What is Samphire Hoe?

[@JimNichols]

No talking, no music, no bullshit....just facts and a pleasant video... thank you.

[@morthren]

Thanks!

[@CycolacFan]

Great video, reminds me of virtually every unplanned day out I've had, a long walk to somewhere that's bleak even on a sunny day. Then a long, hungry and unusually uphill, walk back.

[@majorsteventoddretired5619]

In 1974 I worked for a ready-mixed concrete firm that was involved with the making of the tunnel down to Samphire Hoe. it was hard going to keep up with the construction crews, but when I see the results of the work carried out it just reminds me of how this nation was the best at doing this kind of work. (:

[@looneylozzer]

I worked on the tunnel when it was being built, the creation of samphire hoe from all the tunnel excavation has created extra land mass for the UK. Interesting fact, the Shakespeare tunnel that runs from the tunnel site through the cliffs to Dover, was built in the Victorian times and is the shape it is to accommodate the steam funnels on the engines, unfortunately though, the very new trains on southern railway cannot use the tunnel due to the width. Inside the tunnel are many cracks and splits caused by movement of the cliffs over the years, and when the tunnel was first built you could stand at one end and see the daylight at the exit, but now, due to this movement, the tunnel has bent and you cannot see the other end any more. The tunnel has to be inspected very regularly due to the movement and may well be closed in the near future as it will become unusable and unsafe.

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Fascinating video as always! I've heard of Samphire Hoe and have past the tunnel leading to it on multiple occasions from the A20. Never knew it was a creation from the construction of the Channel Tunnel. Very interesting 😎👍

[@funksterbass]

Fascinating film, thank you for sharing. I love these undiscovered and forgotten parts of the country.

[@garywheeler7039]

We in the US try to brag about all our freedom and national parks and such. But old England has us beat in their ability to have freedom to wander on foot through the landscape. To be undeterred by fences, to have paths by the side of roads and in tunnels to make one feel safe and free to walk and explore. To be able to cross a fenced field without getting shot at or arrested. Nice. Wish we could do that here.

[@Tuberuser187]

Right to roam laws essentially, as well as ancient rights of way that can be illegal to block or deny public access unless something is specifically prohibited to the public like power stations just crossing an area, even if a fence or wall is climbed isn't illegal and its a civil matter between the land/rights holder and the "trespasser". Trespassing is only a criminal matter if its done with criminal action or intent, damage to property or being equipped for a crime would count (being caught lurking with crowbars or other tools takes some explaining). Other than that its a case of put big, nasty spiked metal fences with razor wire and secure it yourself or tell the person they are not allowed on the property, if they come back then you sue them in a civil court.

[@BLWard-ht3qw]

Very interesting and informative. Appreciated the captions with the vid. It somehow made it a bit more engaging with just the sounds. Well done and thanks for posting.

[@jiveturkey9993]

Great video. Thanks for posting this. I love off the beaten path infrastructure type stuff like this.

[@brianartillery]

That zig-zag 'path' snaking down the cliff - I don't even think that Mr Stead of IKS Exploration has even documented that. And he has an encyclopedic knowledge of all the odd, weird, and frankly downright dangerous places in and around Dover. Thanks for letting me see this 'path' and being able to add it to my 'Avoid at all cost' list of places to go. Seriously, though, I've been to Samphire Hoe, and found it oddly eerie - a similar feeling to that of Dungeness, and Orford Ness. Thanks for sharing. I always look forward to your videos. Nice one.

[@stevebarlow3154]

When I was a kid I used to live just outside Dover and one of the places I regularly visited was Fan Bay, which is at the eastern end of the harbour. There was a path down the cliff just like the zig-zag leading to a small pebble beach, where I used to go swimming and collect shellfish. The last ten feet or so you had to use handholds and a rope. Sadly I believe there has been a cliff fall recently, so you can't get down to the beach any more. The whole area around the cliffs and for several miles inland is riddled with tunnels, bunkers, pillboxes, disused rail lines, gun emplacements and lots of other stuff from the second world war.

