The 'Eighth wonder of the world' and the legacy of the Brunels
Date: Tuesday 1 February 2011
Time: 18:30 - 19:30
Location: Cubic Theatre
The epic tale of the construction of the Thames Tunnel, which links Rotherhithe to Wapping, will be told by Robert Hulse, Director of The Brunel Museum.
Built between 1825 and 1843, and now part of the new London Overground line, but the tunnel was originally designed for cargo. The Thames Tunnel is considered the crowning achievement of 19th century engineering pioneer Sir Marc Brunel and it is the first project of his famous son Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his father Sir Marc Brunel. It was the first tunnel in the world to be constructed under a navigable river using Brunel's innovative tunnel shield. Acclaimed as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', huge crowds flocked to see this engineering marvel of the age. Nearly 50,000 people visited the tunnel on its opening day in March 1843 and side shows and entertainment included Ethiopian singers, Indian dancers, clowns, magicians and Mr Green, the 'celebrated bottle pantomimic equilibrist'. Souvenir and refreshment stalls lined the archways and were lit by gas lamps. Within a few years the tunnel became the seedy haunt of beggars, pickpockets and prostitutes. The talk will cover the tunnel's whole history from its construction phases in early Victorian times, - when working conditions were lethal, to the modern day use of the tunnel as part of the reborn East London Railway.