Across the UK, there are several underground tunnels connecting cities that are now blocked or built on. Like an underground city, these tunnels are filled with history that dates back hundreds of years but remains an integral part of the city’s identity today.
Newcastle
In Newcastle, the most famous underground tunnel is the Victoria Tunnel, a preserved 19th-century wagonway which runs beneath the city from the Town Moor to the River Tyne. Originally built to transport coal from Spital Tongues Colliery to the river and in operation from 1842 until the 1860s, the two and a quarter mile tunnel took 200 men two years and ten months to construct and complete. The colliery was closed when the coal was deemed inferior to other products, but during the Second World War, it reopened and was converted into an air-raid shelter and the remnants of public signs and seating can still be seen today. After the war, the tunnel was closed again before opening in 2008 as a tourist attraction, which continues to the day.
Lucion carried out an annual survey of the tunnel to monitor it for movement.
York
Rumours and urban myths suggest that there are multiple roads and tunnels beneath the city of York that are not counted for. One known tunnel is Common Hall Lane, originally built over a medieval road which is believed to have been laid over an original Roman route. Located beneath York Guildhall, this underground city is open only for special tours to showcase historic England in a unique way.
Aside from Common Hall Lane, there are several other Roman roads that were built upon and forgotten about. One of the most famous tunnels was discovered by an apprentice beneath the Treasurer’s House and other secret passages of underground networks include escape route for nuns from the Bar Convent which is thought to have been built when anti-Catholic sentiment was rife. At the time, nuns feared government raids and the bar was built with eight exits so that anyone inside could escape without being spotted.
Leeds
There is a lot of speculation as to what the underground city of Leeds looks like. Rumours, and even some evidence, suggest that there is an underground network of air raid shelters, nuclear bunkers and abandoned subway systems. Below the famous Queen’s Hotel on City Square, there is reportedly a network of abandoned interconnecting tunnels, rumoured to be storage areas containing historic paintings and chandeliers and stone chambers. There are also some passageways beneath Leeds railway station, with others leading towards City Square and the banks of the River Aire. The Merrion Centre is also said to be home to an abandoned subway system which started as many underpasses built to give shoppers access to the centre without having to cross a busy road. These tunnel entrances can be spotted on the north-west side of the centre from Woodhouse Lane, at the back of Morrisons.
Manchester
In Manchester, there were once plans to create an underground tube system like the London Underground. Building of the structures and tunnels began beneath the Arndale Centre before the plans were scrapped. There are also tunnels that were developed during the Victorian period when there was a surge of underground projects throughout the city, like the Victoria Arches, located in the embankment of the River Irwell. There is also evidence of underground river and canal tunnels, including the Manchester and Salford Junction Canal Tunnel which connects the Rochdale Canal and the River Irwell. There have been tours of the tunnels in the past, some of which closed for health and safety reasons, but tours have started again, and tourists are able to explore these tunnels today.
Before building structures and working on land projects, it is important to consider and understand what lies underground at any construction site. At Lucion, our specialist surveyors have extensive experience in underground utility surveys and utility mapping surveys. Contact us to discuss your project in further detail.
