14. Greenwich Foot Tunnel Information & History
Designed by civil engineer Sir Alexander Binnie for London County Council, and opened on 4 August 1902. The tunnel replaced an expensive and sometimes unreliable ferry service, and was intended to allow workers living on the south side of the Thames to reach their workplaces in the London docks and shipyards then situated in or near the Isle of Dogs. The cast-iron tunnel itself is 370.2m (1,217ft) long and 15.2m (50ft) deep and has an internal diameter of about 9 feet (2.7m). Its cast-iron rings are lined with concrete which has been surfaced with some 200,000 white glazed tiles. The northern end was damaged by bombs during World War II and the repairs included a thick steel and concrete inner lining that reduces the diameter substantially for a short distance. The tunnel is classed as a public highway and therefore by law is kept open 24 hours a day. However, the attendant-operated lift service has work hours. More at wikipedia | Also read greenwich.gov.uk >
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