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Brunel ‘tunnel of light’ reopens to the public for two days only
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent12 Mar 2010
The public is to get its first chance in 145 years to see an underwater tunnel by Isambard Kingdom Brunel that was a triumph of Victorian engineering.
The Thames Tunnel is open today and tomorrow and a Fancy Fair originally held in 1852 deep below the river will be recreated at the nearby Brunel Museum.
The tunnel was built between 1825 and 1843 by Marc Brunel and his son, Isambard, and was the first known to have been built beneath a navigable river.
Hailed as an eighth wonder of the world, the route from Wapping to Rotherhithe quickly became a thriving shopping arcade and entertainment centre.
It was illuminated by lights along its 1,300ft length and by the end of the first week of its opening, half the population of the capital were said to have paid to walk “the shining avenue of light to Wapping”.
The two-day opening is taking place at the conclusion of the Mayor of London's East festival celebrating east London.
The Brunel Museum tours will take in the grand entrance hall and the 1867 arch at the Rotherhithe entrance. It is now an International Landmark Site, one of six in Britain, but is usually closed to the public.
For many years until 2007 it was used by the East London Line.
Reader views (6)
we have an apartment near to this tunnel and would have loved the opportunity to see it, if only the open days had been announced in advance by the London Standard instead of reporting the event on the eve of its open weekend. It seems to me this is always the case, pity no one can think that informing people in advance would not only enable people to makes plans to visit but also to support such events as these.
- Janet Rockley, nottingham, 12/03/2010 18:02
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Tickets for this event went on the Internet three or four weeks ago and were sold out two weeks ago. That might have been mentioned in this story. Better yet if the story had been put out three weeks ago. I spoke with a London Underground supervisor at the LU station above the south entrance of the tunnel, and she indicated that you hardly see more on the tour than you would have seen before closure when looking from the platforms or from a London East train.
- Phil Jones, London EU, 12/03/2010 16:43
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The tunnel is not usually open to the public as it is part of the East London tube line. At the moment trains are not running as the line is being refurbished and connected to the London overground network, but trains are due to start running through the tunnel again in June.
A bit more background from a London paper about a London story might have been helpful to readers.
- Steve, London, 12/03/2010 14:09
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What 2 Days?
- Laurence, croydon england, 12/03/2010 14:01
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I think the point of it "usually being closed to the public" is that this "interesting feat of engineering" was once - and will soon be again - used by underground trains.
- Austen, London, 12/03/2010 13:53
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Why is it only open for 2 days and why is it usually closed to the public? What is the point of such an interesting feat of engineering if no-one can see it, apart from 2 days every once in a blue moon...?!!
- Stella, London, UK, 12/03/2010 13:26
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