underneath that were left over from the
war. He noted that some were now rather wet with an inch or two of water.
They apparantly go under the main road opposite and under Priory Park.
Until very recently they were apparantly untouched with original war
posters and a fair few items of equipment in them. He said that someone
who left the company went down their before leaving and cleaned out
anything useful i.e. the posters and kit.
I think I've got him interested in them now and he's going to go down with
a flashlight one evening when he's working nights
+--------------+------------------------------+
|Iain R Laskey |ila...@cix.compulink.co.uk |
+--------------+------------------------------+
|Analyst/Programmer Freelance journalist PC |
+---------------------------------------------+
Richard McLachlan
Laskey` <ila...@cix.co.uk> writes
I worked on that site as an apprentice and subsequently as an erk for
several years and I never even heard of them. If there had been wven any
rumour of their existence then, I am sure that all the lads would have
been down there with the girls from the post room and a couple of crates
of beer as part of the annual Xmas celebrations! Now that brings back
memories......................
I do remember there was an air raid shelter in the car park, but there
was nothing down there that was very interesting. Please ask your friend
wher the entrance is. The Plastics building is at the other end of the
site to the park, so any tunnels would have to go under the old Ekco
Electronics building which is now part of what was Access. That is a
fair distance, and I would be surprised if the roof under there is still
OK.
--
Richard McLachlan
Iain Laskey`
Ric...@foxfield.demon.co.uk (Richard McLachlan) wrote:
> In article <memo.1998070...@Bladerunner.compulink.co.uk>, Iain
> Laskey` <ila...@cix.co.uk> writes
> >A friend who works at Ecko Plastics in Southend told me last night that
> >his factory has loads of tunnels underneath that were left over from
> the
> >war. He noted that some were now rather wet with an inch or two of
> water.
> >They apparantly go under the main road opposite and under Priory Park.
> >
> >Until very recently they were apparantly untouched with original war
> >posters and a fair few items of equipment in them. He said that someone
> >who left the company went down their before leaving and cleaned out
> >anything useful i.e. the posters and kit.
> >
> >I think I've got him interested in them now and he's going to go down
> with
> >a flashlight one evening when he's working nights
> Well I never!
>
> I worked on that site as an apprentice and subsequently as an erk for
> several years and I never even heard of them. If there had been wven any
> rumour of their existence then, I am sure that all the lads would have
> been down there with the girls from the post room and a couple of crates
> of beer as part of the annual Xmas celebrations! Now that brings back
> memories......................
>
> I do remember there was an air raid shelter in the car park, but there
> was nothing down there that was very interesting. Please ask your friend
> wher the entrance is. The Plastics building is at the other end of the
> site to the park, so any tunnels would have to go under the old Ekco
> Electronics building which is now part of what was Access. That is a
> fair distance, and I would be surprised if the roof under there is still
> OK.
I've spoken to the chap and he says the entrance is near the end of
Building 1 if that means anything! There is a second entrance he has been
told of but hasn't found but he intends to explore when he gets a chance.
David Bowie
You may recall that, as the thread "Cold War Railways", I had earlier
posted details concerning a hardened concrete shelter which exists here
in Burntisland. What I, importantly, forgot to add is that this
structure has now nothing whatever to do with the railways, (as
incarnated in Railtrack), in any form other than the property on which
it sits may belong to them. This building was last in use as a
commercial outlet for watersports equipment. Prior to that, it was
derelict as far back as I can remember - late '60's anyway.
Whilst discussing this building, someone commented that the main railway
line through Burntisland "isn't that important". (This currently being
proven as a result of its being closed due to the derailent of a MGR
coal train on the north-running line early Thursday morning).
What struck me at the time of reading this was the question if that
person was aware of the local Alumina Works ?
Alumina - aluminium oxide - was/is refined in Burntisland from Bauxite
Ore, this Bauxite arrived by sea and was transported to the Works by
rail. The refined alumina was also shipped by rail up to the
hydro-electric powered Aluminiurm Reduction Works on the north west
coast of Scotland. The quantities transported were considerable. Wartime
capacity was in the region of 45,000 tons per annum Alumina, this
requiring some 100,000 tons of raw Bauxite feed.
