Part 3: The Smokey, North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover UK

[taraohanlon]

Why do they call it "The Devils Tunnel"? Do you ever get "creeped out" or hear anything explainable in the places you explore?

[jorolat]

@taraohanlon "The Devil's Tunnel" is a local name that has gained popularity over the last 30 years or so, although I don't know why. This tunnel is one of the straightest and least cluttered in the complex and also has the highest level of ambient light due to the horizontal embrasures looking out into the hanging moat...

[jorolat]

@jorolat ...I suspect the nickname has been appended by those who are too scared to go into the more dangerous tunnels such as the one shown in the second of these videos. The tunnel in question is completely detached from the rest of the system and has no openings (other than the entrance) into the outer world - a very dark place, indeed...

[jorolat]

@jorolat The tunnel has been sealed on its moat side because of subsidence and the constant drip of water is a constant reminder of potential instability. It has no nickname - probably because very few will enter it!

[jorolat]

@jorolat Re being "Creeped out": Many people find the place "unsettling", even to just talk about it. Just before making the video, I had a pub conversation with a chap in his mid-forties who described the place as "very scary". I pointed out that there's nothing scary about the place at all: people bring their fears with them and this kind of environment simply wakes the fears up...

[jorolat]

@jorolat The chap in question's day-to-day life in Dover is conducted in an artificial environment from which all such trigger of fear have been removed: like many people, he now confuses the man-made with the natural (a form of cultural conditioning)...

[jorolat]

@jorolat Personally, I find the North Center Bastion to be an amazingly peaceful place and very much a home from home (I've been going there since I was three). There are always unexpected and unexplained noises: birds and other small animals often get into the tunnels...

[jorolat]

@jorolat While making part 3 of this video, a pigeon I had seen earlier knocked an empty can in an adjacent room - the unexpected noise didn't "creep me out", it just made me momentariliy intensely self-aware of my potential to respond - a deeply instinctive response difficult to describe!

[taraohanlon]

@jorolat Quite beautifully said. Those are the moments when I feel most alive. I am mesmerized by places like the one(s) in question. They are both tranquil, & seductive with just a bit of excitement mixed in for not knowing what I will find. I wish I could go there. Even that primal feeling I sometimes get when hearing an unexpected noise (to use your term) in the dark & having my senses acutely magnified can add so much more to the experience. Sorry to go on so. I really enjoyed your videos..

[DayLight95]

My sisters ex showed me this place, and he turned around to me and said not to fall in the counter weight hole cause i'd mess up my ankle and then he did it himself just after xD

[benettoe]

isn't there 2 bridges somewhere in the western heights which lead to a massive draw bridge ?

[jorolat]

@benettoe That sounds like the "North Entrance", Benettoe - if you go to my channel page (click on the YouTube "jorolat" link) you find a 2-part video of it.

[69cae]

Thanks for posting these videos John, they're really interesting. I find it fascinating but would not want to go there myself, too dangerous (and creepy!). You're a brave man, keep up the good work and video the places I'm too scared to go to myself :0)

[jorolat]

Thank you, 69cae :)

[Soophiiaaaa]

i've been inside, its soooo dark and so dodgy, like loads of holes in the floor... had to be so careful. i mean getting in and out of there was hard enough as well ahha

[jorolat]

'S good fun though, Soophiiaaaa! :)

[legokidkai]

me and my dad went there! (im 10)

[mattquantrill101]

this is amazing. me and some mates went to dover today to have a look round some tunneles we came across before. bit of climbing throguth bushes, jumping some walls and som on but the places uve been to are mad. keep up the good work!

[jorolat]

Thanks, Matthew - if you're putting any photos of the tunnels on the net, then let me know where they are!

John

[mattquantrill101]

ahh, we didnt take any, was too busy trying to find them, next time im down that way, ill make sure too. weather turned against us today, luckily it was the drive home tho, was sunny all the time we were there

[jorolat]

I don't know how well you know the Dover area, Matthew, but there's a link on my YouTube Channel Page to my "Images Of Dover" website.

It contains still photos of a lot of Western Heights locations which might help in 'planning ahead' for your next trip.

The tags to look for include: Drop Redoubt, North Entrance, North Centre Bastion, Grand Shaft, Folly (a 'lost' miniature castle), St Martin's Battery - and Western Heights, of course!

John

[mattquantrill101]

ahh superb. were looking at going next weekend, as long as the weather agrees, so ill take a look and do some planning this time. thanks

[jorolat]

You're very welcome :)

John

[mattquantrill101]

We found one tunnel, just off the car park, but the gate had been bent at the top so we managed to slip throught the gap, we saw a set of stairs in there that went right down to a level were it was that tin cladding on the walls/celing so no bricks, but it didnt look too safe so we thought against going down there. ill try and get hold of some hard hats for next time, cos that looked well interesting. thanks for your help john.

[jorolat]

That sounds like the underground Military Hospital behind St Martin's Battery - absolutely years since I've been down there!

Hope the weather's OK for you next weekend :)

John

[jorolat]

Thank you, CoalMonk :)

[COALMONK5]

Great work John on all your fortification videos. Thanks for sharing your local knowledge of these sites with us.