Samphire Hoe




	History of Samphire Hoe
	On the 26th January 1843, 185 barrels of gunpowder were used to blow a large section of the cliff, to provide a platform that the Dover to Folkestone railway line could be constructed on. The sea no longer directly eroded the cliffs.

	In 1880 Colonel Beaumont started digging from Shakespeare cliff using his compressed air boring machine, 2024 yards later the enterprise came to a halt, some say due to a lack of money, others from concern by the Department of War that the French would invade through the tunnel.

	In 1895 the Dover Colliery was started, three shafts were sunk, but due to problems of flooding and explosions in the pit. By 1921 when it closed only 120 tons of coal had been dug.

	In the early 1970's another attempt was made. A tunnel was cut through the cliff to reach the old colliery site and the boring machine put in place, by 1975 the Government had withdrawn support for the scheme. There was just money for an experimental drive which sucessfully completed 300m.


© 2012 Eurotunnel and White Cliffs Countryside Project (WCCP)