The Victoria Tunnel, named after the popular Queen Victoria, is a former 2.4 mile (3.9km) long subterranean wagonway that lies beneath Newcastle upon Tyne. The tunnel was constructed between 1839 and 1842 and was used for the transportation of coal from Leazes Main Colliery, which was located in Spital Tongues village, to riverside staithes. Once the coal was transported to the river it was loaded onto boats where it was later distributed to the coast. The colliery itself was opened in 1835, by the Porter & Latimer company, but problems soon arose since the coal had to be moved through the heart of Newcastle. This was an obvious inconvenience to the general public, but was also especially troublesome for the coal company because much of Newcastle still retained its medieval streets; particularly the cobbled roads and passageways. William E. Gilhespie, a local engineer, was therefore employed to find a solution to the problem.
Permission to build the tunnel was granted in 1838, and once work commenced in 1839 it was dug out in small sections. Although Gilhespie was in charge of the overall project, John Cherry, a lead miner from Yorkshire, took over responsibility for excavating, and David Nixon, a local builder with a business based in Prudhoe Street, was made responsible for all of the stone and brickwork. A further 200 workers were employed during the construction period; it is reported that all 200 workers were regaled with a substantial supper, the Albion Band and strong ale at the Unicorn Inn upon completion. Notwithstanding that, Gilhespie designed the arched tunnel to be consistent over its entire length, with it being 7ft 5in high and 6ft 3in wide; although the height was altered in various sections owing to a new floor which was laid in later years. This was just wide enough to accommodate custom-built chaldron wagons. Given that the tunnel was created with a gradual gradient, all of the loaded wagons were able to roll along a rail track towards the river. A stationary steam engine positioned back at the top of the tunnel hauled the empty wagons back again using an exceptionally long rope. It is estimated that the Victoria Tunnel reduced the cost of transporting coal significantly and the project has often been praised for its success.
Unfortunately, despite the success of the tunnel for the 18 years it operated, the colliery was forced to close in 1860 due to financial difficulties. Consequently, the tunnel was sealed at all of its entrances and, thereafter, the tunnel was abandoned and forgotten about.
Some years later, however, in 1939, Britain declared war on Germany and in response to King George’s speech – “I ask them [my people] to stand calm, firm and united in this time of trial. The task will be hard. There may be dark days ahead and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield…” – the citizens of Newcastle began to prepare in haste. It was the chief engineer of the city who made the decision to convert the Victoria Tunnel into a communal air raid shelter for 9000 people. Plans were drawn to develop the former subterranean wagonway at an estimated cost of £37,000. Work began with cleaning out the coal dust and whitewashing certain areas. A number of concrete blast walls were then added to prevent bomb debris exploding through the shelter. In addition, a substantial number of benches were fitted, along with over 500 bunk beds; both were installed along the walls. Since there was little room to construct toilet cubicles, several chemical toilets were positioned near the entrances. These were enclosed by canvas curtains. Seven entrances were also constructed and while it was possible to walk straight into the one located at Ouse Street, the others were accessed at other points which looked very much like subway entrances; these involved walking down a steep ramp into the shelter.
Although the Victoria Tunnel air raid shelter was successfully converted, it remained unpopular among many residents of Newcastle because it was dark, damp and uncomfortable. Many people were afraid to use it when the sirens were sounded. All in all, however, it is likely that the communal shelter did in fact save many lives throughout the war since Newcastle was heavily bombed on account of the shipyards and armament factories positioned there.
After the war, all of the entrances were once again sealed, with the exception of the one located at Ouse Street which was built inside a garden situated on private land. Inside though, in the rest of the tunnel, most of the fittings (i.e. the benches, bunk beds, chemical toilets and lights) were removed. Guided tours are now available to the general public, however, this is only because the tunnel was left open at number 14, Ouse Street; if this one had been sealed along with the others, it is unlikely that the tunnel would have been reopened at all. To date only 766 yards (700 metres) of the tunnel are open as part of The Victoria Tunnel Education Project. The remaining sections are considered unsafe and require further extensive evaluations and, no doubt, many essential structural repairs.
The Victoria Tunnel has been on our ‘to do’ list since we even knew that ‘urban exploration’ was considered to be socially acceptable pursuit (among certain people anyway). Since then, it has taken many hours of research to locate the tunnel entrances, and even longer to figure out how we could sneak inside. Props to Ford Mayhem for putting in far more effort than the rest of us. Needless to say, as you’re now staring at the report, it’s probably quite obvious that we’ve finally managed it!
