|
|
Friday July 03rd, 2009
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Bored in 1880, this was Britain's first attempt at a channel tunnel. It was intended for much the same purpose as the modern channel tunnel today, to provide the UK with a rail link to mainland Europe. Carved from the white chalky cliffs of Dover, the 7ft pipe once ran almost 1,700m towards France, but now only runs about 250m due to various flooded and collapsed sections. The project was abandoned in 1882 due to various political and funding issues, there was also fear that France, which wasn't on good terms with the Brits at the time would attack through the tunnel. A proposal was made to line the tunnel with explosives in case of such attack, but obviously it never panned out. The tunnel is the round pipe one on the left-hand side of the photo, the right side is the access passage to the main tunnel. Note the 5ft railway sleepers holding up the roof of the passageway, this place is falling apart. Dover, England. |
||
|
|
||