Tunnels, Caves and Underground rock shelters

Many residents of Bristol know of the Redcliffe Caves at the edge of the Floating harbour (though not so many have actually been on a tour inside them).

Covering around 3 acres, they were mine workings from the 15th to 18th centuries, when fine sand used in glass making and for ship’s ballast was quarried. They are also believed to have been used by merchants for storing goods and – some say – slaves. Stories of smuggling and hidden treasure have also attached themselves to the caves, though these are probably myths.

A torch is needed on the tours, but fortunately for visitors the caves are not particularly cold or wet. It is possible for wheelchair users to access most of them and the ceilings are high enough to walk without having to stoop.

Here is a map of the Redcliffe caves (and a corresponding map of the surface) with links to photos showing entranceways, crawl spaces, shafts and passages, former underground railway lines – and the place where the foundations of the old Sun Alliance building (now the Holland House Hotel) cut into the caves.

The largest chamber in the caves looks quite impressive. There is also a well shaft that may have been used as a sewer until the New Cut (completed in 1809) diverted the River Avon, and stopped the previous tidal water movements in this area, helping to create the Floating Harbour. The base of a now demolished lead shot tower drops into the caves on the east side, but is no longer safely accessible.

The older part of the caves is walled off thanks to an interesting court case:

In 1800 Captain Thomas King, of number 2 Redcliffe Parade West, the African Merchant, took the owners of the caves to court. He claimed that as his house was directly above the caves then the caves beneath his house and land must be his property. The court stated that although he owned he property above the caves he had no access to them thus he could not claim them as his. Not to be outdone Thomas promptly dug a shaft from his property into the caves, walled off the surrounding area and claimed them as his own.

St Vincent’s Cave

Not so well-known is the natural cave that can be reached from the Clifton Observatory. A tunnel snaking under the Downs from this leads to a cave mouth with a spectacular view of Clifton Suspension Bridge and Avon Gorge. St Vincent’s Cave (also known as the Giant’s Cave) is 250 feet above the valley.

Originally the only access was via the cliff face, until the long underground passage was cut out in the 19th century. The cave is said to have been linked with the chapel of St Vincent, as pieces of carved masonry were discovered in the cave. This chapel is presumed to have broken away from the cliff and fallen into the gorge below.

It’s believed that the cave opening was used as a chapel by the Romans in the 4th Century, and since that time as a shrine and a place of refuge.

Clifton Rocks Railway

The former Clifton Rocks railway in Avon Gorge now forms an underground tunnel between the top station at Sion Hill (close to the Suspension bridge and the Downs) and the Portway. The tunnel is 500 feet long, elliptical in cross section and climbs 240 feet at a gradient of about 1:2.2 (a vertical rise of 1 foot for every 2.2 feet).

At the time the widest tunnel created, it was hidden underground to protect the views of Clifton, whose residents were keen to preserve its exclusive character and relative isolation from the central part of Bristol and Hotwells.

The railway opened to great acclaim in 1893, but the number of people using it declined inexorably afterwards (one factor was that use of trams declined in favour of buses), and it eventually closed through lack of use in 1934. Efforts are now underway to restore it – here are photos of how it looks currently.

The railway worked in an ingenious way:

The four track railway used no steam engines – just a simple system of water and gravity. When the cars – one at the top and one at the bottom – were loaded, they balanced one another. But as water was pumped into the top car’s tank so it became heavier than the lower one.

Then, as the brakes were released, the heavier car would descend, pulling the bottom car to the top. An electric telegraph linked the two so that each brakeman knew how many passengers they had and could adjust the amount of water in the tanks accordingly. When the upper car reached the bottom, the water was pumped back to a reservoir at the top.

The four oil-lit cars took 18 passengers at a time, plus a brakeman who rode on a small platform. For safety’s sake each pair of cars had three sets of duplicate brakes. Although it was pitch black in the brick lined tunnel the cars were painted light blue and white with gold lining. The journey, which took just 40 seconds each way, cost one penny to go up and one half-penny to come down.

At the start of the second World War the top part of the tunnel was used as a bomb shelter. In 1941, the BBC took out the carriages and converted the lower section into an emergency headquarters as a fallback if London’s Broadcasting House was destroyed.

They were well-prepared, installing a recording room, transmitter room, control room and a small studio equipped for music and drama. A ventilation shaft was also installed so that the occupants could survive gas attacks.

Many Bristolians sheltered in caves and tunnels during the blitz in World War 2, and church crypts also provided some protection.

Bridge Valley Road Tunnels

Just off the Portway, unseen by drivers passing by, there are two Victorian-era tunnels that were built for the defunct Port and Pier Railway which ran to Avonmouth.

Tunnel number 1, 73 yards long, was used to store council records and museum art treasures during the war years. Tunnel number 2, which is 175 yards (525 feet) long and runs under Bridge Valley Road, was used as a wartime public shelter. Officially it would take 200 people, but more than a thousand would turn up at times, and at one point in January 1941 a sit-in was staged to prevent the BBC taking possession of the tunnel, which it had earmarked to use for relocating away from a heavily-bombed London.

