Interior of the Thames Tunnel, mid-19th century

The Thames Tunnel was the world's first underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London. 35 feet wide (11 m), 20 feet (6 m) high and 1,300 feet (396 m) long, it runs between Rotherhithe and Wapping at a depth of 75 feet (23 m) below the river's surface at high tide. It was originally designed for, but never used by, horse-drawn carriages and is currently used by trains of the London Underground's East London Line. It was built by Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19th century. Interior of the Thames Foot Tunnel, mid-19th century This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Interior of the Thames Foot Tunnel, mid-19th century This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Thames is a river flowing through southern England, and one of the major waterways in England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... St Olavs, Rotherhithes Norwegian church. ... Wapping Old Stairs, one of many points of access to the foreshore in the area. ... The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... London Transport Portal The East London Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured orange on the Tube map. ... Marc Isambard Brunel, engraving by G. Metzeroth, circa 1880 Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, FRS (April 25, 1769 – December 12, 1849) was a French-born engineer who settled in the United Kingdom. ... Brunel before the launching of the Great Eastern. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History and development

Construction

Inside the Thames Tunnel during construction, 1830

At the start of the 19th century, there was a pressing need for a new land connection between the north and south banks of the Thames to link the expanding docks on both sides of the river. The engineer Ralph Dodd tried but failed to build a tunnel between Gravesend and Tilbury in 1799.^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Gravesend can refer to: Gravesend, Kent, England Gravesend, New York, USA This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Tilbury is located on the north bank of the River Thames, in the borough of Thurrock in England, at the point where the river suddenly narrows to about 800 yards/740 metres in width. ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1805-1809 a group of Cornwall miners, including Richard Trevithick, attempted to dig a tunnel further upriver between Rotherhithe and Wapping but failed due to the difficult conditions of the ground. The Cornish miners were used to hard rock and did not modify their methods for soft clay and quicksand. The "Thames Archway" project was abandoned after it caved in when 1,000 feet (305 m) of a total of 1,200 feet (366 m) had been dug.^[2] However, even if it had been completed its usefulness would have been questionable; it only measured 2-3 feet by 5 feet (61-91 cm by 1.5 m), far too small for passenger use. 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1809 (MDCCCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Cornish people are a British ethnic group originating in Cornwall. ... Richard Trevithick Richard Trevithick (April 13, 1771 – April 22, 1833) was a British inventor, engineer and builder of the first working railway steam locomotive. ...

The failure of the Thames Archway project led engineers to conclude that "an underground tunnel is impracticable."^[3] However, the Anglo-French engineer Marc Brunel refused to accept this verdict. In 1814 he proposed to Tsar Alexander I of Russia a plan to build a tunnel under the river Neva in St Petersburg. This scheme was turned down (a bridge was built instead) but Brunel continued to develop ideas for new methods of tunnelling.^[1] Year 1814 (MDCCCXIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Aleksandr I Pavlovich (Russian: Александр I Павлович) (December 23, 1777–December 1, 1825?), was Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801-1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815–1825, as well as the first Grand Duke of Finland. ... The River Neva (Russian: Нева́) is a 74 km-long Russian river flowing from Lake Ladoga (Ладожское Озеро, Ladožskoe Ozero) through the Karelian Isthmus (Карельский Перешеек, Karelskij PereÅ¡eek) and the city of Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург, Sankt-Peterburg) to the Gulf of Finland (Финский Залив, Finskij Zaliv). ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and...

Brunel and Thomas Cochrane patented the tunnelling shield, a revolutionary advance in tunnelling technology, in January 1818. In 1823 Brunel produced a plan for a tunnel between Rotherhithe and Wapping, which would be dug using his new shield. Financing was soon found from private investors including the Duke of Wellington and a Thames Tunnel Company was formed in 1824, with the project beginning in February 1825.^[2] Rear Admiral Thomas Alexander Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, Marquês do Maranhão GCB RN (14 December 1775 – 31 October 1860), styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831[1], was a radical politician and naval officer. ... A tunnelling shield is a protective structure used in the excavation of tunnels through soil that is too soft or fluid to remain stable during the time it takes to line the tunnel with a support structure of concrete or steel. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The first step taken was the construction of a large shaft on the south bank at Rotherhithe, 150 feet (46 m) back from the river bank. It was dug by assembling an iron ring 50 feet (15 m) in diameter above ground. A brick wall 40 feet (12 m) high and 3 feet (91 cm) thick was built on top of this, with a powerful steam engine surmounting it to drive the excavation's pumps. The whole apparatus was estimated to weigh 1,000 tons.^[1] The soil below the ring's sharp lower edge was removed manually by Brunel's workers. The whole shaft thus gradually sank under its own weight, slicing through the soft ground rather like an enormous cookie cutter. By November the shaft was in place and tunnelling work could begin.^[2] Cookies with cookie cutters in the background A cookie cutter is a tool to stamp out cookie dough in a particular shape. ...

