Greenwich foot tunnel

The Greenwich foot tunnel runs beneath the River Thames in East London. Its southern entrance stands beside the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, while the northern entrance opens in Island Gardens park at the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs. About four thousand people pass through the tunnel each day since it opened in 1902. The tunnel was designed by Sir Alexander Binnie for the London County Council and built by John Cochrane & Co. It replaced an unreliable ferry service so workers from south of the Thames could reach docks and shipyards on the Isle of Dogs. The cast-iron tube is 370 metres long and 15 metres deep, with an inner diameter of about 2.7 metres. Bomb damage in the Second World War led to repairs that added a steel and concrete lining. The northern staircase has 87 steps and the southern one has 100. Visitors enter near the clipper ship Cutty Sark on the south bank and emerge in Island Gardens park on the north bank. From the northern exit there are views across the river to the Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory. The tunnel forms part of the Thames Path national trail and also links to National Cycle Route 1. Cyclists must dismount and push their bikes through the shared space.