Search for Smuggling Tunnels and History in Deal Kent England

[@annefitzgerald3571]

I was a toddler in WWII, living in 49 Victoria Road, Deal, all through the air raids. Occasionally, when we could not get to the shelter in time, we crawled into the cupboard under the stairs. That was always the strongest part of a house, we were told, the last thing left standing if the house came down. Once while huddling under the stairs, two adults, myself and my baby brother, we heard THE SEA, a sound of waves hitting the shore. The adults speculated that we were sitting over a tunnel, perhaps even a smugglers' tunnel? That row of cottages goes back 400 years or so?

[@bexsimmo7259]

Wow how awesome

[@stephenhester9804]

My Gran lived at 10 Middle Street until 1981 and that had a Bricked up Archway in one Corner of the Cellar.

[@bexsimmo7259]

Absolutely fascinating

[@Edward24081]

There was something like this in my friends previous house in Margate, lots of beach stones piled into 2-3 vaults. Before that he'd lived a bit further inland where the basement went back further than he could explore because it was bricked off, but seemed to have been an old kitchen.

[@tonysmith5901]

What about the tales of tunnels from Middle Street, Deal, to the Rattling Cat house (once a pub) in Dover Road, Walmer and the fascinating stories appertaining thereto?

[@sidneybristow815]

Smash through it further. Life is short!

[@flyingfox707b]

I see three phases of construction there, first is the initial building of the arched entrance followed by a narrowing, possibly to install a door and the last one of walling off said doorway.

[@thesussexstrangler]

Great work by HP again. Is that Georgian brickwork at the back ? If it is that makes it even older. It would also be interesting to see the Cellar layout in relation to the direction of the beach. Great work HP.

[@bexsimmo7259]

If that's was in my cellar I'd have to clear it out, could have been a case of 2 birds with 1 stone, got rid of rubble and hid an entrance ?????

[@Theflakeymonk]

Nice one pete !

[@daviddredge1178]

What happened next?

[@TheHistoryProject]

We are going to go back and see whats behind the other wall, the property owner is doing that and calling us back once he is done

[@onewithsource9742]

@@TheHistoryProject any update guys? I've got relatives in deal. Many Summers down there and folkestone and Canterbury as a kid. Love to see a follow up to this. Is it possible that all that rubble was there to fill in a smugglers tunnel potentially?

[@sidneybristow815]

Any caves on the beach or old diaries talking about tunnels?

[@PeekaBooM89]

Really good video

[@harrykane5683]

Does Matt still run the three compasses

[@lrdisco2005]

Price of property now, it would be worth emptying just for storage .

[@TC-tr8ko]

It' s a shitter!