Like it often does in the North East, it was raining when we arrived, and knowing that the tunnel is damaged and prone to flooding in certain sections, we were a little concerned about the depth of the water inside: this section of tunnel is not the museum or publically accessible and, although we are aware that people have been in before, it isn’t accessed or repaired very often, if at all. Nevertheless, we cracked on and figured we’d do it anyway. So, after skipping a few details, to avoid telling the world how to get inside, we were in! Almost instantly a blast of stale air stung our nostrils, but it seemed breathable enough; hence we carried on, following the damp ramp down into the depths of Newcastle. At the bottom of the ramp we had two options, left or right. Inevitably, we went down both passageways, to see what lurked in each of them.
Ultimately, the tunnel is sealed at both ends, but the open section we found ourselves in was very long indeed. Much further down, we were quite certain that part of it passes under an important road, or perhaps buildings, since it has been heavily reinforced with a metal pipeline. The brickwork down at this end has, after all, shifted considerably. For some reason or another, though, it appears that there is sewage at this end of the tunnel, and the smell and overall quality of the oxygen is pretty dire. As for the rest of the former wagonway and shelter, it is sewage-free, but most of it is, as mentioned above, entirely stripped of its original fittings. There are, however, a number of interesting features which can be found, these include: old signage on the walls, the concrete blast walls, old staircases and ramps which lead to the surface and, of course, the fantastic Victorian brickwork. All in all I’d say the Victoria Tunnel met our expectations and it was certainly worth the time and effort it took to get inside.
Explored with Ford Mayhem.
1: The Ramp Leading Inside
2: Victoria Tunnel - First Glimpse
3: Gents Lavatory Signage
4: Blocked End Down the Left Passage
5: Heading Towards the First Blast Wall
6: Old Seating Frames
7: Moving Deeper Underground
8: And so it Continues...
9: Almost at Another Entrance Ramp
10: Another Entrance Ramp - Looking Down into the Shelter (Ramps to the Left)
11: One of the Old Entrances
12: Looking Down the Actual Ramp
13: Taking a Break Inside a Larger (Albeit Flooded) Chamber
14: Onwards - Even Further into the Tunnel
15: The Beginning of the Metal Section
16: Feels Like Being Inside the Death Star
17: Slime and Grime
18: An Opening From the Metal Pipe
19: Concrete Entrance (Locked)
20: Another Former Entrance to the Shelter
21: Bricked up at the Top
22: The Twin Staircase
23: Back Inside the Pipe
24: Experimenting with Some Light
25: Feeling Hot
26: Run!
27: Gents: That Way
28: One Leftover Wheel
29: One Final Bit of Ramp Action
Permission to build the tunnel was granted in 1838, and once work commenced in 1839 it was dug out in small sections. Although Gilhespie was in charge of the overall project, John Cherry, a lead miner from Yorkshire, took over responsibility for excavating, and David Nixon, a local builder with a business based in Prudhoe Street, was made responsible for all of the stone and brickwork. A further 200 workers were employed during the construction period; it is reported that all 200 workers were regaled with a substantial supper, the Albion Band and strong ale at the Unicorn Inn upon completion. Notwithstanding that, Gilhespie designed the arched tunnel to be consistent over its entire length, with it being 7ft 5in high and 6ft 3in wide; although the height was altered in various sections owing to a new floor which was laid in later years. This was just wide enough to accommodate custom-built chaldron wagons. Given that the tunnel was created with a gradual gradient, all of the loaded wagons were able to roll along a rail track towards the river. A stationary steam engine positioned back at the top of the tunnel hauled the empty wagons back again using an exceptionally long rope. It is estimated that the Victoria Tunnel reduced the cost of transporting coal significantly and the project has often been praised for its success.
Unfortunately, despite the success of the tunnel for the 18 years it operated, the colliery was forced to close in 1860 due to financial difficulties. Consequently, the tunnel was sealed at all of its entrances and, thereafter, the tunnel was abandoned and forgotten about.
Some years later, however, in 1939, Britain declared war on Germany and in response to King George’s speech – “I ask them [my people] to stand calm, firm and united in this time of trial. The task will be hard. There may be dark days ahead and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield…” – the citizens of Newcastle began to prepare in haste. It was the chief engineer of the city who made the decision to convert the Victoria Tunnel into a communal air raid shelter for 9000 people. Plans were drawn to develop the former subterranean wagonway at an estimated cost of £37,000. Work began with cleaning out the coal dust and whitewashing certain areas. A number of concrete blast walls were then added to prevent bomb debris exploding through the shelter. In addition, a substantial number of benches were fitted, along with over 500 bunk beds; both were installed along the walls. Since there was little room to construct toilet cubicles, several chemical toilets were positioned near the entrances. These were enclosed by canvas curtains. Seven entrances were also constructed and while it was possible to walk straight into the one located at Ouse Street, the others were accessed at other points which looked very much like subway entrances; these involved walking down a steep ramp into the shelter.
