Site Records

Inchindown Fuel Depot - Secondary Portal Exploration

A return visit was made to Inchindown on 22/09/03. A new lock had been fitted to the main portal, but the secondary portal was still open, and a full penetration was effected.

The small secondary portal tunnel disappears into the darkness... we follow it:

After around 230 paces (estimated), the concrete-lined section ends, and the tunnel continues in sound unlined rock with occasional roof supports. Note the 'modern' plastic bucket on the floor; there is evidence throughout the complex of recent activity:

After another 20 paces or so, the tunnel turns sharp left. It continues the same, unlined, with occasional roof supports, for around 170 paces. There is an enlargement or alcove just visible on the right of the tunnel in the photo below.

This is the gallery which gives access to the rear of the tanks:

After around 20-30 paces, a concrete-lined alcove opens on the left side of the tunnel:

A concrete plug seals the end of one of the storage tanks. Four large pipes lead through, their covers removed. The pipes seem to be around six feet long. Whilst photography was impossible, shining a good light through the pipes gave a view inside the tank, which appeared enormous - The 'Portsdown Tunnels' site gives dimensions of 800 feet long by 35 feet in diameter for the tanks there, and these appear to be on a similar scale.

'MCMXLI' translates to 1941.

The tunnel continues, passing three more of these tanks. The others are undated. Between alcoves, it's a plain unlined tunnel, a typical section is shown below. After around 170 paces, the tunnel turns sharp left again....

...following the sharp left turn, the tunnel runs on for only around 40 paces before a dead end comes into view:

The dead end materialises as a concrete plug with a (?relatively recent?) steel wall and door across it. Is it locked? Nope...

...inside... another tank access plug! Not what I expected. I imagined it was pretty much inevitable that this secondary portal tunnel would somehow loop round and provide a 'back door' to the main portal tunnel. I may have missed something due to the very quick & dirty nature of the exploration, but it seems it isn't built that way at all.

This tank access plug has a fair range of graffitti with dates from late 80's through to 2003. Also note the interesting trolley with a curved bed, presumably shaped so as to facilitate passing tools and materials through to the tank.

A speedy return was then made to the entrance - my father was acting as 'top man' for this penetration, and I didn't want to keep him waiting! On the way I snapped this conjunction of ancient & modern electric equipment. There's clearly still work going on here. I looked in again at the surface switchroom, and looking more closely the meters were modern LCD devices - in fact there was a postcard on the floor from Scottish & Southern saying 'we've changed your meters' dated April 2003...

Returning to the surface, a quick & dirty pacing exercise enabled the following conjectural/sketch survey to be produced. Compare this with the OS map on the Inchindown front page, and the Portsdown plan on the Portsdown page. The '170 paces' for the length of the tank access gallery just about squares with the ~200m distance between portals measured from the Canmap/OS map.



I'd certainly be interested in any thoughts, comments, conjectures, or further information!

Words and images © 2003 Michael J. Ross