Remnants of wartime Caves from WWII era at the base of the chalk cliffs at St Margaret's Bay, Kent.
Image details
Contributor:
John Gaffen / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
HHF75FFile size:
60.2 MB (4 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
3744 x 5616 px | 31.7 x 47.5 cm | 12.5 x 18.7 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
25 August 2016Location:
St Margaret's Bay, Kent, U.K.More information:
The beach at St Margaret's was seen as a possible landing place for an invasion fleet, so was well defended during the war and old photographs show barbed wire entanglements and a pillbox and this tunnel system still remains. It was also a crucial point as the powerful gun batteries were located close by, and would have been a target for sabotage. The tunnel appears to have been dug to allow guns to be placed in rooms cut into the cliff face, to cover the beach. The original entrance to this tunnel, located at the end of the esplanade, is now sealed and the only access is a rope up to the machine gun post in the cliff face. Inside, conditions are good and the majority of the tunnel is lined with tin on the roof and supported by bricks. Parts of the tunnel which are unlined still appear to be sound, although steps lead up to a second room, which has been lost due to erosion. There are a number of other caves and tunnels close by, on the Eastern side of the bay, but this is by far the most extensive.