NEWSLETTER OF RAMSGATE TUNNELS HERITAGE GROUP

PLEASE RECYCLE

ramsgatetunnels.org

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

To create a unique exploration experience, a heritage

destination and a versatile venue. To use compelling

and innovative technologies to reveal our national story

as seen from our unique strategic location at the

gateway of British civilisation. To regenerate our local

economy and to reignite the community’s pride in

themselves, their town and its unique contribution to the

culture of the nation

ISSUE 7 December 2012

She said, “Why?”

“Well, he’s got nobody. He’s got no Christmas

or anything,” I said.

She said, “Alright, if you want to.”

So when we were having our Christmas pudding,

she cut a large slice off and put it in a bowl with

some custard on it. Straightaway, I went running

down the road and down the tunnel, and found

him in his deckchair. I said “There you are,

Frank. Happy Christmas.” He was having this

Christmas pudding and he was so pleased. He

nearly cried, poor old thing. I’ve often wondered

what happened to him. He hadn’t got a soul in

the world, but he was a brilliant musician. He

was the sort of person who was very nicely

spoken, but to look at him, you would have

thought you wouldn’t want to have anything to do

with him, unless you knew him. We all knew him,

and we all knew he was alright. He was very

grateful for anything.”

Christmas 1940 was the first real wartime

Christmas of World War II. With wartime

restrictions and heavy rationing in place, the

people of Ramsgate reflected on events of the

past year. During 1940, Ramsgate had suffered

the first Blitz on any town, had witnessed troops

returning from Dunkirk through the miracle of

Operation Dynamo, was parted from many of its

children in the evacuation and was living under

the threat of invasion. By the end of the year

more than 3,500 buildings had been damaged by

bombing and shelling, 145 of which had been

completely demolished. Thanks to the tunnels,

only 45 people lost their lives.

Despite these tragic events, spirits were still high,

and despite wartime restrictions people were still

willing to share what little they had. As part of the

Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group’s project to

record oral histories, Gwendoline Langridge

recalled a Christmas story about life in the

tunnels:

“There was a very old man in the tunnel

and he hadn’t got a home of his own at

all. He was very good at music and used

to play the violin. He used to walk all

over Ramsgate playing his violin. His

name was Frank, and we always used to

speak to him. He used to sleep between

two deckchairs with a blanket over him.

On Christmas morning, I said to my

Mum,

“Can I take some Christmas pudding

down to Frank?”

FRANK IS ON THE FIDDLE ...

but enjoys his Christmas Pudding thanks to Gwen!

A MERRY CHRISTMAS, 1940’s style MEMORABILIA WANTED The group is collecting wartime memorabilia in

preparation for use in future displays within the

tunnels.

Throughout 2012 a number of interesting

Ramsgate items have surfaced including a pair

of zinc lined wartime coffins.

The coffins are a sinister

reminder of the realities of war. They were used

in Ramsgate for recovery and identification of

bodies in the immediate aftermath of raids.

Thanks to the Ramsgate Tunnels they didn’t see

too much use during the War and remained in

readiness for many years in Ramsgate Police

Station. The coffins have been loaned to the

project by W.S. Cole & Son of Minster.

If you have any wartime memorabilia, from

documents and photos to clothing and utensils,

which you would like to donate to the project

please contact the group by email to:

admin@ramsgatetunnels.org.

ALL ABOARD Take a train ride to

Ramsgate Harbour

GOING BACK 150

YEARS for a site visit

to the tunnels

Gwendoline was recently shown this photo and immediately identified the musician as “Frank”.

A NEW YEAR AND A NEW PHASE … As 2013 approaches, the Jubilee People’s Millions phase of the Tunnel Project draws to a close

and as a fitting end to the year, project group members made a visit to the tunnels to discuss

their plans “on site”. The tunnels have a very special atmosphere and the group’s plans are built

around retaining the ambience and authenticity as far as is practical whilst making them safe for

public access.

A report on the project is being presented to the Jubilee People’s Millions and a public meeting

is being planned for the New Year when the group will present their findings together with

details of how the project will be taken forward. The date, time and place will be announced as

soon as arrangements have been finalised.

In the meantime, Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group wishes you a

Big Lottery Fund Ramsgate Town Council SUPPORTERS OF THE

Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group

OUR MISSION STATEMENT To create a unique exploration experience, a heritage destination and a versatile venue. To use compelling and innovative technologies to reveal our national story as seen from our unique strategic location at the gateway of British civilisation. Email: admin@ramsgatetunnels.org or visit: ramsgatetunnels.org Ramsgate Tunnels (Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group, Custom House, Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 8LP

Both the chalk Air Raid Precaution tunnels and the main line Railway Tunnel have played a major role in the history of Ramsgate. Without shelter given by the famous A.R.P. tunnels many of today’s families may have been wiped out in the many bombing and shelling attacks suffered during the war years. Important as these tunnels were, the former main line railway tunnel also had a major impact on the town’s development as it brought wealth and prosperity to the area. It is this tunnel that will accommodate our vision for the future of Ramsgate Tunnels.

FIRST TRAIN ARRIVES The first trains came to Ramsgate in 1846 courtesy of the South Eastern Railway (S.E.R.). The line came from Ashford via Canterbury and arrived at the Town Station situated at the top of Chatham Street. Trains then reversed out of this station and followed a line to Margate which ran roughly parallel with Margate Road, terminating at Margate seafront. Little evidence remains of the Town Station with just a few sections of flint being visible in the structure of Chatham Court apartment complex, which now occupies the site. The name of the railway company is still celebrated in the aptly named South Eastern Tavern opposite the old station site and South Eastern Road which runs from Grange Road to Park Road and once continued to the Town Station. The Shakespeare Pub a few doors along also reflects the coming of the railway. The name Shakespeare isn’t derived from the Bard of Avon but celebrates the "Shakespeare Class" locomotive which puffed its way into the Town Station in 1846.

