Jeremy Clarkson: "Now, this one hundred year-old piece of British engineering has been described interchangeably as the most dangerous and most boring road... _in the world!"_ "Oh Christ, there are bloody cyclists."
not just smelly but vehicle emissions are toxic they put metal particles into all your body including your brain and can cause all kinds of diseases like cancer, dementia, asthma.
Well, I guess pedestrians would certainly not dare to enter unless it's the hospital they have in mind! I'm quite a lucky pedestrian not to have ended up injured after being almost biked at a pedestrian subway. In any case, this is London not The Netherlands - you can always go there if you are so into bikes!
I find it hilarious that they think they can tell exhaust fumes not to loiter. Like, they're fumes, guys, they can't understand you. (I am joking, of course. I feel the need to point this out because there are people stupid enough to say something like this while being completely serious.)
Used to drive through there decades ago and that was bad enough, especially when the traffic was heavy. Even with windows up, a lot of the toxic fumes still got into the car. Walking through?? INSANE!
Don't ask me. Commercial jets don't use leaded fuel, and haven't for at least a decade. In small, pleasure aircraft, leaded fuel was still available until a couple of years ago.
Once in the 50s dad took us for a "day out" to walk through the tunnel, I remember it was very noisy and frightening as trucks were allowed through there
Yes they were and when I was young and stupid back in the '60's I took an eight wheeler through, even though the width limit was 7' 6" That was a tight squeeze.
They wash it every few months I believe. Monday nights are closed for maintenance/ cleaning. I go in occasionally on a Monday night to perform structural monitoring.
Wouldn't say it is proper english more like parrots english. Never heard nice, clear, slow and understanding english like Canadians or Americans speak. Clear straight to the point.
These are the best transport related videos because the presenter doesn't feel the need to show his face all the time and instead shows us what the video is actually about
I once had the displeasure to ride a Honda c90 through the tunnel in rush hour traffic came out with a headache!! Tho I suppose its safer than walking the thames tunnel!
I walked this once a few years ago as it's the only way to get across the river for free without walking all the way to Tower Bridge or Cutty Sark. London has a long way to go to make the city safe for pedestrians.
London and safety? Do you think theyre scandinavians or from Holland? Safety is a silly idea in Britain (jk I actually loved london as a German Tourist)
@@wonderchiken9883 we are boring people leading boring lives. Our pass time activities includes complaining about weather in summer and getting surprised how dark it is in winters.
@@Vaitria Speak for yourself pet. I’m an international man of mystery by day and the reincarnation of Casanova by night. I eat mystery and crap adventure. If my life gets any more exciting I’ll die of tachycardia. And it’s all happening in Gloucestershire! The global epicentre of intrigue and wonderment.
I have driven through it a number of times and would agree. It's hardly ever been by choice and has usually been because Blackwall Tunnel was closed. I'm shocked that people are allowed to walk through Rotherhithe though, I had no idea but I have no intention of doing it. The Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels seem a much better option.
Greebo It is very tight. I’m surprised there are so few accidents considering general driving competence these days. Been a few years since I drove through there.
@@bendingspring Actually, in general tight roads are safer than wide roads, if you feel apprehensive about something, you are probably slowing down more, paying more attention and being cautious, most accidents are caused by people not paying attention or being overconfident and taking chances like speeding, in a tight space, fewer people will feel so confident, you will naturally pay more attention and you won't have the opportunity to overtake so everyone moves at the pace of the most cautious road user which at very least, in the case of the most foolish inattentive driver, slows the speed of an impact and gives them more reaction time to avoid one, big sprawling American roads have more fatal accidents than our comparatively narrower roads because drivers feel safer and go faster! Being a pedestrian in there, wedged onto a narrow pavement between a wall and oncoming traffic would be terrifying, but for driving, you probably get proportionately less and more minor accidents!
@@Dragon.7722 they never said it wasn't possible, just that london haven't bothered to do it. Although fans the size of turbines would create alot of shaking, which would almost definitely collapse the tunnel considering when it was built
Exhaust fumes do not loiter... It seems to me like the exhaust fumes were very much loitering. I hope those fumes were held accountable. The wonder of punctuation and the lack of context when reading text without tone or inflection. I always think "what if I'm not into men" when I see someone post "thumbs up guys" in a live chat.
One of the ventilation shafts was in The King George V1 gardens - known as Shadwell park, think that is it in the video as the Thames ran past it. As a small child explorer the shaft was intriguing & noisy with a circular staircase. A few of us braved it down there clinging to the outer edge of the of twisted stairwell as we descended so many steps - studiously avoiding the caged rotary blades curious to discover what was at the end of the stairs & to the mystery of this open building in the park. We never saw it being used by anybody - after taken the final step we found ourselves in a tunnel with cars driving through it. We looked both ways uncertain which way to go & decided to walk left on the path - fortunately for us it brought back to into our old familiar stomping grounds & home. Dread to think what the outcome would have been if we had taken a right turn. Less traffic & pollution in those times. I think the Shadwell childrens park & gardens are gone. Thank you for posting this clip - as I do not know anyone else who used the Shadwell ventilation staircase & accessed the Rotherhithe tunnel.