[@BronyumHexofloride]

personally i find Dungeness quite peaceful and relaxing place to just disconnect from the world, maybe i should visit this place sometime

[@ommadammo]

Romney Marsh Mountain Rescue Team.

[@brianartillery]

@@stevebarlow3154 - The National Trust have recently cut a tunnel through the cliff, so that the beach can be once again accessed. On the minus side, it did mean that the tunnels for the Fan Bay Battery Searchlight emplacement were backfilled with rubble, but at least you can get to the beach again. If you look at the 'IKS Exploration' channel, and look for the recent 'Astonishing New Tunnel' video, it will tell you all you need to know. Enjoy! If you're interested in those bunkers, etc., that you mention, then IKS has been inside most of them. His channel is well worth a look. He even got into the 1880 Channel Tunnel excavation, and went in as far as he could.

[@stevebarlow3154]

@@brianartillery Thanks for the info Brian, I'll have a look at the IKS Exploration channel soon. It's something like fifty years since I lived in the Dover area, I'm in London now, but I still have fond memories of me and my chums roaming all over the clifftops and surrounding area.

[@HeritageExplorer]

Worked just on top of the Cliff on the construction of the NVS. (Natural Ventilation Shaft) It descends down to meet with the service tunnel just before it passes under the sea. It was about 9.0m diameter and just disappeared down into the blackness. It has three very large fans installed that can pump air in or reverse to pull air out.

[@BrianSeaman]

You are the master of introducing the viewer to the most surprising places they never knew existed - and you can count me as one of your fans. I always look forward to your next revelation - please keep up the great work :)

[@Annur375]

Wonderful video, interesting, didactic, and the last scene looking at a train disappearing in a tunnel; as they say, priceless. Thanks for sharing.

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

great video...but my butt puckered as you looked over that cliff edge!!

[@roadmam4446]

Tmi

[@peterscandlyn]

Can relate to that.....

[@bazza945]

I was going to say "white knuckle", but I'll go with the "pucker" factor as well.

[@georgeandriescu1686]

Nice, just what I needed to see ... Will go fishing there tomorrow ... Appreciate your long walk for us

[@Cletusongs]

The zig zag path was called Akers Steps. Between the 70's digging finishing and the current tunnel being built, it was the main way down to the plateau as the tunnel from the A20 was usually locked. So it was much more clearly defined and safer to walk down At the opposite end of Samphire Hoe was another path up which was well used by the tunnel workers who had digs in Capel. The remains of that much steeper path can still be seen.

[@peterroberts3748]

One afternoon I'd walked along the sea wall from Capel toward the newly formed 'Samphire Hoe' - don't think they got round to naming it then - and got chatting to a couple of men who'd been fishing and had a hut at the cliff bottom, they were about to go home and l took there invitation to follow . . . . up Akers steps - I didn't look behind - great with a guide, but descending, 'no thank you'!

[@Peasmouldia]

In the late 1950s we holidayed at Capel le Ferne, and would get to the shore by one of the zig-zag paths down the cliff and cross the line. We were then treated to the sight of a Merchant Navy Loco on the Golden Arrow. As a 7yr old, I've got to say, those paths were pretty daunting! Thanks for posting this.

[@SsiolisP]

I was intrigued by the title and contrary to my expectations, I was fascinated by this.

[@WootTootZoot]

A "hoe" is a small piece of land that juts out into the sea. Rock Samphire is a plant that use to be used as a type of pickle, back long ago.

[@jonz2984]

Very nice quality video, thank you. I went there in about 1992 to follow up a memory of climbing steps up from Shakespeare Cliff beach to the top, which, as another commenter said, were known as Aker's Steps. From my vague memory, the zig zag path was probably a yard wide in the late 1960's, with at least a post and wire fence in places. It looks very scary now.

[@EdgyNumber1]

All around this area, it's an interesting part of the country. Lots of ancient history, industrial history, war history, shipping history etc, and it's an area I'd love spend a few weeks hiking around during a nice summer. Thanks for posting! Hope you get to take us on more weird and wonderful sites! 👍

[@rogerbond7811]

Thanks for the informative video visited in 2011. I now know what the industrial buildings are for. Thanks again

[@1962cheese]

Another good video. There is a load of history in this country park. There was once a coal mine here. People lived on the cliff. A great walk and a good place to train and bird watch.