HARBOUR STATION In 1863 a line from Faversham finally arrived at Ramsgate via the three quarter mile long tunnel which spectacularly exited the cliff face on the

seafront to terminate at the Ramsgate Harbour Station. The site of the station was previously used as a shipyard and coastguard base and was very compact for a terminus, which caused numerous operating problems over the years. At the end of the line a turntable rotated the locomotive and tender unit which then manoeuvred to the other end of the train for the long haul back up the 1 in 75 gradient. Often two engines were used to achieve this task. On several occasions trains coming down the tunnel were unable to stop and ran through the turntable, crashing through the boundary wall onto the road below.

Many company names were associated with this line which was built in fierce rivalry with the

existing S.E.R. Company. Initially the Herne Bay and Faversham Railway proposed, and were granted permission in 1859 to build a line to Margate and the company name was changed to the Margate Railway. Further permission was obtained in 1861 to extend the line to Ramsgate via Broadstairs and another company name was introduced, the Kent Coast Railway.

Construction of the line to Ramsgate Harbour was undertaken by a consortium of companies involving the well know railway names of Peto, Betts and Crampton. Thomas Crampton was a local man and resigned from the Kent Coast Railway board of directors to assist in the construction of the track and tunnel. It was envisaged that the line would provide a regular communication with Ostend via Packet ships from Ramsgate Harbour. Thomas Crampton was also responsible for constructing the Crampton Tower in Broadstairs which today houses a railway museum.

The line opened on 5 October 1863 along with Ramsgate Harbour Station and was worked by the London Chatham and Dover Railway (L.C.D.R.) under a lease. The L.C.D.R. and S.E.R. were renowned for their mutual animosity. Despite this it appears there was an attempt for the two rival companies to work together when in November of 1863 notice was given that an application was to be made to Parliament for an Act to be made permitting a new railway at Ramsgate. Plans were deposited with the Clerk of the Peace for the County of Kent detailing the construction of two new railway lines which would connect the existing S.E.R. and L.C.D.R. lines with a terminus to be sited in or near to Watson’s Livery Stables in Broad Street and Turner’s Place in Ramsgate. The line was to be known as the Ramsgate Railway and was to be paid for and operated by “the South-Eastern Railway Company, the Kent Coast Railway Company and the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, or either of them”. This new railway never materialised and it was some time before the companies would end their rivalry.

TAKE A RIDE - Victorian Style So what was it like for customers when the station was first opened? Let us catch a train in Mid Victorian England; for a start it would have been darker; gas light was available but was powered by jets of coal gas giving out a feeble light. The gas mantle was still twenty years away from being invented. The platforms were lit by oil lamps giving out even less light. The station was covered in part by a tall roof, which both protected the passenger from the elements and trapped the escaping steam and smoke from waiting locomotives, so that these pollutants could be enjoyed by the waiting passengers.

For many years the railways of Britain operated two classes, 1st and 3rd, 2nd having been abolished in order to circumvent government legislation on the standard of rolling stock. Third class travel had moved away from the early days of open wagons but only

just as the internal accommodation of coaches in 1863 was sparse and consisted of plain wooden benches, with small windows affording minimal illumination. Change was on the way but would take thirty years to come to a reasonable standard and on railways like the South East and the ‘Chatham’ longer still. Even in first class, comfort was an adaptable term as it is a four-wheel non-corridor carriage, lacking any toilet facilities and lit by oil light. The train itself lacks any continuous braking system as only the engine steam brake and tender brake are available to stop the train in an emergency, furthermore the Victorian railway passenger could not be sure that the locomotive would not explode, because of poor maintenance, age or mechanical failure. Under the highly polished exterior of the locomotive could lurk danger and there are constant reports of explosions on Britain’s railways right up to 20th century. The locomotive itself would give off the acrid smell of coke as at that time locomotives could not burn whole bituminous coal without giving off excessive smoke, even for those days.

Throughout the 63 year history of the line very little changed. The station remained much as it was in 1863 and the track layout was restricted by lack of space. The L.C.D.R. did have rights to build a tramway linking the harbour to the station, but it was never built. A short-lived ferry service did start, but failed to thrive and an opportunity to build a rival ferry port to Dover was lost. Despite this, Ramsgate Harbour was one of the first stations to offer trains direct to the North of England. In the 1920s you could catch a train from Ramsgate direct to Liverpool which carried the name "Sunny South Express" and took 7hrs 35 mins. This was run jointly by the L.N.W.R./L.M.S. and although locomotives changed as the train passed through different regions the carriages and their occupants made the journey without interruption. The very popular Granville Hotel also ran its own express train from Victoria to Ramsgate Harbour in the 1920s.

In 1923 the S.E.R. and L.C.D.R. were absorbed into Southern Railway and rationalization of the lines took place. A new line was constructed linking the old S.E.R. line to the L.C.D.R. line at the Broadstairs end of the tunnel. The current Ramsgate and Dumpton stations were built and both the Town and Harbour Stations were closed in 1926.

END OF THE LINE Ramsgate Harbour station was transformed into the Merrie England amusement arcade, funfair and zoo. The railway tunnel was brought back to life in 1936 by Ramsgate Olympia who

introduced a narrow gauge electric railway from a new station in Hereson Road to the seafront via a new spur tunnel. Apart from the war years this service remained in operation until 1965. The former Ramsgate Harbour Station building was destroyed by fire in 1998.

LCDR Third Class Carriage

All Aboard for Ramsgate Harbour

L.C.D.R. Locomotive from around 1900

ISSUE 7 December 2012