Going underground in Rochester

Exploring the town's wartime tunnels

The Shorts Tunnels are a vast network of wartime tunnels underneath Rochester. Access to them is tightly controlled, but we were able to visit them last week. Many pages on the internet recount their history, so we won’t do that in great detail here. Instead, this is something of a photo essay of what was a unique way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Stepping into the Shorts Tunnels complex in Rochester is a strange feeling. As you climb through the narrow gaps that grant you access, you feel that you shouldn’t really be there. As one continues the tour, hearing stories of radioactive paint and cavernous drops surrounded by rusty objects and oppressively stale air, the feeling only strengthens.

Photo: Francesca Dorsa / Local Authority

But still, there is something beguiling about this place. Most of us who grew up in Medway will have heard stories about the huge networks of tunnels that exist under our towns. While the tunnels were commonly accessed in the past by those up to no good, urban explorers, and some questionable types, access is now much more controlled.

Photo: Francesca Dorsa / Local Authority

This is probably for the best. Our tour guide tells us not to wander too far as it’s so easy to get lost in the tunnels, and after being turned around more than once, that seems very believable. Tunnels disappear in all directions, some looping back on themselves, some leading to dead ends, others to vast underground chambers.

Photo: Francesca Dorsa / Local Authority