A blocked tunnel.......

[Urban Mole]

.......and some picturesque seascapes on the Isle of Wight.

Was told about this tunnel the other day, that apparently was used in the olden days by smugglers.
It was later used by the public to access this tiny secluded cove.
Now it has been sealed up, god I hate the council....

This picture is a copy of a Brannon engraving of Watcombe Bay, from around 1850ish, Im not sure exactly.


Anyway, me and Dan set about getting down there just for a look about.
So heres a few pictures;

A view of Watcombe bay from the cliff edge.

Zooming in on the tunnel exit.

Zooming in a bit more.

Dan coming down the cliff.

A view of the bay once we were down.

The tunnel we wanted to see.

Once inside, you can see all the rubble at the end(or the beginning) preventing access.

Dan inside the tunnel.

While we were here, we thought we would check out the caves.
This was the entrance to one cave with a blow hole(im not sure of its proper term).
The tide and waves would rush into the cave, and blow out through this hole.

The view inside the cave towards the see.

The view inside the cave looking inland.

The bay from the cave entrance.

More caves, inaccessable due to the tide.

The rock in the middle of the bay, as seen in the above engraving pic.

Heading back before the tide catches us.

Not bad pictures considering it was around 9pm
Comments welcome

 

[Lightbuoy]

Cool location, but like you say -real shame that it's been blocked-up

Top marks for effort chaps

Lb:jimlad:

 

[BigLoada]

Were you guys using full SRT harness? Just looking at the picture of Dan, maybe it aint zoomed in enough but I couldn't see any harness and got a bit worried there! Also, is that dynamic rope you're using?

 

[Urban Mole]

BL, no we wernt using any type of harness, but it wasnt much of a cliff, more of an awkward slope, I managed to scale down without it, but Dan preferred to have something to hold onto.

 

[krela]

Do you have problems with a blocked tunnel often Steve?

Nice looking place, not a bad view for an evening out

 

[boxerheaven]

cool pics shame about the tunnel

 

[Neosea]

What no fishing rods?


Sorry wrong forum, nice find btw

 

[BigLoada]

You guys must be crazy That second picture looks like it is a hell of a drop to the tunnel, I wouldn't have done that without rigging a rope and descending properly.
Good effort though!

 

[Urban Mole]

Cheers guys, no problem with my own tunnel, just ones the council get hold of

BL, there is a slight channel in the cliff, which decends at an angle rather than vertical, so makes access a bit easier, but you wouldnt be able to get a family down there.

Oh and I am a bit crazy, Dan prefers to live a bit longer than me


Hopefully going to look at another small cove further along the back of the island, access is down a goat track, on the edge of a very high cliff, will let you know how things go...

 

[Rob]

Interesting explore!! Did you find the other end of the tunnel?

 

[Urban Mole]

Thanks Rob, yes we did, it was that we saw first, but the first time, thought nothing of it, untill someone mentioned it later on.
I should have taken a photo of that too, but it was mearly a old archway, blocked up with rubble.

 

[littledasypus]

The small cove further along the back of the Island: does the goat track exist? Heard rumours about a goat track down to another bay, but never been able to find it. (Not asking you to tell me where it is, just to confirm it exists so I can go looking). I was told it was towards Tennyson but thats just big scary cliff out that way.

I assume you've been to the secret village, undercliff, beyond Blackgang. The whole place has been trashed, now unlivable. Very sad. I want to know why, suddenly, when its been cared for for so long. Some detective work needed.

Theres a fantastic old house down there thats slowly colapsing like a flan in a cupboard. Just a house, but very photogenic.

 

[Urban Mole]

I have read about the place you mention, the goat track, but I have not yet been able to find it. I have a feeling as it was only very thin, it may have eroded away, but yes, its along by the monument somewhere.

I have also been to the ghost town at Blackgang, I cant remember if Ive done a report on it or not yet.
I wasnt too bad when I visited a while back, but after a revisit, I have noticed it has totally been trashed
EDIT: its in my list (below), Ive just not reported on it yet

 

[godzilla73]

Nice pics, UM. Reminds me that there is a Smugglers tunnel down by the Ramsgate Hoverport. Must get back there and get some snaps of it before Thanet council does the same thing (presuming they haven't already of course!)

 

[T-bar]

we looked for the goat track that day we went out on the boat didnt we Steve and we couldnt really tell if there was one there. Reading about it in some of the books and some books are very old now makes me think it must be long gone weathered away into the sea like the rest of the islands cliffs. However it maybe there. Either way I wouldnt be the one desending it I'll stick to a boat ride to Scratchells bay there are supposed to be some big caves round that way Lord Tennyson held dinner parties in.
We did the Ghost town report on 28 Days Later I think Steve its around somewhere.
There is a no sorry WAS a goat track at Culver also leading down to the hermits cave would be good to see but with recent cliff falls on Whitecliff Bay side may have worn it away and blocked the cave need to get out in the boat for a look.

 

[the_historian]

I assume you've been to the secret village, undercliff, beyond Blackgang. The whole place has been trashed, now unlivable. Very sad. I want to know why, suddenly, when its been cared for for so long. Some detective work needed.
Theres a fantastic old house down there thats slowly colapsing like a flan in a cupboard. Just a house, but very photogenic.

Love to see pics of that, if you have any?
Nice pics, Mole. I can only thank God that I suffer from vertigo!

 

[T-bar]

I cant find it Steve think it must be on Bitch the Wight we will have to dig the pics out and put them up. (especially the capgun shot lol)

 

[Urban Mole]

Yeh I just looked, it is, but I dont think Ill bother, it was a crap explore, photo wise

 

[T-bar]

just this is true looks like someone going round an old mobile home site and taking some pics of them after clothes have been thrown around.

 

[explorer]

watcombe bay

This tunnel was orginally part of a network that ran under Tennysons towards the needles.
The tunnel used to have steps down to the beach and rocks were cleared in the bay long ago, east of the "big rock" to enable landing craft in. This was long before the decent "shute" down the cliff was formed and acces was only by sea.

I walked this network in the 70's and found many rooms(ammunition?) branching off. I was travelling west and stopped when I came up against a cemented wall blocking further access. I do not know where it was or how far I had walked.
I retraced my footsteps in the pitch blackness, (I had two torches) and timed myself. I had walked for an hour and a quarter befopre I saw daylight again.
The main entrance to this network which was open at the time, is in a building just above Watcombe on the east of the path back to the main road, secured by locked gates. One can see the now blocked tunnel through the gates.

explorer