If you want to find out more about caves in and around Bristol, the Axbridge Caving Group site may be of interest.

Weston-super-Mare’s new Grand Pier

The new Grand Pier at Weston may have opened too late for the main summer season, but it hasn’t disappointed the many visitors who have been flocking to it since it reopened on October 23rd (two of whom couldn’t wait to use it as their wedding venue).

Approached along the seafront, it’s apparent how much Weston needed the new pier: there are some boarded up or closed shops next to the beach which are being redeveloped. The donkey rides are still there, but the beach itself – more mud than sand – has never been the main attraction.

When we talked to a waitress at the delightful Old Thatched Cottage restaurant, she said business had been booming since the opening of the pier and that it had been a real boost for them (as well as the local economy).

The previous pier was wrecked by a fire in the summer of 2008 which reduced the pavilion to a charred ruin in only a matter of hours. The owners decided to rebuild it with the aim of creating a world class attraction, and putting Weston-super-Mare firmly on the map.

No expense has been spared, with up-to-the minute rides and attractions present throughout. The impression is bright, glitzy, colourful and brash: the sheer number of things squeezed vertically into the available space is impressive and almost a little chaotic at times, in part because of the crowds of people thronging the pavilion and making for the popular rides.

The race track apparently cost more than a million and the rebuild is said to have cost £51 million altogether. A few rides did not appear to be officially open yet when we visited, but no doubt they will be very soon.

We were told however that there was meant to be an observation tower and deck at the back of the pier, and rumour has it this was cancelled because of the escalating cost and time overruns (the pier was meant to officially open for the summer season this year). Currently there is a narrow tube-like passageway with seating for one of the restaurants, which stretches out over the sea and offers great views to either side but does not appear to go anywhere – and that’s why. Anyway, we can hope that in due course this may be added on, perhaps in a second phase of development.

The calendar of events includes boxing matches, glamour (the Miss Great Britain finals were taking place on December 4th, in arctic conditions not entirely appropriate for the competitors’ clothing), balls and a Christmas party, and much more is planned for the future. Hotels should see a good boost to occupancy from these events, and it’s hard not to agree with owner Kerry Michael that ‘the whole town is on the up.’

The owners are aiming it fairly and squarely at the general public who want a good day out and to be entertained, and they seem to be achieving both goals very successfully.

In the first 10 days some 350,000 visitors came, if they can continue to get 30-40,000 visitors a day that will certainly be a huge boost for businesses in the town. Opening hours are 10a.m. until midnight, and there is no charge to enter the pier or the pavilion. It is now intended to keep the pier open year-round (it used to be shut for around three months each Winter).

Some have complained about the notices saying that only food or drink purchased on the pier can be consumed, but with most attractions only costing £1 to £5 and the cost of employing upwards of 150 staff this seems very reasonable to me.

Some of the attractions in the pavillion include a mirror maze, a ghost train, a 4D cinema, and a crazy house. The ride-on multi-screen racing car simulator looked like a lot of fun, and there are also naturally plenty of rides designed to get the adrenaline flowing and one’s stomach in one’s mouth – these are so close to and integrated with the public spaces that anyone of a nervous disposition may find it a little alarming watching them swinging around overhead.

Of course they haven’t forgotten the traditional pier amusements either – the coin sweeping machines that gradually suck in all your change, and the crane machines where you can try and win a cuddly toy – only to keep seeing it slip out of the jaws of your crane at the last minute.

There were plenty of rides and amusements suited to children and teenagers, and families appeared to be out in force during our visit. The noise levels were reasonably high as one would expect with a lot of young people enjoying themselves with amusement machines. One can find some peace and quiet in the eating areas, or out on the viewing platforms surrounding the pavilion where you can enjoy the memorable views and the bracing sea air. Weston’s seafront has some very attractive buildings, and after seeing it from the pier you’ll definitely want to explore it further.

Weston has another, original pier further down the beach, which has now in fallen into disuse. Here is some history from DF Courtney:

“The idea for a Grand Pier at Weston was originally discussed because day-trippers who came by train did not venture as far as Birnbeck Pier, as it was considered to be too far from the town centre. Instead the visitors went to the nearest beach, which was off the end of Regent Street.

Work started to build a one-and-a-half-mile-long pier in November 1903. The length was determined by the owner’s desire to have permanent water for ferries at the pier’s end. Once built, they realised that the currents at the end were such that it prohibited docking by the very ferries they tried to attract in the first place, and the long extension proved to be useless. The pier had a theatre pavilion which hosted concerts, ballet performances, opera and even boxing matches. The whole structure was destroyed by fire in 1930 and rebuilt without the ferry extension, finally reopening in 1933. Entrance was 2d.

Weston’s Victorian Birnbeck grade two pier, which lies derelict at the other end of the beach – a sign of the struggle faced by all British seaside resorts when European holidays became cheaper and more fashionable, still sticks out like a sore thumb.”

One can only wish the owners well for the great vote of confidence in Weston their new Grand Pier represents, and hope it pays off handsomely for them, as well as for the town.