Driven through it many times, I always hated it, aggressive drivers too when you try and keep to the 20 mile an hour speed limit. Thank you for taking the trouble to boldly go where so many lacked the courage and the tenacity to go before.
"There are twenty pedestrians a day. What are the chances??" Well assuming that those twenty people mostly use the tunnel between, say, 5 am and 1 am, that's about one person an hour, so the chances you'd encounter another person in any given hour are quite high.
@@legoshane121 True. I don't know how long it takes, but it would seem to be at least 20 minutes or so. The probability of your trip through the tunnel happening to land within one of twenty such twenty-minute windows during normal waking hours is high indeed, I would say.
What shocked me was just how many drivers that were clearly driving in the roadway in the distance were pulling over the line into the pedestrian area as they got closer. Almost like they were really trying hard to make walking the tunnel even more dangerous.
Probably to avoid the cars crossing over into their lane from the opposite direction, I have to avoid people with their entire tyre in 'my' lane sometimes.
In the old days a tile fell off the interior and damaged a vehicle. Then every single tile had to be tapped over night closures to check for looseness. There were millions of them. They got fed up doing this and decided to render the Tunnel Lining interior wall to eliminate the problem.
Pretty much. A couple of weeks ago I actually did need to get across the river at Rotherhithe, looked at the signs for the tunnel and thought, “Maybe I don’t need to get across THAT badly...”
I've done it twice, though it was a long time ago when I was young and living in the East End. The second time, it was the wee wee hours after I'd been to a party in Rotherhithe with my brother and a friend, and when we got to the entrance it was closed, for de-fuming I think, but there was enough of a gap to get through. That time was far less unpleasant though you could still smell the pollution. Of course we were too inebriated to worry about whether the gates were closed at the other end. We managed to push them enough to make a gap to get out, before continuing our walk (stagger?) to Bethnal Green!
Those tiled walls need a serious power washing. Also, you'd probably need to wear a respirator down there otherwise your lungs would be covered in as much soot as the tunnel. Nice video though, pretty brave to walk through I must say.
Used to be cleaned twice a week, nowadays its once. The roadways like the Blackwall Original were Kinked to stop the horses bolting if they saw light, You also need to check the special double deck buses used on the Rotherhithe and Blackwall (less modified) routes in the 1930s (www.countrybus.org/NS/NS.htm . www.countrybus.org/STL/STL06b.htm www.countrybus.org/STL/STL11.htm
I tried to wipe off the "soot" from the white tiles recently - none came off. This suggests to me that the tiles are actually pretty clean and that colouring is more staining over tens of years.
@@highpath4776 "The roadways like the Blackwall Original were Kinked to stop the horses bolting if they saw light, " that factoid is literally debunked in this video
I cycle through there pretty often and it's OK. You get the odd slightly smelly vehicle (as often as not a motorbike or scooter) but modern emission controls have made a big difference. I would have been much less keen to cycle or walk it 40 years ago, when I started biking in London.
@@steezydan8543 not by much. It's only like standing on your toes ( or are you a penny farthing rider?🙂). 3-5 inches more, less a bit caused by leaning forward to reach the bars.
@@steezydan8543 I just measured myself on the bike and standing. Reaching for the handlebars , my nostril to ground height was 2cm, maybe 3cm lower on the bike. Not easy to do it accurately one handed .Fortunately nobody saw me doing it.🙂 But at least the cyclist wouldn't be exposed to the times for as long.
Not that it even actually matters at this level, but that also isn't true, oxygen is not one of the lightest components of air. When you go up in elevation, is there more oxygen, or less?
@@sauercrowder Oxygen has a molecular weight of 32, while nitrogen's is 28. It's not a big enough difference to cause a significant difference in the composition of air with altitude. By far the biggest difference is that, as you get higher, there is simply less air, by about 1% per 100m IIRC.
I cycled through the tunnel in the 1980s, before the big upgrade in the ventilators 20 years ago. I the centre of the tunnel the exhaust fumes just sat there, making the bend in the distance just a grey haze. Its a pity so many of the white tiles have been removed, mainly off the southern end. The reflections off them make it brighter and more pleasant i feel
I cycled through it a few years ago, I kept the cycle on the pavement the whole way. One advantage of cycling not walking is you get a lower dose of carbon monoxide.
I foolishly went through it in 1990 at rush hour,having ridden up the A2 from Whitsstable overnight on a bike. I kept pace with the traffic until just past the middle then found I could hardly breathe and white van man was up my arse. I just had to pump my legs like fury and hope for the best. I felt sick for a few minutes afterwards. There was a sign forbidding cycles, but I thought that was just for the other people. You live and learn.