[@tonys1636]

Several of the Kent Coal Mines extended under the Channel, the French didn't know we were nicking their coal !

[@mrnoah53]

Very interesting video Morthren! Now I know a little more about the Channel Tunnel! Thanks

[@ommadammo]

I worked on the build, for four years. Very little (of the building) is recorded on film as all cameras were banned, and very few documentaries were made. Started one day at 8am, rode a train11 miles out to the UK Crossover. It was like something out of an Alien film. A huge cavern under the seabed. We walked around for 40 minutes and had a packed lunch. Another 4hr train ride back for 5pm. The manual workers did that every day, only there was an 8hr work shift in the middle. 16hr days, and they were paid very well back at the time (up to £1000/day in 1989). Never found out where all their money went. Certainly not into the local economy. What do you do on the train rides? Try to sleep. Dark, dirty, wet and noisy. As a 'suit' with a remit to go 'down the hole' we technically had passes that would let us walk into France. I remember my first 30mins on the job. It was like "OMG!" Then you pulled yourself together and said "OK, let's build a railway", and continued like that for the next four years. We thought ourselves just lucky to be on the project. How did I get the job? Started as a temporary data entry clerk. Proved I could code. Then you'd prove yourself each and every day to stay on the job. Most of my managers have since passed away (I was 21yrs old), but there's a few of us young ones still around to tell the stories. It's an oral history. We weren't ever allowed cameras. The UK and French tunnels met in the middle. My office was a floor up from that of the Chief Surveyor. The next working day, I went downstairs to ask him how close the two tunnels were when they met. About 4" out of line. No GPS down there, we used lasers and good old surveying. You needed concrete datum posts up top of course. I used one as an outdoor lunch table (about 16" in diameter). We were not at all unaware of the significance of what we were doing. Nobody I directly worked with did it for the money. We all just fell in love with the project. And at the time we were not allowed to say a thing about it (highly politically charged). We did it, and it is still there. The fire and the 'cheese grater' wagons? Well, oh, I need a refill. (It's now an oral-only history)

[@nicko500s]

Please tell us more. what are these cheese grater wagons you mention?

[@ommadammo]

@@nicko500s see news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/32467.stm

[@ommadammo]

@@LiveFromLondon2 .

[@johnclayden1670]

@@LiveFromLondon2 I met the OP there but must have missed you.

[@johnclayden1670]

"The next working day, I went downstairs to ask him how close the two tunnels were when they met. About 4" out of line. No GPS down there, we used lasers and good old surveying." I remember that well. I was at that time in the Fixed Equipment Directorate at Folkestone (Shearwater House) and we all claimed that the UK side was spot on and the French only 10 cm adrift!

[@frankthomas855]

Brlliant. Thanks for taking me along!

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

Just the kind of odd place I like to roam around in. Thanks for sharing the experience with us.

[@indridcold8433]

That is my hobby. I explore ghost towns, extremely rural places, old logging roads and where they lead, off road destinations, and abandoned areas. Being that I work third shift, I also function at night on my nights off. Thus, I do my exploration at night as well. The world is a very different place at night. It is not for everybody. However, returning to exist at day is no longer for me. There are extremely limited number of people that exist in the night environment, where I reside. I would recommend the nocturnal lifestyle to anybody. You only sacrifice a social life. Being social is no longer necessary, anyway,

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

@@indridcold8433 I now live in a town that contains a forest that is networked with trails. At night I hear the coyote pack that lives there, as well as different species of owls. I would love to get out there and explore, with night vision devices and camera (and probably my shotgun). I suspect there are one of two adventurers out there, but alas I'm too old and solitary for that any more. Good on you, my friend.