The tunnelling shield, built in Lambeth and assembled in the Rotherhithe shaft, was the key to Brunel's construction of the Thames Tunnel. The Illustrated London News described how it worked: Lambeth is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth. ...

Diagram of the tunnelling shield used to construct the Thames Tunnel

The key innovation of the tunnelling shield was its support for the unlined ground in front and around it to reduce the risk of collapses. However, many workers, including Brunel himself, soon fell ill from the poor conditions caused by filthy water seeping through from the river above. When the resident engineer, William Armstrong, fell ill in April 1826 Marc's son Isambard Kingdom Brunel took over at the age of just 20. Image File history File links Thames_tunnel_shield. ... Image File history File links Thames_tunnel_shield. ... Brunel before the launching of the Great Eastern. ...

Work was slow, progressing at only 8-12 feet a week (3-4 m). To earn some money from the tunnel the company directors allowed sightseers to view the shield in operation. An estimated 600-800 visitors per day paid 1 shilling for the adventure.

The excavation was also hazardous. The tunnel flooded suddenly on 18 May 1827 after 549 feet had been dug.^[2] Isambard Kingdom Brunel lowered a diving bell from a boat to repair the hole at the bottom of the river, throwing bags filled with clay into the breach in the tunnel's roof. Following the repairs and the drainage of the tunnel, he held a banquet inside it. May 18 is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1827 (MDCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Brunel before the launching of the Great Eastern. ... Diving bell A diving bell is a cable-suspended watertight chamber, open at the bottom, that is lowered underwater to operate as a base or a means of transport for a small number of divers. ...

The tunnel was flooded again the following year, 12 January 1828, when six men died and Isambard narrowly escaped drowning. Financial problems followed, leading to the tunnel being walled off in August. The project was abandoned for seven years, until Marc Brunel succeeded in raising sufficient money (including a loan of £247,000 from the Treasury) to continue work.^[2] January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The new eastern entrance to HM Treasury HM Treasury, in full Her Majestys Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the UK Governments financial and economic policy. ...

When work resumed in February 1836, a new shield had to be installed. Impeded by further floods, fires and leaks of methane and hydrogen sulfide gas, the remainder of the tunnelling took another five and a half years, only being completed in November 1841. The extensive delays and repeated flooding made the tunnel the butt of metropolitan humour: Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. ... Hydrogen sulfide (hydrogen sulphide in British English), H2S, is a colorless, toxic, flammable gas that is responsible for the foul odor of rotten eggs and flatulence. ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Cutaway illustration of the Thames Tunnel excavation as it was probably around 1840

The Thames Tunnel was fitted out with lighting, roadways and spiral staircases during 1841-1842. An engine house on the Rotherhithe side was also constructed to house machinery for draining the tunnel. The tunnel was finally opened to the public on 25 March 1843.^[2] is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Pedestrian usage

Although it was a triumph of civil engineering, the Thames Tunnel was not a financial success. It had cost a fortune to build — £454,000 to dig and another £180,000 to fit out — far outrunning its initial cost estimates.^[1] Proposals to extend the entrance to accommodate wheeled vehicles fell through because of the cost and it was only ever used by pedestrians. It became a major tourist attraction, attracting about two million people a year, each paying a penny to pass through,^[6] and it even became the subject of popular songs. The American traveller William Allen Drew commented that "No one goes to London without visiting the Tunnel" and described it as the "eighth wonder of the world." ^[6] When he saw it for himself in 1851, he pronounced himself "somewhat disappointed in it" but still left a vivid description of its interior, which was more like a underground marketplace than a working transport artery: 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Entrance shaft to the Thames Tunnel

Drew was perhaps charitable in his view of the tunnel, which came to be regarded as the haunt of prostitutes and "tunnel thieves" who lurked under its arches and mugged passers-by.^[7] The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, writing in 1855, took a much more negative view of the tunnel when he visited it a few years after Drew: Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4, 1804 - May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Use as a railway tunnel

1870 view of a train exiting the Thames Tunnel at Wapping

2005 view of the Wapping end of the Thames Tunnel

No doubt to the relief of the tunnel's investors, it was purchased in September 1865 by the East London Railway Company. The company — a consortium of six mainline railways — sought to use the tunnel to provide a rail link for goods and passengers between Wapping (and later Liverpool Street) and the South London Line. The tunnel's generous headroom, resulting from the architects' original intention of accommodating horse-drawn carriages, provided a sufficient loading gauge for trains as well. The first train ran through the tunnel on 7 December 1869.^[2] In 1884, the tunnel's disused entrance shafts in Wapping and Rotherhithe were converted into Wapping tube station and Rotherhithe tube station respectively. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... ImageMetadata File history File links ThamesTunnelFromWapping. ... ImageMetadata File history File links ThamesTunnelFromWapping. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Crossing the Thames The River Thames has always formed a barrier to any links between the north and south of London, particularly to the eastern side where communication to the routes to the Continent are concerned. ... Liverpool Street station, also called London Liverpool Street, is a mainline railway station and connected London Underground station in the north eastern corner of the City of London, the main financial district, with entrances on Bishopsgate and Liverpool Street itself. ... There South London Line, operated by Southern, runs from Victoria to London Bridge. ... A loading gauge is the envelope or contoured shape within which all railway vehicles, engines, coaches, and trucks must fit. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Wapping is a London Underground station near Wapping in east London, England. ... Rotherhithe is a London Underground station in Rotherhithe. ...

