London: Tunnels Under the Thames
 

One of the weirder things i've done in London is to traipse thru two incredibly ancient looking underwater pedestrian tunnels - one the Greenwhich Foot Tunnel and the other the similar Woolwich Foot Tunnel - both dark and dank inside.

TBC

Hmmmm...I thought you said that you went there to "mmet new friends" LOL

I had no idea such things existed.

The Greenwich Foot Tunnel was featured in the movie "28 Weeks Later" - the main characters managed to run through in pretty much record time, considering what was coming up behind them (don't want to mention what it was, as this might be a spoiler for those who haven't seen it, or the adverts for it - lets just say you'd have to run *REALLY* fast...)

Despite looking incredibly ancient, the Greenwich tunnel was finished in 1902 and the Woolwich tunnel was opened in 1912 - by London historical attraction standards, they're brand new!

Greenwich foot tunnel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Greenwich foot tunnel is a pedestrian tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Greenwich to the south with ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_foot_tunnel

Woolwich foot tunnel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe tunnel was constructed for London County Council and opened in 1912. In many respects it is very similar to the nearby Greenwich foot tunnel, ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolwich_foot_tunnel

Greenwich Guide - The Foot TunnelThe Greenwich Foot Tunnel runs under the River Thames between Cutty Sark Gardens and Island Gardens, on the Isle of Dogs. It is 1217 feet in length and ...
www.greenwich-guide.org.uk/tunnel.htm

Greenwich Council - Travel & transport - WalkingIf the lifts are not running, you can use the steps (about a hundred steps on each end of the tunnel). Interesting facts about the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. ...
http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwic...el/Walking.htm

Greenwich Council - Architecture - Greenwich Foot TunnelDesigned by Sir Alexander Binnie, the Greenwich Foot Tunnel opened in August 1902 so that south London residents could go to work in the docks on the Isle ...
www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/LeisureCulture

I went through the Greenwich Tunnel a couple of years ago. Here are some photos:
http://tinyurl.com/yusey8

I took a photo of a section that was reinforced after WWII.

"dark and dank" is a bit of a misnomer.

I use the Greenwich tunnel a couple of times a week. It's not spick and span, certainly, and distinctly eery when there's only another set of footsteps to be heard (before the person comes into view), but they do have lightbulbs, you know.

...and the people who man the lift can see you.
I know a bloke who rode his bike through the tunnel. They refused to let him in the lift.

sunny, I hope you found a better-cooked breakfast than that somewhere? Excellent photos.

Sunny16...really great pictures, especially theTube sign with Big Ben!

no not dark just dank though i don't remember the lighting being all that bright. The elevators themselves are time trips and as one post alludes to could be out of order. I've trekked down and up the circular stairs at times and it's quite a poke.

Try climbing those stairs carrying a bike.
There are notices telling you to wheel your bike, so I had no sympathy.

It would to me depend on whether the tunnel was crowded or not - if it were only the biker and no one else why not ride? safety yes but not to a ridiculous extreme.

The lift operator is lucky that the biker wasn't someone a bit nastier i believe.

The lift operator was only doing his job.

And it's much simpler all round to have an absolute rule against wheeled transport than a conditional one. After all, no-one might be in sight when someone starts cycling, but by the time they've got up speed they could be hurtling into a crowd of Fodorites feeling their way in the dark on the downward slope at the other side.

I bent down to tie my shoe halfway across the Greenwich foot tunnel, and left my A-Z Super Scale behind. If anyone sees it, let me know. This was in 1991.

I really don't know why they even keep this tunnel open after the DLR crossed the Thames, or tunneled under it, to a station by the tunnel exit in Greenwich.

Tourist site? costs upkeep and salaries on Nazi lift operator would seem to be hard to justify, plus lighting, CTV cameras, etc.

Plus it seems very few folks use it anytime i've taken it - mainly for the experience.

If you're at Greenwich, going through the tunnel is the only way you can get that rather grandiose view of the Naval College. Who'd want to faff about with the DLR?

Tunnel's not doing anyone any harm: hands off it.

no not doing any harm and i love these Victorian-style relics but it's doing asbolutley no good either - now being redundant by DLR - to catch the neat view of Naval Colleges hop DLR from the remains of the Cutty Sark to first stop - Island Gardens (?) and then amble over to the Thames for the view you get coming out of the tunnel (after you're out of the tunnel).

Of course if that tax money keeps trickling down from the Cotswolds i guess they can keep it open and i hope they do - i'm not paying for it though am i guess with VAT. Maybe they should charge a toll?

As far as i can see the tunnel is of absolutely no value now.

The tunnel may not be of any value to PalenQ, and no doubt the responsible authorities will give his views due consideration. But those of us who live here do use it and value it. By the time I've walked to the DLR station and caught the train round, I could just as easily have walked direct through the tunnel. And there's a substantial (and increasing) population (who live here and pay residential taxes) in the same position.

And if I were a lift operator, I might consider suing PalenQ for libel. I don't think he's quite got the hang of banter yet.

The last time I used the tunnel at Greenwich, the lift operator was a elderly gentleman of distinctly West Indian appearance and a Jamaican accent.

On the other hand, he did have a toothbrush moustache .....