Although the Victoria Tunnel air raid shelter was successfully converted, it remained unpopular among many residents of Newcastle because it was dark, damp and uncomfortable. Many people were afraid to use it when the sirens were sounded. All in all, however, it is likely that the communal shelter did in fact save many lives throughout the war since Newcastle was heavily bombed on account of the shipyards and armament factories positioned there.
After the war, all of the entrances were once again sealed, with the exception of the one located at Ouse Street which was built inside a garden situated on private land. Inside though, in the rest of the tunnel, most of the fittings (i.e. the benches, bunk beds, chemical toilets and lights) were removed. Guided tours are now available to the general public, however, this is only because the tunnel was left open at number 14, Ouse Street; if this one had been sealed along with the others, it is unlikely that the tunnel would have been reopened at all. To date only 766 yards (700 metres) of the tunnel are open as part of The Victoria Tunnel Education Project. The remaining sections are considered unsafe and require further extensive evaluations and, no doubt, many essential structural repairs.
The Victoria Tunnel has been on our ‘to do’ list since we even knew that ‘urban exploration’ was considered to be socially acceptable pursuit (among certain people anyway). Since then, it has taken many hours of research to locate the tunnel entrances, and even longer to figure out how we could sneak inside. Props to Ford Mayhem for putting in far more effort than the rest of us. Needless to say, as you’re now staring at the report, it’s probably quite obvious that we’ve finally managed it!
Like it often does in the North East, it was raining when we arrived, and knowing that the tunnel is damaged and prone to flooding in certain sections, we were a little concerned about the depth of the water inside: this section of tunnel is not the museum or publically accessible and, although we are aware that people have been in before, it isn’t accessed or repaired very often, if at all. Nevertheless, we cracked on and figured we’d do it anyway. So, after skipping a few details, to avoid telling the world how to get inside, we were in! Almost instantly a blast of stale air stung our nostrils, but it seemed breathable enough; hence we carried on, following the damp ramp down into the depths of Newcastle. At the bottom of the ramp we had two options, left or right. Inevitably, we went down both passageways, to see what lurked in each of them.
Ultimately, the tunnel is sealed at both ends, but the open section we found ourselves in was very long indeed. Much further down, we were quite certain that part of it passes under an important road, or perhaps buildings, since it has been heavily reinforced with a metal pipeline. The brickwork down at this end has, after all, shifted considerably. For some reason or another, though, it appears that there is sewage at this end of the tunnel, and the smell and overall quality of the oxygen is pretty dire. As for the rest of the former wagonway and shelter, it is sewage-free, but most of it is, as mentioned above, entirely stripped of its original fittings. There are, however, a number of interesting features which can be found, these include: old signage on the walls, the concrete blast walls, old staircases and ramps which lead to the surface and, of course, the fantastic Victorian brickwork. All in all I’d say the Victoria Tunnel met our expectations and it was certainly worth the time and effort it took to get inside.
Explored with Ford Mayhem.
1: The Ramp Leading Inside
2: Victoria Tunnel - First Glimpse
3: Gents Lavatory Signage
4: Blocked End Down the Left Passage
5: Heading Towards the First Blast Wall
6: Old Seating Frames
7: Moving Deeper Underground
8: And so it Continues...
9: Almost at Another Entrance Ramp
10: Another Entrance Ramp - Looking Down into the Shelter (Ramps to the Left)
11: One of the Old Entrances
12: Looking Down the Actual Ramp
13: Taking a Break Inside a Larger (Albeit Flooded) Chamber
14: Onwards - Even Further into the Tunnel
15: The Beginning of the Metal Section
16: Feels Like Being Inside the Death Star
17: Slime and Grime
18: An Opening From the Metal Pipe
19: Concrete Entrance (Locked)
20: Another Former Entrance to the Shelter
21: Bricked up at the Top
22: The Twin Staircase
23: Back Inside the Pipe
24: Experimenting with Some Light
25: Feeling Hot
26: Run!
27: Gents: That Way
28: One Leftover Wheel
29: One Final Bit of Ramp Action
