Underground Christmas

London’s Brunel Museum is organising guided descents of the Grand Entrance Hall of the Thames Tunnel on Sunday 15th and 22nd December at 12.00,13.00, 14.00, 15.00. Tickets cost £6, including admission to the Museum and can be bought on the day.

The Tunnel designed by Brunel, opened in 1843 and was home to the world’s first underwater shopping arcade, banquets and a fairground until trains began to use it in 1869. The Grand Entrance Hall recently opened to the public for the first time in 150 years, and the Museum is offering celebrity story cards for Christmas.

Transport for London and engineers Balfour Beatty Carillion have created a dramatic underground amphitheatre above the East London Railway. In the original Brunel shaft, perched above the railway lines, is a huge chamber over half the size of Shakespeare’s Globe. Work is now under way to convert the space into a new gallery and spectacular subterranean theatre.

If you like a good story, if you want to view Brunel’s First Project, meet at the Museum from 12.00 to 15.00. Your guide will tell you about the underwater banquet, the underwater fairground, and the other parties and revels under the Thames before the trains came. No booking necessary – just turn up and hold your breath!