Underground London - Brunel tunnel shaft

The first tunnel under the River Thames in London was also the first tunnel built under a navigable river anywhere in the world. It is the Thames Tunnel, and connects Rotherhithe on the south bank to Wapping on the north side. The tunnel was designed by Marc Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom. It was opened in 1843.

Next to the Brunel Museum is a shaft that led down to the tunnel. This was open to visitors in August 2023. It is a large circular shaft and a modern staircase takes you down to the concrete floor. Some metres below, is the London Overground railway running through the Thames Tunnel - see map.

Looking up at the ceiling -

The tunnel originally 

It was quite an achievement building a tunnel in soft ground under a navigable river. In 1825 it was the busiest river in the world and because of the height of tall ships, a bridge wasn't feasible. So Marc Brunel had the idea to build a tunnel, and Isambard, aged 19, was the chief engineer. The tunnel shaft was built above ground and then sunk like a cookie cutter, with added bricks to weigh it down. It was made of two 25 ton iron hoops surrounded by bricks and rubble. It extended 12 m underground and provided access for the miners to dig out the tunnel, being protected by a Great Shield. They lined the tunnel with bricks.

It would have been a horrible job, being showered with water from the Thames which in those days was like a sewer. They worked in 2 hour shifts. In 1827 water flooded in and construction had to stop. The tunnel was finished in 1843, having taken 18 years to build rather than the expected 3. 

Once opened it became a huge tourist attraction, as people were fascinated by being able to walk under a river. There was even a fairground in 1852. In the late 1850s the tunnel was sold to the railways and Victorian steam trains used it. 

Outside is the engine house. It was built to house a boiler. This delivered steam to a pumping engine which pumped water out of the tunnel. The building now houses the museum.

The Thames with the tunnel below

Artwork by a local school -

And a poster in Rotherhithe station -

The Brunel family burial site in Kensal Green cemetery which I visited in 2020.