The East London Railway was later absorbed into the London Underground, where it became today's East London Line. It continued to be used for goods services as late as 1962. The Thames Tunnel remains the oldest piece of the Underground's infrastructure. The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1995 the tunnel became the focus of considerable controversy when it was closed for long-term maintenance. Its condition had deteriorated so severely that London Underground management publicly declared that if it could not be repaired the entire East London Line would have to be permanently closed. However, the proposed repair method was to seal it against leaks by "shotcreting" it with concrete, obliterating its original appearance. This led to a bitter conflict with architectural interests wishing to preserve the tunnel's appearance and disputing the need for the treatment. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Shotcrete and gunite are two commonly used terms for sprayed concrete. ...

Following an agreement to leave a short section at one end of the tunnel untreated, and more sympathetic treatment of the rest of the tunnel, the work went ahead and the route reopened — much later than originally anticipated — in 1998. The tunnel will close again from late 2007 / early 2008 to 2010 in order to permit tracklaying and resignalling for the East London Line extension, due to open in 2010. The extension work will result in the tunnel becoming part of the new London Overground and it will once again be used by mainline trains. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... London Overground [1] is the network of rail services in London, United Kingdom to be provided by the London Rail division of Transport for London (TfL) from 11 November 2007. ...

Influence

The construction of the Thames Tunnel showed that it was indeed possible to build underwater tunnels, despite the previous scepticism of many engineers. Several new underwater tunnels were built in the UK in the following decades: the Tower Subway in London, the world's first underground tube railway; the Severn Tunnel under the River Severn; and the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. All were built using refinements of Brunel's tunnelling shield, with James Henry Greathead playing a particularly important role in developing the technology. The historic importance of the tunnel was recognised on 24 March 1995, when the structure was listed Grade II in recognition of its architectural importance.^[2] A plaque can also be seen in the tunnel shaft at Rotherhithe tube station, commemorating the Brunels' achievement. The Tower Subway is a tunnel beneath the River Thames in central London, close — as the name suggests — to the Tower of London. ... The approach to the tunnel. ... “Severn” redirects here. ... The Mersey Railway Tunnel, between Liverpool and Birkenhead, was opened in 1886 and was the first tunnel to be built below the River Mersey. ... Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005 The River Mersey is a river in north-western England. ... James Henry Greathead (6 August 1844 - 21 October 1896) was an engineer renowned for his work on the underground railway networks of London. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ...

Visiting

Nearby in Rotherhithe is the Brunel Engine House which is open to visitors as a museum. It was originally built to house the draining pumps for the tunnel and has now been restored. During the year the museum organises "tunnel tours" when the lights in the tunnel are switched on and there is a rare chance to get a good view of the arches from a train. The Brunel Engine House is a building in Rotherhithe, East London. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} John Timbs, Stories of Inventors and Discoverers in Science and the Useful Arts, p. 287. Kent, 1860
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Denis Smith, "London and the Thames Valley", p. 17. Thomas Telford, 2001
3. ^ Nathan Aaseng, Construction: Building the Impossible, p. 28. The Oliver Press, Inc., 1999
4. ^ Illustrated London News, 25 March 1843
5. ^ James Smith, "The Thames Tunnel", in Memoirs, Letters, and Comic Miscellanies in Prose and Verse, of the Late James Smith, p. 185. H. Colburn, 1840
6. ^ ^{a b c} William Allen Drew, Glimpses and Gatherings During a Voyage and Visit to London and the Great Exhibition in the Summer of 1851, pp. 242-249. Homan & Manley, 1852
7. ^ Susan Sellers / Sue Roe, The Cambridge Companion to Virginia Woolf, p. 195. Cambridge University Press, 2000

External links

• "Brief history during the Snow era", UCLA School of Public Health
• The Brunel Museum - Based in Rotherhithe, London the museum is housed in the building that contained the pumps to keep the Thames Tunnel dry.
• Tunnel tour booking by the Brunel Museum
• Photos of a promotional book commemorating the opening of the tunnel

• Map and aerial photo of Thames Tunnel from Multimap.com
• Other map and aerial photo sources
• This map, published in 1882, actually marks the tunnel

Coordinates: 51°30′11″N 0°03′07″W / 51.503, -0.052 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...