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North Entrance
Overview
The weakest link in fortress defence is often the entrances, so
it is hardly surprising that much ingenuity goes into their
design. The North Entrance to the Western Heights was the
nearest to the town of Dover and most convenient for access,
either for supplies or by an attacking force. Accordingly, its
defences were substantial, comprising two bridges and a tunnel.
The entrance dates from the Royal Commission period of the
1860s, and superseded the entrance dating from Napoleonic times
- a single bridge over a ditch.
 1.
Road from Dover
2. Outer bridge
3. Inner bridge
4. Gun Rooms
5. Artillery Store & Magazine
6. Tunnel
7. Staircase to Gun Rooms
8. Water Tanks
9. Guardroom
10. Staircase to ramparts
Adapted from a drawing courtesy of John Guy
The two bridges crossed the twin ditches (or lines), which were
separated by an earth bank – the tenaille. Neither bridge was
fixed. The first of the two had a drop-down section hinged at
the tenaille end, while the second had a section that could be
raised. The roadway cut through the tenaille was ‘S’ shaped, so
that artillery fire could not be brought to bear on the entrance
to the tunnel from the approach road.
Having crossed the two bridges, the road entered a tunnel, with
a pair of massive doors at the outer end. These slid on rails
from deep slots either side of the tunnel, and did away with the
obvious weakness of hinges. The tunnel then turns sharp left,
runs straight for 50m or so, then turns right towards the inner
gateway. The road bed of the tunnel was laid with 6” cubes of
oak, probably to guard against sparks.
The Gun Rooms
Halfway along the tunnel, a staircase leads down to three
gunrooms, (plus a store, and a magazine), which are level with
the bottom of the line. Each gun room would have been equipped
with a carronade – a short, large bore, anti-personnel cannon
that would have fired canister shot rather than a solid ball.
Canister shot was a thin metal cylinder filled with musket
balls. On firing, the cylinder would disintegrate allowing the
musket balls to sweep the lines, rather like a gigantic shotgun.
The gun ports could be closed by sliding iron shutters, to
ensure security while the carronades were being reloaded. The
gunrooms are equipped with fireplaces, since they would also be
used as accommodation for the gun crews.
The staircase, which is still in good condition, has ramps
either side of the steps. These were used for manipulating the
carronades and ammunition up and down on trolleys. In the roof
of the tunnel, level with the staircase, is a ventilation shaft
& light well from the ramparts above.
In addition, there are also loops for muskets alongside the gun
ports, so that an enemy, whether approaching along the bottom of
the lines or over the bridges, could be exposed to heavy
flanking fire.
The Inner Gateway. Tunnel entrance to right, Guardroom to left.
On the left flanking wall is the door to the latrine, and the
staircase leading up to the ramparts.
Photo courtesy of Paul Wells
The Water Tanks
Just before reaching the inner end of the tunnel, a short
passage on the left leads to three enormous brick, vaulted,
water tanks (1, 2, & 3 on the plan) that supplied Grand Shaft
Barracks. They were filled, via pipes, from the well at the
Citadel. A narrow tunnel (now partly blocked up) carried the
conduits to the Barracks below. At present, two of the tanks are
full of rubble but the third is empty and in good condition.
The Inner Gateway and Guardroom
This fine brick structure is easily accessible from the road.
The Guardroom (now stripped of all its fittings) still contains
an example of a ‘Sir Douglas’ grate. Named after its designer,
Sir Douglas Strutt Galton, the grate has ducts built into it
allowing cold air to enter at the bottom and warmed air to exit
via louvres at the top – an early form of central heating, and
much used by the Army for heating barracks, hospitals, etc.
The walls flanking the approach to the tunnel are pierced by
many holes – apparently missing bricks. This is not due to
vandalism or decay, but were the sockets for the original wooden
scaffolding used during construction.
Until the present road was cut through the North Lines in the
1960s, North Entrance was one of two road entrances to the
Heights (the other being Archcliffe Gate – Information Sheet 9).
More recently, since the tunnel is ‘single carriageway’, traffic
lights at each end controlled the passage of vehicles. The
lights were activated by sensors beneath rubber strips at each
end of the entrance, both sets of which are still in existence.
The lights, though, have been removed.
The North Entrance complex suffered in the 1960s, when Western
Heights was seen as ripe for light industrial development,
rather than as an important historical site. The cutting of the
present road through North Lines - to allow road widening for
heavy vehicles, and the demolition of Archcliffe Gate for the
same reason - has destroyed the integrity of the fortress. There
was also the intention to use the Lines as a landfill site for
household rubbish! Fortunately, the whole site was given
Scheduled Ancient Monument status and preserved for posterity.
At the time of writing, the North Entrance complex is in the
care of English Heritage and access is denied.
Gallery
Internal guardroom to the left and tunnel entrance to the right
Drawbridge in the up position leading to the central island.
In the ditch.
One of the three water tanks, this is the only one remaining in
tact.
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