[@indridcold8433]

@@Axgoodofdunemaul I do not have night vision goggles. However, you have given me the idea to obtain them. I have enormous amounts of light instead with ten headlights and a light bar. But all that light will alter the behavior of the animals. Night vision will not alter the behavior of wildlife. The lights are great for navigating the inky blackness. But the night vision is definitely the way to go to see wildlife. Thank you very much for the idea.

[@ThermoMan]

Thanks again. You do show us around the most interesting places

[@jix177]

An interesting look around! Thanks for sharing.

[@scottbottomley6376]

Brilliant! Well done! You picked a beautiful day for yr video. Cheers!

[@ronin472100]

...very interesting! Thank you for these well done documentaries!

[@raptureboi]

Thanks for another awesome video! I learned more about euro tunnel then anything on tv.

[@garyhess7439]

Very interesting and educational video about a marvelous feat of engineering.Thanks from Largo,Florida.

[@MervynPartin]

That was very interesting. I've never heard of the place before, so well done. I have now learned something new and it is good to see that some use has been made of the previous tunnel attempts.

[@lumpyfishgravy]

On a low tide you can walk from Folkestone to Samphire along the beach. I've even taken a bicycle. A couple of times I ran it, then back along the clifftops. It's about half marathon distance but feels a bit longer due to the climbs. Wonderful scenery though.

[@Alex-sz8tx]

Brilliant 👍 I know I’m a wee bit late to the party but I visited this beautiful place yesterday and had many questions which you have now answered. Many thanks and a very Merry Christmas to you 🎄🙂

[@C86-x5r]

Good video, I love exploring places like this, great explanations too!

[@Nathan_A_RF]

Named Samphire Hoe after rock Samphire growing here (some at the western end, very tasty with fish) and Hoe for an outcrop of land. I'd stay away from those cliffs, especially as chalk is fairly weak along the coast! The 1881 tunnel is still accessible I believe if you know where it is, although the roof has been slowly caving in for years. There's videos of it about. And a worksite is an understatement! This was the hub for the UK side of the tunnel. Narrow gauge trains of spoil, going in and out, tunnel segments stacked by cranes, spoil movement by trucks and segment deliveries by train from the Isle of Grain! Probably the biggest smallest worksite in Kent.

[@seraphina985]

Indeed, that country park is itself evidence of the massive undertaking of the tunnel construction as it is artificial land created from the ~5 million cubic meters of chalk excavated from the tunnel, with a density of 2.5 metric tons per cubic meter that is on the order of 12.5 million tons that is an impressive amount of material to move by any standards especially with the constraint of having to work with only a single portal. There are around a dozen longer tunnels in operation but I believe all of those are under land and took advantage of the opportunity that provided to construct one or more intermediate shafts for ingress and egress of personnel, equipment, material and waste rock.the constraint of having only one portal miles away from the excavation work is no small challenge to work around. Maybe that is just me nerding out at the marvels of human ingenuity that we can accomplish when we commit to a goal but from my perspective such things are very impressive to see.

[@hairyairey]

@@seraphina985 all this is the reason why the Channel Tunnel is still the world's longest undersea tunnel.

[@seraphina985]

@@hairyairey Well the more recent commercial availability of proven modular submerged tunnel products on the market would most likely have had a chilling effect on investment in bored tunnel development for undersea use anyway. Of course there are still places that have to deal with the same issue that can't use that solution due to unsuitability of the site. That and of course sub alpine tunnels face the same limitation too it's one thing popping in additional access tunnels during construction of a metro tunnel under a city quite another if you are digging something like the Gotthard Base Tunnel and not only because the surface is hundreds of meters up in places but an access shaft in the middle of the alps would generally fail hard on the access part anyway the terrain is far more suited to keeping heavy machinery of all kinds out than providing access lol.

[@steveevans4093]

Very Cool. Thanks from eastern Colorado, USA.

[@quinbensoncryptid]

I was researching an M.R. James ghost story and ended up down an internet rabbit hole about the cooling plant. Thanks for the telling, I can get on with looking into the Lord Warden and Admiralty Pier now :D

[@ph11p3540]

Thank you for sharing this. I always wondered about the logistics of such a large tunnel complex.