I don't know how you did it, but you made "taking a boring walk through a boring tunnel" far more entertaining than it should have been :) Great job, sir!
Thanks muchly for that. When a Queen Mary College student in the 1970's, I would often ride my Honda CM200 motorbike through this tunnel - it was a 60 mph speed limit in those days and far less busy. Great fun!
"Very inadvisable" is the Monty Python way of saying "It's a f..ing stupid idea" 😉😁 The beauty of London is that it's such an old city with so much history and so many nooks and crannies, places most people (tourists and non city dwellers) will never visit. In most metropoles the old parts are demolished and build over, but in London you still can find the old historic places(or what's left of it).
I’m sure they used to wash those tiles occasionally when I were a lad. I’ve always wondered where the Blackwall Tunnel got its name from. I cycled through it one day before it was closed to cyclists. I freewheeled down into the tunnel without braking. It was the fastest I’d ever travelled on my bike, which began vibrating/shaking violently. I was terrified.
After walking through, I'm sure a blood test for carbon monoxide would send you straight to the hospital. I wouldn't even want to drive through that tunnel. The travel lanes are so narrow! It fails many health and safety standards and requires an alternative.
now i know that i can ride my bike through im gonna do that because its pretty convenient for a place i go a lot. i dont think the fumes will affect me much ive noticed they dont under different circumstances. plus im pretty sure in a few hours the body will sort itself out
@@FBI-ej8zr as I've said elsewhere in these comments, it took me circa 6 minutes when I worked in southwark late 2014 Never suffered adverse effects People overrate the potential risks, but car drivers suffer more, especially if their queuing up in peak hours
@@FBI-ej8zr I really wouldnt dude, black soot contamination lingers in ur lungs and body for life. Its known to increase cancer and decrease cognitive function.
@@tuscanyiscol well it didnt feel like anything at all happened when i rode through the next day. it was more difficult to breathe but i was through in less than a minute so to avoid any possible effects i couldve even held my breath and rode through. as soon as i was out it was like nothing ever happened back to normal not that it was even that bad. but i actually realised its not that convenient so probably not gonna ride through again.
Jago, you are a brave man for doing this video so we don’t have to experience this tunnel in person. In my opinion, this tunnel should either be a. Closed to all vehicular traffic (auto and lorry); b. be a single lane one direction tunnel or c. have single traffic lane with direction change depending on when the major flow of traffic occurs; d. Widen the tunnel. It is obviously insufficient as a 2 way tunnel with bike/pedestrian lanes since there wasn’t a vehicle that could drive between their lane markers!
My only memory of the tunnel is being stuck on a bus in a traffic jam in it when I was about 8. Fumes definitely get to you then. Now that I think about it that was probably the start of my journey to my current state of mild asthma.
Buses that did used to go through the tunnel had the front near side tyre with extra side tread due to constantly rubbing up against the curb - this is true because my late Dad drove buses back in the day through the tunnel.
Oh, I remember walking through it, not once, but twice! And I remember feeling dizzy midway, then coming out and perceiving ordinary London's smog as the purest mountain air ever breathed. You should put a disclaimer that one might get lung cancer barely watching this video.
On a somewhat stressful day of moving earlier in the year I accidentally drove through the tunnel in my van. Saw the width and height restrictions, missed the 2T weight limit, twice. Still undecided as to whether the £130 discounted fines were worth it for a tourist visit, but the tiles were rather cleaner at that time so it was actually rather beautiful and a little exciting.
Nope, nope nope nope nope I would not want to do this ever. You're a madman! Also that shot of the old 395 bus that's really a converted van. I didn't even know that was a thing but that is so interesting/surreal/charming to see in a London bus. I have seen buses in London, both present day and in old pictures, that are sort of like that (more a small hopper bus type deal - think of some of the R routes around Orpington in Bromley), but to see a straight up van in operation that recently is, well, a reflection of the needs of the route. I associate that sort of thing with the more minor routes you see out in Kent for example. Great video!
My partner and I did this on our anniversary thinking it would be an interesting walk. We almost vomited and had to stick our heads in a bush on the other side to get some oxygen. A very bad idea.
@James Cricket ummm thats kind of where Oxygen comes from. Plants. Well free unattached oxygen in our atmosphere anyway, I know technically it is formed as a star goes through its death throws but you get what I mean.
@James Cricket so it would appear. You obviously didn't notice the original comments tongue in cheek nature either. Oh well, such is life. Oh wait, you knew what r/whoosh meant after all. Do you sir perhaps live under a bridge in Norway?
Well, I have started watching your videos and find them not just interesting but comforting as well as it is one of the only ways I can visit my homeland at the mo....this video was particularly comforting showing the light at the end of the tunnel, as right about now I see no light at the end of the tunnel in which we find ourselves.
