Tidal Pools

Tunnels beach originally had 3 tidal pools one on the Gentlemen's beach and two on the Ladies beach. But due to the rough sea and winter storms the less sheltered Gentlemen's pool was destroyed and only part of the wall remains.

The tidal pools were built over a period of 18 months, the pools were built around the natural rook pools using additional boulders and lime mortar for the retaining wall. The lime was supplied by the near by lime Kiln.

The ladies tidal pool at low tide.

This pool is drained each year allowing repairs to be carried out.

The remains of the Gentlemen's wall. These walls are about 1.5 meters thick but the waves still managed to rip it apart.

The beach was divided into two parts, the left as you look at the picture was for ladies, and the right was for gentlemen. In 1839 a guide was published to explain the rules of bathing. The guide book stated that,

"The westward part is allotted to gentlemen, while the eastward is by custom left to the ladies and is carefully guarded against intrusion."

Separate bathing was well controlled by a bugler would sit between the two beaches and if any man was seen to be spying on the ladies an alarm would be rang and the man would be arrested.

The beaches were patrolled for 82 years, when in 1905 mixed bathing was allowed.