Drewton Tunnel

At the eastern end, the infill stops short of the portal.

As they were in operational times, hanging icicles are a hazard.

Between the portal and first shaft, the tunnel is lined but the brickwork is in a particularly poor state.

Further in, only the roof is lined but the refuges have a brick surround.

The deepest of the five shafts is the middle one.

They all seem to be in a serviceable condition.

Equipment has been placed in the tunnel as part of a university experiment into ground water.

At several locations, the chalk walls have fallen away - this, in turn, has compromised nearby brickwork.

Mud from a quarrying operation at the western end prevents access through this portal.

Almost buried - the western portal struggles for breath.

In 1989, the western approaches were almost intact.

This telegraph pole has succumbed since capture in 2002.

By Spring 2008, the landscape was transformed once again.

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At the eastern end, the infill stops short of the portal.

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Although the eastern portal of Drewton Tunnel (click here for its full story) has managed to fend-off the dreaded infill, 2,114 yards away, the western end is slowly vanishing. In 1987, its grand approach cutting could still be admired even if a small chalkfall was partly obstructing the entrance. Since then heavy plant has moved in. The top of the portal lurks behind mounds of earth but the casual passer-by would never know what once was there.

The structure’s ovoid profile has a height of between 18ft 5in and 19ft 2in; its width though is consistent at 25 feet. Drewton’s five ventilation shafts each have a diameter of 11ft 6in.

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Drewton Tunnel

Drewton Tunnel

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