[@denelson83]

That steep path is certainly not all it's chalked up to be these days.

[@williamsmith2919]

Very interesting and informative. Thank you very much.

[@leemaxwell1912]

Kind of reminds me of The Village. Be seeing you!

[@jackleo8726]

Mostly new info for those of us out in The Colonies. Thanks, very interesting Vid.

[@pab47able]

Very interesting, thanks for showing. Best regards, PP

[@29brendus]

Excellent video. As a student engineer I worked 2 miles in under the English Channel in 1974. I spent more time 'navvying' than measuring anything. The tunnel was closed a short time later and reopened by Thatcher & Co in the 1980s. Since then I've been back to ride the tunnel and take a look at the area. You wouldn't know it all from the original building site. I like the tunnel and all the engineering, but as for the EU,............................let's get the hell out of it, and keep the tunnel. Passports please!

[@meccapi]

Another blinkered Brexiter

[@gibbo9089]

Very very very informative video as always from you.

[@robinkaye]

very interesting indeed, thank you for the historical bit, would not have known about the1844 tunnel, thank you.

[@petejohnson1724]

what is samphire hoe When building the channel tunnel there was a problem of spoil all the material from the digging of the tunnel what do you do with it, the second problem was storage for the precast concrete sections. so a bright spark came up with , what was at the time the biggest pilling job to that date. and they set steel pile sheets into the sea bed and then back filled it with spoil. which was flattened to give a storage space for supplies for the tunnel so what is samphire hoe it is a man made storage yard that increased the size of the uk by about a mile and a quarter

[@squarewheelsorguk]

Fabulous video, thank you so much! I tried to climb "Aker's Steps" from the lower end about 12 years ago, and I don't mind admitting I got myself petrified! ... It started off easily enough, but by around half-way up I was hanging on to little more than tufts of grass while perched on an indistinct crumbly ledge a huge distance up what seemed like a vertical cliff-face. I really didn't fancy facing such terrain again on the way down, but there was even less chance of seeing me safely ascend any further... with many careful small steps I made it back down to safety. I still get sweaty just thinking about it! Also interested to see the concrete lid over what must have been the Service Tunnel's access shaft from the top of Shakespeare Cliff (where I think an Alimak hoist was installed for personnel access?).

[@seraphina985]

I assumed that it must have been something like that was very clearly an artificial covering over a shaft of some kind see a few similar features around where I live as Telford especially east Telford is built on top of the Shropshire coalfield in an area also well littered with ironstone deposits so many disused mine shafts scattered around the place from old coal and iron ore mines that have long closed. Though lots of them just look like circular scars on the ground as the shafts were covered then burred with slag that even decades later nothing grows on.

[@daiq9]

Very relaxing video. Thanks!

[@Agrajak]

Fascinating, thank you for posting.

[@theovanstaden5766]

jeez Morthren, very interesting video, but wow its a long way down, You got guts to stand on top of the cliff!!

[@jebsails2837]

I Have a great interest in this kind of material thanks to my close friend, from St. Ouen, Jersey, CI. Thanks for the education. Across the pond. Narragansett Bay.

[@jfreelan1964]

Wish I had made more journeys around the UK, when I was there from 94-96. My journeys were more focused on castles at the time and how many I could actually get to.

[@shakkinbriggieproductions9023]

Absolutely fascinating, like some others, I am not to good at heights, but enjoyed very much thanks!!

[@freightrambler7199]

Very interesting video i sometimes drive trains past there, not had the chance to film it yet.

[@megatwingo]

Very interesting. Well filmed and edited. Thumbs up! :)

[@morthren]

Thanks 🙂

[@megatwingo]

@@morthren :-)

[@gromit3315]

Thanks for sharing, mate! I’ve been there. 👍

[@joshuadunsire1760]

I always wondered what those vent shafts were, now I know, thankyou.

[@williamsmall6249]

It was named by the wife of Mr Jannaway ( don’t know his first name) who was the deputy head of Astor school in Dover. There was a naming competition and she won. The zigzag path was called Akers Steps. Going way back, there was a coal mine on this site in the past and at least one aircraft crashed here during World War 2.

