Structure Name: Victoria Tunnel: Southern Section

Description:
 

The Victoria Tunnel was built as a subterranean wagonway to take coal from the former site of the Spital Tongues Colliery to Newcastle Quay (near the Glasshouse Bridge in Byker). The tunnel was cut through clay and is constructed using base courses of stone upon which an inverted brick arch was built. The loaded wagons descended the incline of the tunnel under their own weight and were drawn back to the colliery by a wire rope attached to a stationary engine.

During the Second World War the tunnel was converted for use as an air raid shelter with wooden benches and bunks installed, as well as chemical toilets, anti-blast baffles, lime washed walls and a number of new entrances.

At some point an 800 metre section of the tunnel (between Ellison Place and Queen Victoria Road) was converted into a sewer to replace the Pandon Sewer.

The tunnel is 2.4 kilometres in length with a maximum depth of 26 metres and drops approximately 67.5 metres from top to bottom. It remains largely intact.
 

Extant: Yes

Location: Byker, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE

Eastings: 426145m (view map)

Northings: 564405m (view map)

Position Accuracy: 500m

Positional Confidence: Absolute Certainty

Structure Types Identified: AIR RAID SHELTER, BLAST WALL, TRANSPORT TUNNEL, WAGONWAY

Chronology:

• 1839 - 1842   Tunnel built between the 27th of June 1839 and the 8th of January 1842.
      Entities Involved:
            Messrs. Porter and Latimer: Commissioned work.
• 1860   Due to financial difficulties the tunnel was closed in January 1860.
• 1939   At the beginning of the Second World War the tunnel was converted for use as an air raid shelter providing accommodation for 9000 people at a cost of £37000.
      Entities Involved:
            Newcastle City Council: Work commissioned by the City Engineer.
• 1945 - 1946   After the end of the Second World War most of the air raid shelter fittings were removed and all the entrances, bar Ouse Street, were bricked up.
• 1978   A portion of the tunnel, underlying the new metro line leading from Manors to Byker, reinforced with concrete.

References:

• Tyne and Wear SMR

The information displayed in this page has been derived from authoritative sources, including any referenced above. Although substantial efforts were made to verify this information, the SINE project cannot guarantee its correctness or completeness.

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