The Grand Shaft, Dover

The Grand Shaft is a unique triple-helix staircase in a tunnel. It descends 140 feet from the top of the Heights to Snargate Street, straight through the White Cliffs of Dover. It was built to offer rapid passage up and down between the barracks of Western Heights and the town.

Construction began in 1806 but was not completed until three years later, bedeviled by bad weather that continually caused the sides to collapse. At this time, Snargate Street was a red-light district with taverns and brothels. A guardhouse and prison cells were built at the entrance to the tunnel. The cells were used to put drunken soldiers in for the night.

After World War II ended, the barracks at Western Heights fell into ruin and, in the 1960s, were torn down. The Grand Shaft was no longer being used and became a place in town for folks to dump their rubbish. Eventually, a restoration took place, and the site became open to the public.

Visits to the Graft Shaft and its staircase are available between March and November, on the third Sunday of the month. It is well worth seeing as the only triple spiral staircase in the country.