Done this a few times. The first time it was a stinking hot day, and the pollution was terrible! The tunnel itself was good but the weather made conditions terrible. Good video.
When ever there is a problem in this tunnel the whole area becomes congested with heavy traffic. Couple of weeks ago the tunnel was shut for repair there was so much traffic on tower bridge road and grange road in Bermondsey.
You know what, you just earned your self a subscription on the basis of doing a silly but mundane thing & somehow finding a way to make it interesting.
I am from Texas, and have become fascinated with the complex interaction between the Thames and the communities that it runs through. My latest book, Downriver by Iain Sinclair, mentioned the Rotherhithe Tunnel -- pretty disparagingly and so I found this -- just what I was looking for. Thanks. Glad to be spared making this walk, if ever I return to London.
I recall the old width and height, and goods vehicle weight, limits. It used to be legal to drive a double-deck London bus through the tunnel, the AEC Regent 3, or RT class. 7'6" wide and 14"6" tall. Nowadays there's a 2T weight limit for goods vehicles, a 2m width limit with generous barriers at each end, and a statutory 2m height limit with no physical limits. ( apart from the approximate 14"6" physical limit)
Jago - I admire your courage in walking the Rotherhithe (correct local pronunciation: Rovver’ive) tunnel. I drove through it many times in the 1970s, and it had a very old-world atmosphere then. Seriously, I am glad that you survived. London has so many terrible + incompetent drivers. This video did have its moments of concern; some of the cars were driven right on the white dividing line.
In the 1960s (and being about 15) I would cycle a circular route that took in the very bendy Blackwall Tunnel. Hugely heavy traffic, I can recall the smell of the exhaust fumes now, as I type.
I remember cycling thru the Rotherhithe Tunnel c.1980 and hazardous it felt - the surface was pretty bumpy then. Later in the 1980s as a DR, 70 or so on the straight was possible, and tuneful with reflected engine noise.
Thanks Jago! Whilst visiting my Son recently (who lives in Rotherhithe) I was curious about this tunnel and wanted to explore but ran out of time. So thanks for showing me what I thankfully missed ;-)
Just thought I would let you know ,that that what you thought were tiles on the wall .are not tiles but glazed bricks.. so there you go. I used to walk through there with my dad in the 50s..and I was told that the bends in the tunnel were there to stop horses bolting when they saw the light? Conan ,,,all the best
There needs to be a new tunnel drilled, this is insanely inadequate for the traffic it has. Maybe the old tunnel can be made into a pedestrian/bike route... They do that with old bridges in the US sometimes, not sure if Europe does it.
Back in the 1950's rival gangs of Teddy Boys from Rotherhithe and Wapping used to clash in the tunnel. A geezer from Fisher's Wharf told me about this back in 1972.
Good sir, Your dignified humor in the face of danger was quite enjoyable. I do hope that when you got to the end you weren't to exhausted.... Sincerely, The Seb
I was sitting in the back of a 2:8 I Granada ghia x pack (really nice car back in 1989.. still is ! ) leaning forward between the front seats and my friend who was driving said "who wants to see a granny do a ton (100 mph) through the pipe ! And we all agreed that it was a good idea and so he pulled out to the right and put his foot down untill I remembered that we were in the rotherhithe which is two way and not one way like the blackwall !.. he was a cab driver and had got a bit confused with the two but I didn't and pointed this out to him after about 20 seconds of achieving a "ton" he slammed the anchors on and pulled back in to the left .. about 3 seconds later a wagon came thundering past in the opposite direction .. would have been a right old bloody mess . I was 22 at the time I'm 53 now and am grateful for every breath that I take ! Lol seriously !
![Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and they're everywhere) [ST05]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ORzNZUeUHAM/mqdefault.jpg)
This is stupid. I am stupid. This is a stupid idea.
I’ve said that a time or two
That sounded exactly like mark from peep show
Charles Leclerc approves
I imagine this was uttered by most ever English explorer.
The first two times sound exactly like Richard Hammond
Stupidity should be celebrated!
Tom Scott: I'm here, what is described as the most boring and dangerous tunnel in Europe
,now
Uninteresting places.
Vsauce here - but what _is_ a tunnel?
_Inquisitive music plays_
Jeremy Clarkson: "Now, this one hundred year-old piece of British engineering has been described interchangeably as the most dangerous and most boring road... _in the world!"_
"Oh Christ, there are bloody cyclists."
@@AdamWebdesign one of his recent video was literally about what a hole is
Claustrophobic, smelly, dangerous. That’s it, you have convinced me, I must walk this tunnel.
not just smelly but vehicle emissions are toxic they put metal particles into all your body including your brain and can cause all kinds of diseases like cancer, dementia, asthma.
@@palestinevideos2025 I'm in!
Driving thru is bad enough! The lanes are so narrow.
Are pedestrians allowed to walk through it, officially?
