Tunnels in Maidstone, Kent
Steve Piper
I have heard a variety of stories about a big network of tunnels under
the town of Maidstone in Kent.
Alledgedly they carried out various uses, such as transporting
prisoners and air raid shelters, the tunnels alledgedly run from the
old mental asylum (a good mile out of town), all the way down to the
river and beyond it, through parts of the high street (Gabriel's
Hill), and out to County Hall where much of the local government is
based.
Does anyone know anything about these tunnels? Whether they exist or
are accessible?
Cheers,
Steve Piper
pi...@coffeefilms.com
Nick Catford
"Steve Piper" <pi...@coffeefilms.com> wrote in message
news:3e2a07a.02082...@posting.google.com...
Sorry this is just another urban myth. There is the County Emergency Centre
(now closed) at Springfield and some stone mines at Moate Park, quite
extensive but they don't run under the town.
Nick Catford
Kent Underground Research Group (one of my other hats)
mi...@emgee.demon.co.uk
Tell us more. I travelled through Moat Park daily for five or six years and
my mother still lives within half a mile. The only vaguely underground
feature I was aware of was what I always presumed was an ice house between
Moat House and the lake.
>
>Nick Catford
>Kent Underground Research Group (one of my other hats)
>
Attempting to access the www.kurg.org.uk tonight gives a variety of interesting
error messages not sure what's broken but something seems to be.
Nick Catford
> Tell us more. I travelled through Moat Park daily for five or six years
and
> my mother still lives within half a mile. The only vaguely underground
> feature I was aware of was what I always presumed was an ice house between
> Moat House and the lake.
I've not been there myself yet, it was permanently locked about 8 years ago.
KURG dug into a network of underground stone quarries, there is an angled
shaft probably in undergrowth at the base of a cliff or hillside. It goes
down about 10 feet to a grille. We are currently negotiating with the
council for occasional access.
Nick
Jon Bird
> old mental asylum (a good mile out of town), all the way down to the
> river and beyond it, through parts of the high street (Gabriel's
> Hill), and out to County Hall where much of the local government is
> based.
A tunnel from the local asylum to county hall? now doesn't that just make
purfect sense? Why bother to elect them when they can be delivered directly
Steve Walker
>
> I have heard a variety of stories about a big network of tunnels under
> the town of Maidstone in Kent.
There's something more worthwhile under Ramsgate, if that's within your
range.
Dave Arthur
Dave
--
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"Steve Walker" <spam...@beeb.net> wrote in message
news:ak8p97$maj$1...@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
> "Steve Piper" <pi...@coffeefilms.com> wrote in message
> news:3e2a07a.02082...@posting.google.com
Nick Catford
"Dave Arthur" <dave....@NOSPAMblueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:V2S99.6698$Ec2.74...@news-text.cableinet.net...
> What ?
>
> Dave
Have a look at
http://www.swanley1.freeserve.co.uk/miscellaneous/ramsgate_tunnels.htm
Dave Arthur
Paul
"main" entrance has been sealed up again (for how long it will last
who knows ...)
Paul
Nick Catford
"Paul" <pa...@panda.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ta4lmukhffn6n9fmm...@4ax.com...
There has been a very thorough job done this time but I think it's only a
matter of time before it's opened up again.
Nick
John Vaughan
"Nick Catford" <Ni...@swanley1.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
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I'd give it another 3 weeks ;-)
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Barry Stewart
this time
Barry
www.undergroundkent.co.uk
"Nick Catford" <Ni...@swanley1.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
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>
Chris Grace
>
> matter of time before it's opened up again.
>
On that subject, there was a thread about Ramsgate a few weeks/months
back in which I said that the author of an article in "Backtrack" had
said that there were dangerous concentrations of CO2 in the tunnels
due to rainwater percolating through and reacting with the chalk.
You said at the time that you had been down there and the air was OK.
I found the article again last week. The Author mentions that he is a
member of SubBrit and had been down the tunnels with an organised
group and they were OK at that time. But he knew the family of the
proprietor of the old scenic railway and hed been in the tunnels a
couple of times after the SubBrit visit and it was during the last
visit he had experienced breathing difficulties from the CO2. (SOme
years ago I was involved in airfreighting Asparagus. We used to put
the asparagus in an insulated container which had a compartment on the
outside which was filled with dry ice. There was also a fan powered by
6 'D' cells (The fat chunky round ones, called something like U-3 in
the UK) which blwe air over the dry ice and inside the container. One
day I had to go inside a container which was loaded up and had the fan
going. Carbon Dioxide Poisoning comes on quite fast and starts off
feeling like you've inhaled the contents of 10 or so bottles of
extremely lively soda water)
If they've sealed off the tunnels completely the atmosphere in those
tunnels must be pretty deadly by now without any through airflow.
Nick Catford
"Chris Grace" <ch...@icos.net.nz> wrote in message
news:4ec51304.02082...@posting.google.com...
The tunnels aren't completely sealed, they have left access for bats at both
ends. The CO2 is in a different part of the network of shelter tunnels no
longer accessible from the railway tunnel because of a roof fall. It is
immediately the other side of that roof fall, this is now only accessible
through a manhole cover elsewhere in the town.
Nick
94rebe...@gmail.com
However, I stumbled across this and though it was interesting.
I know for a fact that there are tunnels under Gabriels hill which lead up and down it, probably stretching further. My grandad (many years ago now) owner the shop at the top of the hill which is now the opticians. He occupied the shop for quite a few years as a part of several that he had over Maidstone. I never visited this shop as he moved on just after I was born. However, my dad use to go to work with my Grandad so he saw the tunnels for himself. If you went into the cellar of the shop there was a piece of wood covering a hole which was the opening to a tunnel. As far as I know they never ventured very far inside as it is unlikely that it was structurally safe, but it stretched pretty far.
I am not 100% sure when my grandad left the shop, but it must have been in the early 90s. When he left the tunnel was still there and accessible. In fact he use to tell me how he would have customer ask if he knew about them and he would take them down to show them.
So the last my family knew of the tunnel it still exited and was usable to an extent. I suppose it is a question of what the current occupants have done with it! Or if it has been blocked further down!
Hope this is interesting to you!
honey...@btinternet.com
I worked in Barratts shoe shop (now corrals betting shop) and in the cellar was entrance to 3 tunnels also the lady that worked in star arcade said they had a tunnel in their cellar too leading to town hall , there are so many tunnels in Maidstone but its so hard to find info on them . mostly the shop tunnels are blocked so people cant tunnel to the banks , also the crossroads on hermitage lane collapsed revealing yet another tunnel so YES their are many tunnels under Maidstone