©National Archives

Channel Tunnel Plans, 1875 The idea for a tunnel linking Britain to France has a long history. The first proposal dates back to the Napoleonic Wars, but the first serious moves were made during the 1860s. This was when British and French companies began producing plans for a tunnel project. In 1882, work started on a pilot tunnel from Folkestone, but following a press outcry, the British government stopped this on the grounds of national security.

These plans, taken from Foreign Office files, were drawn up in 1875 and proposed a Channel Tunnel railway link between Calais and Dover.

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