Walking beneath the waters of the River Thames

IT IS NOT NECESSARY to be able to hold your breath for a long time or to carry a snorkel or even air cylinders to be able to stroll leisurely deep below the surface of London’s River Thames. If you fancy a walk beneath the water, the Greenwich Foot Tunnel is the place to be. It can be entered by stairs or using a wood panel-lined lift from one of its two entrances – the southern one near the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, and the northern one at Island Gardens.

The tunnel, which is circular in cross-section, is 405 yards in length, and 50 feet beneath the river at its deepest point. For most of its length it is 3 yards (9 feet) in diameter, and it slopes downwards at both ends. Its construction began in 1899 and was completed in 1902. Therefore, building the tunnel happened during the entire time that the 2nd Anglo-Boer War was being fought in South Africa. The lifts that are housed beneath domed structures at each end of the tunnel were ready for use in 1904. Judging by the appearance of the wood panelling within the lift carriages, it looks as if these were installed many years ago. Despite their vintage appearance the lifts have been modernised and work without needing an operator.

Although there many notices forbidding cycling in the tunnel, there is no shortage of cyclists disobeying this rule. This makes walking in the tunnel slightly hazardous as the cyclists speed along the narrow walkway in the long, straight tunnel. Using the tunnel is a convenient way of traversing the Thames and gives one the opportunity to walk under water.