The tunnel on the Canterbury to Whitstable Railway, under what is now the University of Kent, is one of Canterbury’s best known Second World War air-raid shelters. Peter Holmes, for example, recalled the ‘old Whitstable Road Railway Tunnel. That was a shelter for a large number of people.' The tunnel runs underneath the University. The entrance to it is in the playing fields of the Archbishop’s School’ (an accompanying sketch shows the tunnel entrance part-blocked with a wall of sand-bags). But it is not so widely known that this use was never officially sanctioned. The then Dean of Canterbury Cathedral (Hewlett Johnson) had suggested the use of the tunnel as early as August 1940, and at the start of 1941 the possibility was formally raised of the tunnel’s use a as a ‘shelter for residents of the St Stephen’s Area’ but nothing seems to have come of this. Williamson suggests the tunnel came into its own, on an unofficial basis, with the ‘Baedeker Raids’ of 1942: ‘Owing to its solid construction it was obvious that it provided reasonably safe accommodation for shelter from air-raids and so ... people took to sleeping in any part of the tunnel which they considered safe. Shelterers would take their bedding and lay it between the lines on the sleepers.’ Passenger trains were not running ‘but the line was held for use for an armoured train should need arise. As there was no special accommodation for tunnel sleeping it was obvious that the habit gave rise to many inconveniences’ and the Railway sought to suppress its use. The Emergency Committee discussed the matter with a company representative in mid September. The latter conceded that the tunnel could be used, but the Railway would not be responsible, and the council would have to make arrangements to oversee its use and ‘clear the tunnel if required ... at any time’. This was beyond what the Emergency Committee were willing to undertake and the shelter was never recognised. This tunnel is now sealed off and has been partially infilled to stave-off subsidence.
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : moderate
Date of visit :

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). SKE14867.

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). Ske14867.

Williamson C., 01/01/46, Though the Streets Burn (Bibliographic reference). SKE14868.

Williamson C., 01/01/46, Though the Streets Burn (Bibliographic reference). Ske14868.

Peter Holmes, 01/01/95, "And We All Got Under the Table": Under Fire 1939-45 A VE Day Commemmoration (Bibliographic reference). SKE14866.

Peter Holmes, 01/01/95, "And We All Got Under the Table": Under Fire 1939-45 A VE Day Commemmoration (Bibliographic reference). Ske14866.