Yep.
If this was a Dutch city, they would probably turn this into a cycle path.
Wish I lived in a Dutch city. I live in small town usa with nothing but empty fields connected by massive highways. Nowhere for me to cycle.
Small PP
Momish in netherlands there isnt alot either but plain flat fields haha
@@bobsjepanzerkampfwagen4150 oof where have you been? We are one of the most densily populated countries in the world.
Well, I guess pedestrians would certainly not dare to enter unless it's the hospital they have in mind!
I'm quite a lucky pedestrian not to have ended up injured after being almost biked at a pedestrian subway.
In any case, this is London not The Netherlands - you can always go there if you are so into bikes!
"Exhaust fumes, DO NOT LOITER" Proceeds to loiter and take photos and videos.
What can I say? I’m a rebel at heart.
@@JagoHazzard you are rebelling yourself
@@JagoHazzard i wana like your comment, but your at 69 likes and i don't wana disturb that 😂
I find it hilarious that they think they can tell exhaust fumes not to loiter. Like, they're fumes, guys, they can't understand you.
(I am joking, of course. I feel the need to point this out because there are people stupid enough to say something like this while being completely serious.)
@@theuncalledfor I noticed the original comment here added the much needed comma that the sign was lacking... Those fumes were definately loitering.
“Today on bottom gear, we taste exhoost fumes.”
'ery noice.
"K I'll have a whiff"
"It's times like these that I wish I wasn't Capitan Slow but instead was Capitan Warpspeed"
Car gas bad for helf
Shut mouth hammock
Nice to see David Mitchell keeping himself busy.
I didn’t get this comment at first, and then the guy behind the camera started talking and Jesus Christ he REALLY sounds like him haha
Lol, Thought the same 😂
was literally thinking this.
"maybe Sophie is in the tunnel??"
The behaviour and voice similarities are uncanny
Imagine being in there while they were still using leaded fuel
Zwick Flix Productions his lungs forever changed
At least there'd be very few diesels.
Used to drive through there decades ago and that was bad enough, especially when the traffic was heavy. Even with windows up, a lot of the toxic fumes still got into the car. Walking through?? INSANE!
Aviation fuel is still leaded and aviation is the biggest contributer of lead to the air in America.
Don't ask me. Commercial jets don't use leaded fuel, and haven't for at least a decade. In small, pleasure aircraft, leaded fuel was still available until a couple of years ago.
why does this feel like i’m watching mark from peep show educate me about tunnels
I don’t know, do you frequent Reddit?
Literally was just thinking that then saw your comment!
HA I only scrolled down here to see if anyone else had a similar thought. Not disappointed.
Lee Partington chance would be a fine thing
@@DSPrints_ A fine thing indeed.
I don't know man, you got pretty excited when you saw the light at the end of that tunnel. That horse theory might have some merit
Perhaps it’s to stop pedestrians from getting excited
Once in the 50s dad took us for a "day out" to walk through the tunnel, I remember it was very noisy and frightening as trucks were allowed through there
Yes they were and when I was young and stupid back in the '60's I took an eight wheeler through, even though the width limit was 7' 6" That was a tight squeeze.
@@oldbloke5277 a 7.5t has enough trouble, well done for achieving it, but I bet you didnt repeat that again
@@Keithbarber Yeah, you're not wrong. I spent most of the time with the N/S wheels on the kerb. Never again. :-)
@@oldbloke5277
Bet you saved loads a time on your "short cut" eh?😉
Even if it was on two wheels....
@@stuartd9741 Ha ha, yeah I probably did but I bet there a few choice words coming my way... only did it once.
Give the tunnel a pressure wash. There could be fossils and hieroglyphs under that muck.
Maybe another half meter of space or two!
Lol. I was thinking.
When looking at the pictures of when the tunnel was built.
Doesn't it look so clean...🤔
I was thinking there might be a decent amount of platinum from catalytic converters in that soot
They wash it every few months I believe. Monday nights are closed for maintenance/ cleaning. I go in occasionally on a Monday night to perform structural monitoring.
Dear Cities, you need to pressure wash everything, it is all covered in muck
@@epiccollision my city does a good job of washing and maintaining historical and old buildings were they can
"I know the drill"
Welp that's earnt a like from me already.
In fact, a subscribe, why not?
Excellent! Many thanks!
"I know the drill"! Dang it! @PiousMoltar, you beat me to it. I was about to use that line! LOL
Sounds like me when I see a 2-way radio in a movie, TV show, news report, or picture...
@@Elfnetdesigns It could be rather "boring" but then that's the "hole" idea! LOL
"It's okay, i'm going to live".
* proceeds walking towards the light at the end of the tunnel*
aren't we all slowly proceeding towards the light at the end of the tunnel?
Underrated comment.
*Or was he*
"it's okay guys I'm going to live"
"...or was I"
*"Yeah I was fine"*
"Bendy bits": gotta love proper English spoken by a proper Englishman.
