THAMES TUNNEL REOPENS AFTER 145 YEARS BEFORE IT CLOSES FOREVER

THANKS TO FUNDING FROM RENAISSANCE LONDON, VISITORS TO ROTHERHITHE HAVE A FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE VICTORIAN AGE BEFORE IT CLOSES FOREVER. ONE OF MARC AND ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL'S ENGINEERING TRIUMPHS, CONTEMPORARIES OF THE AGE CALLED IT THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD. THE THAMES TUNNEL HAS BEEN CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR 145 YEARS AND WILL NOW REOPEN AS THE IMPRESSIVE FINALE OF LONDON'S EAST FESTIVAL. TOURS THROUGH THE TUNNEL, FROM ROTHERHITHE TO WAPPING AND THEN BACK AGAIN, WILL GIVE WALKERS THE CHANCE TO MARVEL AT THE ASTONISHING ACHIEVEMENT, INCLUDING THE GRAND ENTRANCE HALL. THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE TUNNEL WAS BUILT ABOVE WATER AND THEN SUBMERGED BELOW GROUND UNDER ITS ON WEIGHT. THE SPACE IS HALF THE SIZE OF THE GLOBE THEATER AND WAS A PLACE FOR ACTORS AND PERFORMERS TO ENTERTAIN THE THRONGING CROWDS. THE 1867 ARCH AT THE ROTHERHITHE ENTRANCE TO THE TUNNEL IS ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TOUR. TO MARK THE INCREDIBLE OCCASION AND THE BRUNELS' REMARKABLE FEAT, THE BRUNEL MUSEUM IN ROTHERHITHE WILL HOST A RECREATION OF A FANCY FAIR, ORIGINALLY HELD IN THE BOWELS OF THE TUNNEL DEEP BENEATH THE THAMES IN 1852. AUDIENCES WILL ENCOUNTER STRANGE AND WONDERFUL VICTORIAN CHARACTERS, HEAR STRAINS OF THE 1840 COMMISSIONED THAMES TUNNEL WALTZ, ENJOY HISTORIC FOOD AND DRINK AND SHOP AT STALLS PROMISING 'MULTIFARIOUS TRUMERY, CHEROOT, SPINNING TOPS AND OTHER PARAPHERNALIA'.

OPENED IN 1852, THE TUNNEL GRIPPED THE NATION'S IMAGINATION, NOTHING HAD BEEN SEEN LIKE IT BEFORE AND IT CREATED AN ATMOSPHERE OF EXCITEMENT, WONDER AND JOY, IT WAS THE FIRST OF AN UNDERGROUND NETWORK THAT TRANSFORMED THE LIFE OF LONDON. ILLUMINATED BY A STRING OF LIGHTS RUNNING ITS 1,300 FOOT LENGTH, BY THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK OF ITS OPENING OVER HALF THE POPULATION OF LONDON HAD PAID TO WALK 'THE SHINING AVENUE OF LIGHT OF WAPPING'. THE TUNNEL SOON TOOK ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN WITH A SHOPPING ARCADE, THEATER AND A REPUTATION FOR THE BAWDY CARNIVALESQUE SIDESHOWS AND ENTERTAINMENTS THE VICTORIANS HAVE BECOME KNOWN FOR. THE TUNNEL WAS EVEN GRACED WITH A VISIT FROM QUEEN VICTORIA AND PRINCE ALBERT WITH LORD BYRON IN TOW. IT IS CLASSIFIED AS AN INTERNATIONAL LANDMARK SITE, ONE OF SIX IN THE UK.