Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A large industrial scale chalk pit that produced chalk for the rapidly expanding town of Dover in the C19 and continued in use until C20.

Monument Types

• (Former Type) CHALK PIT (First mentioned, Post Medieval to Modern - 1830 AD? to 1940 AD? (between))
• (Former Type) AIR RAID SHELTER (Modern - 1940 AD to 1945 AD (between))

Full description

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Winchelsea Road Chalk Pit was established in the early 1800s and was one of the largest pits in the area. It gradually expanded to a size of 1.1ha. by the early C20. Two works buildings appear to survive on the OS maps of the period but it is not thought that any of the original buildings survive. (1)

Houses were built on the western edge of the quarry in the mid 1860s and further development has taken place along the length of Winchelsea Road and at the head of the quarry. (2)

Known as Winchelsea Caves a network of tunnels leading east from the quarry were excavated during WW1 but never used and used as air raid shelters during WW2. The tunnels were constructed in the form of four parallel corridors with two connecting passages and according to contemporary records were used to accommodate just over 1,000 people. Wartime photographs exist of people sheltering in these tunnels. Contemporary etchings also exist on the chalk walls. (3)

There were four original entrances in the quarry and two more which spur off from a junction at the opposite end of the tunnel. The are area has been developed for industrial use since WW2 and the quarry entrances are now used as workshops by the company which owns the tunnels. The other two entrances have been sealed. One was located behind the Westmount building and the other was located in another chalk pit in the Tower Hamlets area, where the houses of 'The Abbots' road are now located. (4)

<1> Dover District Council, 2013, Dover District Heritage Strategy, 10.123 (Bibliographic reference). SKE31372.

<2> Subterranea Britannica, 1998, Subterranea Britannica, http://www.subterraneanhistory.co.uk/2007/02/winchelsea-caves-dover.html (Website). SKE31425.

<3> Geograph Project Limited, 2010, Geograph: Photograph every square., http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/About-Geograph-page (Website). SKE31453.

<4> Dover District Council, 2013, Dover District Heritage Strategy, 10.123 (Bibliographic reference). SKE31372.

<1> Dover District Council, 2013, Dover District Heritage Strategy, 10.123 (Bibliographic reference). SKE31372.

<2> Subterranea Britannica, 1998, Subterranea Britannica, http://www.subterraneanhistory.co.uk/2007/02/winchelsea-caves-dover.html (Website). SKE31425.

<3> Geograph Project Limited, 2010, Geograph: Photograph every square., http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/About-Geograph-page (Website). SKE31453.

<4> Dover District Council, 2013, Dover District Heritage Strategy, 10.123 (Bibliographic reference). SKE31372.

Sources and further reading