We have articulated buses. They have bendy buses. We have TV. They have the telly.
Wouldn't say it is proper english more like parrots english. Never heard nice, clear, slow and understanding english like Canadians or Americans speak. Clear straight to the point.
@@NLS_7 There is certainly nothing proper about your English. You must think that syntax is a levy on prostitution.
These are the best transport related videos because the presenter doesn't feel the need to show his face all the time and instead shows us what the video is actually about
Thanks! It also means I don’t have to worry about looking like a total scruff on camera.
@@JagoHazzard Thank you for your interesting videos too!
He doesn't show his face because he doesn't have one. He is just a mysterious RUclips entity!
I once had the displeasure to ride a Honda c90 through the tunnel in rush hour traffic came out with a headache!! Tho I suppose its safer than walking the thames tunnel!
A C90 probably kicks out more stink than a 3.5 tonne van so you came out a winner in some kind of illogical way...
As long as you didn't get radiation poisoning then you're fine.
You are lying nothing happened. It is just a short tunnel
@@NLS_7 what are you on about?
Oh wow, Honda c90.! I used to ride one of those around the field as a kid lol. Such fun
I walked this once a few years ago as it's the only way to get across the river for free without walking all the way to Tower Bridge or Cutty Sark. London has a long way to go to make the city safe for pedestrians.
Yeah, there are a lot of bits that I avoid altogether on foot.
London and safety? Do you think theyre scandinavians or from Holland? Safety is a silly idea in Britain (jk I actually loved london as a German Tourist)
Just spend £1.50 on the Tube like a normal person, then.
Get a tube it's very cheap!
@Apoorv Srivastava That's coming from an Indian?
If a Brit says, "it's boring," then you know it's true.
I don't get it
@@wonderchiken9883 we are boring people leading boring lives. Our pass time activities includes complaining about weather in summer and getting surprised how dark it is in winters.
@@Vaitria Speak for yourself pet. I’m an international man of mystery by day and the reincarnation of Casanova by night. I eat mystery and crap adventure. If my life gets any more exciting I’ll die of tachycardia. And it’s all happening in Gloucestershire! The global epicentre of intrigue and wonderment.
Whomst Even Are You And What Do You Even Mean By That
@@georgemorley1029 We're talking about a xenophobic joke, James Bond.
I'm not even sure I'd want to drive through it.
Believe me you don't want to!
I have driven through it a number of times and would agree. It's hardly ever been by choice and has usually been because Blackwall Tunnel was closed. I'm shocked that people are allowed to walk through Rotherhithe though, I had no idea but I have no intention of doing it. The Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels seem a much better option.
Greebo
It is very tight. I’m surprised there are so few accidents considering general driving competence these days. Been a few years since I drove through there.
I've driven through it once and don't want to do it again!
@@bendingspring Actually, in general tight roads are safer than wide roads, if you feel apprehensive about something, you are probably slowing down more, paying more attention and being cautious, most accidents are caused by people not paying attention or being overconfident and taking chances like speeding, in a tight space, fewer people will feel so confident, you will naturally pay more attention and you won't have the opportunity to overtake so everyone moves at the pace of the most cautious road user which at very least, in the case of the most foolish inattentive driver, slows the speed of an impact and gives them more reaction time to avoid one, big sprawling American roads have more fatal accidents than our comparatively narrower roads because drivers feel safer and go faster! Being a pedestrian in there, wedged onto a narrow pavement between a wall and oncoming traffic would be terrifying, but for driving, you probably get proportionately less and more minor accidents!
"Oh yes, I know the drill" is possibly the best pun I've ever heard
He has a sharp wit.
I laughed when I heard him say that 🤣🤣🤣
You've done it so we don't have to. Thanks for that.
Speak for yourself. Imma going in! 😁🤣😉
They installed lights and other electrical devices in the tunnel but didn’t install any fans?
there are fans in there it's just they are not powerful enough and the tunnel is cleaned once a month
@@slicedpage Tunnels in the alps have turbine like fans. It's possible.
@@Dragon.7722 they never said it wasn't possible, just that london haven't bothered to do it. Although fans the size of turbines would create alot of shaking, which would almost definitely collapse the tunnel considering when it was built
Oh no... there is a spider on my screen. Ooohhhh Noooo.....
Hahahahaha your profile picture actually scared me 😂😂😂 I thought there was a spider on ma screen lol
It's like walking through a giant urinal. It's bad enough driving through it.
What London?
Careful before hipsters start using the white tile restroom aesthetic
Exhaust fumes do not loiter... It seems to me like the exhaust fumes were very much loitering. I hope those fumes were held accountable.