It need not be said that Aluminium producing capacity is strategically
important for the production of aircraft etc. Both the Burntisland Works
and the Lochaber factory were targetted by the Luftwaffe during the
second war. Burntisland was one of only two such permanent factories in
the country, (I believe that another temporary installation, funded by
the War Ministry, was hastely constructed on Tyneside).
Would the above facts alter the strategic importance of the Burntisland
rail system ?
By coincidence, at more or less the same time, Iain Laskey posted
details of the tunnels under Ecko Plastics in Southend.
There is a long tunnel (circa 300 feet) under the Burntisland Alumina
Works, (additionally there are numerous wartime air raid shelters on the
site). This tunnel was originally constructed as part of a flue system
which serviced the static furnaces in which the Alumina was calcined,
and is of an arched roofed brick constuction some 6' x 6'.
During the war it was converted into an air raid shelter.
I haven't been down there for a couple of years, but when I was last it
was full of numerous tin helmets - of which I recovered two perfect
examples - and different patterns of respirators.
Interestingly, the tunnel is obviously part of a far larger network, all
contained within the basements of the factory buildings. Sand bagged
portions of the wall indicate where it is probably possible to join up
with other parts of the system but I've never tried.
(During the early '70's whilst building extension work was being
completed a mechanical excavator partly subsided into one of these
tunnels).
Regards,
David Bowie
*****************************************************
David Bowie. david...@cableinet.co.uk
Burntisland, Scotland.
*****************************************************
Chris Olsson
>equipment.
David,
Burntisland Watersports are still in business and use the uper (ie ground
floor) level on a daily basis. The two external entrances to the lower
bunker are very obviously derelict and are strewn with garbage, but I wonder
if perhaps there is another entrance within the occupied part of the building
which may lead down to the hardened bunker. Have you asked the guys who work
there about the lower level?
It might be interesting to examine the lower level, equipped with dustmasks,
hard hats and such sensible safety precautions. It is clear that there are
no national security implication as the place has evidently been out of use
for at least a couple of decades. Perhaps owners permission might be
possible to allow an authorised visit?
>Both the Burntisland Works and the Lochaber factory were targetted by the
>Luftwaffe during the second war.
That's interesting, I didn't know. Targetting the factory makes sense, but I
don't think there would be much profit for the enemy to bomb that railway. A
railtrack is easy to repair, even if directly struck by a heavy bomb. There
are several other choke points which would be a much more vulnerable and
cost-effective target for enemy bombing such as the Tay Bridge and the Forth
Bridge. I notice that the alumina plant makes heavy use of trucks to
transport that red gunk (what a mess it makes!) between the docks and the
plant so I guess something similar could have been done during WW2 in the
event of the rail line being out of action for a few days pending repair of
bomb damage.
I think your theory of the Burntisland bunker being some sort of rail control
centre sounds quite plausible. Was it built during or after the Second World
War? When it was in use, did they (whoever "they" are!) make active use of
the upper level too, or was that structure just some kind of disguise to fool
reconnaissance photography?
On an unrelated but nearby matter. Have you ever noticed the old military
underground structures at Pettycur? A modern(ish) house down towards the
harbour is surrounded by unmistakable tunnel entry buildings which appear to
be some kind of access to a naval or army observation post. It looks like
1940s vintage stuff and is certainly not Cold War era.
Cheers, Chris Olsson
Dalgety Bay
adam aglionby
there is what appears to be a tunnel mouth going inland at the side of the
main track.In the hills above what I think are called the Giant Caves the
front few hundred yards having being enlarged as a WWII ammo dump leading
to an older set of mineworkings the lower levels of which are flooded and
were used to train divers from RN Rosyth there used to be plaque down there
commemorating this,so Im told.Mebbe this is the system that the alumina
works tunnels link into which were new to me.Anyone know more?
adam
David Bowie
>
> On the subject of railways near Burntisland just outside at Starley Burn
> there is what appears to be a tunnel mouth going inland at the side of the
> main track.
I am aware of this entrance you mention, Adam.
However, there is definitely not any connection between the tunnels in
the Alumina Works - largely basements - and the former Limestone
workings.
Best Wishes,
David Bowie.