I've been wanting to get down here for years now, but after a couple failed attempts at access it got pushed back onto the pile of "I'll get there one day" locations that I've built up since living down here. It took a kick up the ass by @The_Raw to leave some work drinks and come meet him and @Suboffender who'd sorted access out and were chilling out with a can around the corner.
I have to give a shout out to @kevin arnold though for originally giving me the pointers on the place. I'm just sorry it took me so long to properly get around to it.
A short climb down later and we were stood at the foot of the shaft, which is a fairly new concrete rehash of the original shaft that was demolished and replaced in the 1990's.
This concrete tunnel continues around with fresh looking fibre optics and communication cables lining the wall, before it bends around and meets up with the original cast iron sectioned tunnel at the Thames shore.
The main part of the tunnel is pretty fucking small. It doesn't help that you're flanked by two large water mains pipes atop protruding concrete supports. During the tunnel's peak use it saw 1 million pedestrians walk through it each year, or around 20,000 a week. This is a pretty immense amount of people to be walking through a dingy tunnel under the river.
Although obviously it wasn't full of piping back then, but without ventilation the tunnel must have been quite a musty place to endure, with the gas lighting that was used to light it probably making it quite humid as well.
The tunnel was originally bored in 1869, taking around 10 months to complete the 410 metres. It was an engineering breakthrough, and the same iron shield technique was used to construct the City and South London Railway in 1890.
The tunnel stretch under the Thames itself is dead straight, although slightly dips in line with the banking of the river bed. The river is only a matter of metres above the crown of the tunnel at this point, and you can supposedly hear boats passing above, although I couldn't.
However I was slightly more concerned about the knee-deep water that has collected in the tunnel for a 20m section. It was fairly easy to traverse along the water pipes and avoid it, but I ended up wiping tunnel skank all over myself in the process.
It quickly dried out, and as we escaped the river section the tunnel turned to a recognisable yellow brick construction, which marks the end as the shaft rises up to the surface next to the Tower of London.
And then there's the awkward moment you find the light switch after messing about light painting, which gave this really yellow, almost eerie look to the tunnel as it created these harsh shadows on the tunnel segments.
Once we were all done and packed up we plunged ourself into darkness once more as we made the ascent up and out of the place. Where a nightcap was sank and a night bus was caught.
Thanks to The Raw for being a straight up UE ambassador for the nation.
I have to give a shout out to @kevin arnold though for originally giving me the pointers on the place. I'm just sorry it took me so long to properly get around to it.
A short climb down later and we were stood at the foot of the shaft, which is a fairly new concrete rehash of the original shaft that was demolished and replaced in the 1990's.
This concrete tunnel continues around with fresh looking fibre optics and communication cables lining the wall, before it bends around and meets up with the original cast iron sectioned tunnel at the Thames shore.
The main part of the tunnel is pretty fucking small. It doesn't help that you're flanked by two large water mains pipes atop protruding concrete supports. During the tunnel's peak use it saw 1 million pedestrians walk through it each year, or around 20,000 a week. This is a pretty immense amount of people to be walking through a dingy tunnel under the river.
Although obviously it wasn't full of piping back then, but without ventilation the tunnel must have been quite a musty place to endure, with the gas lighting that was used to light it probably making it quite humid as well.
The tunnel was originally bored in 1869, taking around 10 months to complete the 410 metres. It was an engineering breakthrough, and the same iron shield technique was used to construct the City and South London Railway in 1890.
The tunnel stretch under the Thames itself is dead straight, although slightly dips in line with the banking of the river bed. The river is only a matter of metres above the crown of the tunnel at this point, and you can supposedly hear boats passing above, although I couldn't.
However I was slightly more concerned about the knee-deep water that has collected in the tunnel for a 20m section. It was fairly easy to traverse along the water pipes and avoid it, but I ended up wiping tunnel skank all over myself in the process.
It quickly dried out, and as we escaped the river section the tunnel turned to a recognisable yellow brick construction, which marks the end as the shaft rises up to the surface next to the Tower of London.
And then there's the awkward moment you find the light switch after messing about light painting, which gave this really yellow, almost eerie look to the tunnel as it created these harsh shadows on the tunnel segments.
Once we were all done and packed up we plunged ourself into darkness once more as we made the ascent up and out of the place. Where a nightcap was sank and a night bus was caught.
Thanks to The Raw for being a straight up UE ambassador for the nation.
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