The wonder of punctuation and the lack of context when reading text without tone or inflection. I always think "what if I'm not into men" when I see someone post "thumbs up guys" in a live chat.
ruclips.net/video/Dz1Hjpo_xgU/видео.html
I cycled the tunnel. At the end a crazy driver tried (despite not having a credible claim to being a policewoman) to arrest me.
thats sad and annoying at the same time
ccityplanner12 : thats ridiculous
Was it Karen?
I cycled through there once.
I wouldn't recommend it.
Sounds like an American thing.. Crazy drivers and people making false claims.
One of the ventilation shafts
was in The King George V1 gardens - known as Shadwell park, think that is it in the video as the Thames ran past it.
As a small child explorer the shaft was intriguing & noisy with a circular staircase.
A few of us braved it down there clinging to the outer edge of the of twisted stairwell as we descended so many steps - studiously avoiding the caged rotary blades curious to discover what was at the end of the stairs & to the mystery of this open building in the park.
We never saw it being used by anybody - after taken the final step we found ourselves in a tunnel with cars driving through it.
We looked both ways uncertain which way to go & decided to walk left on the path -
fortunately for us it brought back to into our old familiar stomping grounds & home.
Dread to think what the outcome would have been if we had taken a right turn.
Less traffic & pollution in those times.
I think the Shadwell childrens park & gardens are gone.
Thank you for posting this clip - as I do not know anyone else who used the Shadwell ventilation staircase & accessed the Rotherhithe tunnel.
Driven through it many times, I always hated it, aggressive drivers too when you try and keep to the 20 mile an hour speed limit. Thank you for taking the trouble to boldly go where so many lacked the courage and the tenacity to go before.
"There are twenty pedestrians a day. What are the chances??"
Well assuming that those twenty people mostly use the tunnel between, say, 5 am and 1 am, that's about one person an hour, so the chances you'd encounter another person in any given hour are quite high.
Do you have to live quite so relentlessly in the real world?
You need to account for how long it takes to walk the tunnel
@@ArkadyVasiliev We all live relentlessly in the real world, whether we wish to or not.
@@legoshane121 True. I don't know how long it takes, but it would seem to be at least 20 minutes or so. The probability of your trip through the tunnel happening to land within one of twenty such twenty-minute windows during normal waking hours is high indeed, I would say.
This dude a statistics major
What shocked me was just how many drivers that were clearly driving in the roadway in the distance were pulling over the line into the pedestrian area as they got closer.
Almost like they were really trying hard to make walking the tunnel even more dangerous.
Yeah, I’m not in a hurry to repeat the experience.
Probably to avoid the cars crossing over into their lane from the opposite direction, I have to avoid people with their entire tyre in 'my' lane sometimes.
There's also a tendency to look at hazards, and to steer towards whatever we're looking at.
They were trying to intimidate!!
The pedestrian walkway is raised.
He is actually one of my ancestors, he also did the Greenwich Foot Tunnel
I'm guessing your house is also full of carbon monoxide?
When I was a kid my Cortina broke down in there on a Friday evening. The chaos was so bad I walked off and left the car.
My Mk1 Cortina chose Blackwall! Ah, those were the days 🤣🤣🤣
Correct thing to do....
You could drive and had a Cortina as a youth. Lucky you!!
I was stuck in that traffic!
That was you? I've always wondered why it took me so long to get home that night! Thanks a bunch. 😜
When I was a motorcycle courier, many years ago, that tunnel was heaven in the winter.... always beautifully warm.
Just two months later, we're all saying: "why not wear an N95 mask?!?". So much we've learnt this year.
Gas masks would be far superior.
In the old days a tile fell off the interior and damaged a vehicle. Then every single tile had to be tapped over night closures to check for looseness. There were millions of them. They got fed up doing this and decided to render the Tunnel Lining interior wall to eliminate the problem.
Jago before the video: this is a brilliant idea
Jago during the video: THIS IS STUPID
Pretty much. A couple of weeks ago I actually did need to get across the river at Rotherhithe, looked at the signs for the tunnel and thought, “Maybe I don’t need to get across THAT badly...”
I once drove through and saw a young couple pushing a pram, I didn't think that was a good idea
Dare I say it, stupid is as stupid does? :P
If it was THAT bad, it would have been banned years ago
@@cockneyse whats a pram?
I've done it twice, though it was a long time ago when I was young and living in the East End. The second time, it was the wee wee hours after I'd been to a party in Rotherhithe with my brother and a friend, and when we got to the entrance it was closed, for de-fuming I think, but there was enough of a gap to get through. That time was far less unpleasant though you could still smell the pollution. Of course we were too inebriated to worry about whether the gates were closed at the other end. We managed to push them enough to make a gap to get out, before continuing our walk (stagger?) to Bethnal Green!
Those tiled walls need a serious power washing. Also, you'd probably need to wear a respirator down there otherwise your lungs would be covered in as much soot as the tunnel.
Nice video though, pretty brave to walk through I must say.
