They ain't seen nothing yet

[mrodoc]

www.telegraph.co.uk ? News

This cliff fall at Sidmouth is above 200 metres of tunnel driven in the early 19th century. When the cliff line erodes back to the tunnel, which runs parallell to the cliff line, this fall will pale into insignifcance.  You can see the adit entrance in the video footage.

 

[Roger W]

"How we are all cooking rice incorrectly"   

"My year of living cougarly"   

"Judy Garland was molested by Munchkins"   

Guess I ain't seen nothin' yet - not about cliff falls at any rate.

I must say this rag makes the Daily Wail seem almost like a newspaper!

 

[crickleymal]

I can't find the item either.

 

[mudman]

Try this

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Shed remains on beach. Is that a tunnel to the right ?

 

[mrodoc]

It looks like the entrance to me. Last time I visited you would need a step ladder to get in.

 

[robjones]

History of the tunnel which is stated to be 6 1/2 ft high by 7 1/2 ft wide: http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/55/Sidmouth.htm 

The sketch map accompanying the article emphasises how it runs parallel to, and just behind the face of the cliff.

 

[mrodoc]

Thanks for that as that is the most detailed description I have yet found of the project. The tunnel itself is quite roomy, flooded in places with some nice deposits of calcite. Acessibility varies as red marl is not ideal rock to have a tunnel in! For those fans of gypsum, further along the coast between Weston Mouth and Salcombe Regis they used to quarry the red gypsum which occurs in veins where it was deposited in joints in the marl beds (and probably by evaporation). Very decorative it is too.

 

[mikem]

An earlier news report:
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/cliff_erosion_exposes_old_railway_tunnel_1_3962868

This includes one of Pete's photos & another from 1910 (p.307-308):
http://dgagdigs.homestead.com/RWG/coastalerosion/Gallois_304-312.pdf

Devon SS photos of tunnel:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/devonss/sets/72157602456350150/

Mike

 

[mikem]

Photo taken 2nd Feb explains why, from https://www.facebook.com/groups/95915958765/:

Other posts from 28th Jan (latest comments on 30th Jan & 3rd Feb respectively), has some memories of tunnel being entered in 1950/60s.

Mike

 

[mrodoc]

The pdf is by a geologist trying to get the local council to appreciate the problem! He noticed some pics on my web page and contacted me.

 

[mikem]

There certainly seems to have been a major roof fall in the entrance recently. The DSS pics were c.10 years ago...

 

[ianball11]

The pdf is by a geologist trying to get the local council to appreciate the problem! He noticed some pics on my web page and contacted me.

I'm looking forward to reading that one, it looks excellent.

Ian B.