[@olddoggeleventy2718]

I was expecting an expose` on an English version of Area 51...lol. I'm actually more pleased with this. Thank you for the educational info.

[@markcross6864]

Great summer fishing there.

[@sepgorut2492]

The weirdest video game I ever saw! Seriously though, a very interesting look around.

[@johndufton9686]

Well i never knew that. Fascinating tour.

[@pauldelcour]

Wonderful spot, been there twice before taking the ferry.

[@rrich52806]

Excellent video. THANKS

[@allenjohnson7686]

I'm very surprised they didn't extend it along the coast both ways and put posh apartments there. They would sell for millions

[@algill89]

hope you can upload soon! best wishes

[@omkr0122]

Samphire is a nice place to visit with your bros!

[@chrischeltenham]

Another great interesting video there. I wouldn't want to try going down that zigzag path looks a death trap.

[@johnwilliams9240]

Very informative. Well done on a good vid. Pity the telescope was not serviceable. John

[@chrisoffer3074]

Great film interesting place

[@JohnnyBareToes2]

Very interesting ! I had no idea they attempted a tunnel in the 70's

[@ommadammo]

We had a chance to take part visiting that old site at the time. I could have, I should have. But there were limits. You cannot give 150% 200% of the time. We needed weekend rest. It was a poorly planned opportunity. I was a planner. I would have planned it differently. My only regret on the whole project. Not visiting the 1970s try. You had to understand your physical limits. We didn't do it for the money. We did it for the simple privilege of just being a part of it. You had to be good. Chief Engineer, rat catcher? You had to be good. They all were. They were all afforded equal respect.

[@xxxyorks]

Bloody hell..... and I thought that I took risks! Great vid though.

[@nigelpearson6664]

I think my friends dad Leo O'Sullivan was the cost engineer on this? It took Euro Tunnel years to track him down to discuss problems he had solved long before them. Mostly his answers said not to build it. It was about exact depth of the sea bed I believe?

[@Larryloafer488]

How anyone can down vote this beggars belief. Good work.

[@benhall4141]

Great video

[@novaworld1297]

Fascinating stuff Ty for the tour

[@julieblackman8636]

Very good footage and informative

[@KeithHambidge]

Great video some fascinating stuff

[@nicnak4475]

Excellent thanks :o)

[@sigjack3234]

Awesome video as always. Thank you.

[@lesremmington-allum6384]

Excellent. Thanks.

[@timwayne1767]

But that traffic light controlled tunnel wasn't just for the normal construction traffic, the first TBM went down through there, and I was with the company moving it.It was a tad tight, as they say. PM me if you want a photo to see [or even use]

[@morthren]

That would be interesting to see! Could you send it to [e-mail]?

[@naybobdenod]

Thanks Morthren, great informative video. I had no idea that place existed. ps Good photography too :)

[@antonydicesare4632]

In all the years of passing on the road, I never thought they were tunnel shafts, I was always under the impression they were built to attack enemy aircraft during ww2, excellent video

[@maidbloke]

Always like your videos, well done again

[@mikecawood]

An excellent exploration.

[@beechface1]

What an interesting video, thanks for the upload!

[@l.e.t.1609]

Very well made and informatic video, good job!

[@michaelgamble296]

Samphire. It's an edible sea-weed which naturally grows in areas where the growing area is inundated by the tide. It is delicious when boiled in salty water and the fleshy strands stripped by the teeth. Savour it with pepper and vinegar. A North Norfolk coastal delicacy - along with Cockles, Winkles, Shrimps and Cromer Crabs.

[@johnmudd6453]

Very interesting

[@paulmerryman]

Great video, and very informative

[@johnstokes5738]

Fascinating.

[@mikecollett9152]

enjoy the video, thank you for share information

[@harveysmith100]

Some very stable camera work, are you using a gimble stabilizer?

[@stacydaisy9273]

That was awesome

[@CrepitusRex]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@keithbrierley710]

thank you very much