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Shorts Tunnels and Factory, Rochester
The tunnels were originally excavated/extended by the Short brothers in
September of 1941 for their seaplane factory as there existing one was nearing
full capacity - the site was chosen for its natural defence against air attacks.
The new factory space was to provide an extra 12000 sq.ft. of workspace for the
company - this was created by two one-hundred metre long tunnels, connected by
four seventy-five metre tunnels that met with the cliff face. At the
eastern end of the tunnel complex the company built an extensive network of air
raid tunnels which consisted of two parallel tunnels both three-hundred metres
in length and connected by fourteen crosscuts. There was a hospital and
three vaults constructed within the network; this network was connected to the
Shorts factory by a singular four-hundred metre tunnel.
After the war the factory section was used by blawknox for storage and workshops
(they had left casting moulds all over the place, as well as the usual
paperwork!!). This site existed until the early nineties where it was
subsequently blocked and houses built on the site.