Being a local means I’ve sometimes taken my beloved Newcastle for granted. Dating Raf meant I saw the Toon through a new set of eyes, and it made me want to explore and find out more. One feature I’d only recently found out about is the Victoria Tunnel, which is located in the Ouseburn Valley area of the city. Raf lived across the road from the entrance for two years and was unaware of its existence, so I didn’t feel too ashamed!








The second part of our journey focused on the beginnings of the tunnel, which took 3 years and 200 men to build. The story of the Arkless Brothers was particularly interesting, especially as it featured the only fatality in the tunnel’s history. Yet again, I won’t spoil this for you! We were shown what appears to be an honour scroll on the wall, but the guides said they had no firm evidence of what it was in relation to. Other interesting tales we were told were about how the Toffee Factory came to have its unusual moniker, and the sad tale of the little girl who went searching for shrapnel.
After nearly two hours it was fabulous to see the sunshine and breathe fresh air again. The stories and anecdotes shared were great, and it gave us an appreciation for the standard of life we now have in Newcastle. Times were tough, but there was a definite sense of community. We Geordies are made of tough stuff! I don’t think I could have used the toilets in the tunnel however, which are pictured below. I pity the wardens who used to empty those every day.
Our trip cost us £15 for the three of us, which I think is the best money I’ve spent on a trip in recent history. All of us were utterly engaged and fascinated the whole time we were in the tunnel. The guides, who are volunteers, were stars. I think it’s a crying shame locals may not be aware of this rich subterranean history, and I’d highly recommend it. I also think it is a great visitor attraction, and one we should champion. Book now!



Thanks for reading,
Pip x
I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I arrived in Newcastle yet I don’t really know anyone that’s done it, as you said I think a lot of people don’t realise it exists! Thanks for the reminder, I need to bump this up my list!
It’s definitely worth doing! Made me fascinated in local history & we’re now booked in for more events 🙂
I knew about the tunnel but was not aware it was actually open to visitors. Definitely going to have to go and visit, thanks for the reminder
I’ve still not been down the tunnel despite living 10 minutes walk from it and one of my clients does the tours, the tour just never seems to have availability at the times I want to go. I will definitely do it this summer though, i’m sure Looby would love it.
That was our problem too, but persevered. We booked 6 weeks in advance to get a Saturday morning. Sometimes people don’t show up, but not sure how that works.
I’ve been meaning to do this at some point too. I might have to wait until my little boy who has just started toddling calms down a bit though. A great post to remind everyone about this.
There was a young child with our group, but I’d say the amount of walking and confined space may not be great. Thanks for your comment 🙂
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