Key Words :- road tunnel

Address :- Tunnel Avenue, London, Greater London, SE10
Grid Ref :- TQ 38417 80790
Co-ordinates :- Lat 51.509093 , Long -0.006848
Local Authority :- Greenwich London Borough Council
Pre 1974 County :- London
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II
Historic England List No - 1212100, 1065070, 1246736, 1246738,
Site Condition :- Operational site, in use for original purpose
Site Dates :- 1897 -

Description and History of Site:-
SELIA (1982): 'Plans for the Blackwall Tunnel were prepared for the Metropolitan Board of Works by Sir Joseph Bazalgette but the structure was not completed until 1897 and then by the L.C.C. engineer, Sir A. Binnie. The builder was S. Pearson & Sons. This first road tunnel under the Thames was bored to an external diameter of 27ft. using a Greathead shield and compressed air. The tunnel is 3,116ft. long, the underwater section being 1,221ft. When the tunnel was duplicated in 1967, the gatehouse at the southern entrance - a pleasant sandstone building with Art Nouveau detail - was retained.'

Further Reading and References:-
Ashdown, John; Bussell, Michael; Carter, Paul. 'A Survey of Industrial Monuments of Greater London'. Thames Basin Archaeological Observers' Group, 1969
Falconer, Keith. 'Guide to England's Industrial Heritage'. Batsford, 1980
Goldsmiths College Industrial Archaeology Group. 'The Industrial Archaeology of South-East London'. SELIA, 1982
Smith, Denis. 'London and the Thames Valley'. Institution of Civil Engineers, 2001

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Contributor :- GLIAS Database - 2 June 2018
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