Used to be cleaned twice a week, nowadays its once. The roadways like the Blackwall Original were Kinked to stop the horses bolting if they saw light, You also need to check the special double deck buses used on the Rotherhithe and Blackwall (less modified) routes in the 1930s (www.countrybus.org/NS/NS.htm . www.countrybus.org/STL/STL06b.htm www.countrybus.org/STL/STL11.htm
@@highpath4776 That's from ONE WEEK? Dear God.
@@6yjjk No they do a bit each week, then start again !
I tried to wipe off the "soot" from the white tiles recently - none came off. This suggests to me that the tiles are actually pretty clean and that colouring is more staining over tens of years.
@@highpath4776 "The roadways like the Blackwall Original were Kinked to stop the horses bolting if they saw light, " that factoid is literally debunked in this video
Ah yes, when Mark missed the bus and decided to walk through the tunnel to get to work.
“Lest you find your backside turned into an improvised bike rack” The best thing I’ve heard in a long time 😂
I feel like just watching this video is going to give me cancer.
@Katz Meowski and what would that make you lmfao, a furry ?
I cycle through there pretty often and it's OK. You get the odd slightly smelly vehicle (as often as not a motorbike or scooter) but modern emission controls have made a big difference. I would have been much less keen to cycle or walk it 40 years ago, when I started biking in London.
@@steezydan8543 not by much. It's only like standing on your toes ( or are you a penny farthing rider?🙂). 3-5 inches more, less a bit caused by leaning forward to reach the bars.
@@steezydan8543 I just measured myself on the bike and standing. Reaching for the handlebars , my nostril to ground height was 2cm, maybe 3cm lower on the bike. Not easy to do it accurately one handed .Fortunately nobody saw me doing it.🙂 But at least the cyclist wouldn't be exposed to the times for as long.
@@steezydan8543 Air =/= oxygen, btw
Not that it even actually matters at this level, but that also isn't true, oxygen is not one of the lightest components of air. When you go up in elevation, is there more oxygen, or less?
@@sauercrowder Oxygen has a molecular weight of 32, while nitrogen's is 28. It's not a big enough difference to cause a significant difference in the composition of air with altitude. By far the biggest difference is that, as you get higher, there is simply less air, by about 1% per 100m IIRC.
“past the halfway point, i might actually survive this” - me, staying up late, waiting for windows to scan and fix a hard drive...
I cycled through the tunnel in the 1980s, before the big upgrade in the ventilators 20 years ago. I the centre of the tunnel the exhaust fumes just sat there, making the bend in the distance just a grey haze.
Its a pity so many of the white tiles have been removed, mainly off the southern end. The reflections off them make it brighter and more pleasant i feel
I cycled through it a few years ago, I kept the cycle on the pavement the whole way. One advantage of cycling not walking is you get a lower dose of carbon monoxide.
@Brick Top My lungs were I was just relieved not to have been squashed under a lorry.
It’s like a Tom Scott video but with even more random details
The ventilation shafts feature in the opening credits of the Professionals.
I didn't know that.. Cheers. 👍
They did not i watched every episode
@@richcampoverde ruclips.net/video/55gpif0a0P8/видео.html at 0:39
@@keithwhittygmail ruclips.net/video/WoVzlacXkJE/видео.html except series one.. 🤣
Half of "The Specials - Ghost Town" video was filmed in the tunnel
I foolishly went through it in 1990 at rush hour,having ridden up the A2 from Whitsstable overnight on a bike. I kept pace with the traffic until just past the middle then found I could hardly breathe and white van man was up my arse. I just had to pump my legs like fury and hope for the best. I felt sick for a few minutes afterwards. There was a sign forbidding cycles, but I thought that was just for the other people. You live and learn.
I don't know how you did it, but you made "taking a boring walk through a boring tunnel" far more entertaining than it should have been :) Great job, sir!
When the british say they're doing something “ill advisable” you know it's either stupid, boring, or dangerous....
Or, in this case, all three.
Must try this, is smoking permitted lol.
Thanks muchly for that. When a Queen Mary College student in the 1970's, I would often ride my Honda CM200 motorbike through this tunnel - it was a 60 mph speed limit in those days and far less busy. Great fun!
"Very inadvisable" is the Monty Python way of saying "It's a f..ing stupid idea" 😉😁
The beauty of London is that it's such an old city with so much history and so many nooks and crannies, places most people (tourists and non city dwellers) will never visit.
In most metropoles the old parts are demolished and build over, but in London you still can find the old historic places(or what's left of it).
I’m sure they used to wash those tiles occasionally when I were a lad. I’ve always wondered where the Blackwall Tunnel got its name from. I cycled through it one day before it was closed to cyclists. I freewheeled down into the tunnel without braking. It was the fastest I’d ever travelled on my bike, which began vibrating/shaking violently. I was terrified.
After walking through, I'm sure a blood test for carbon monoxide would send you straight to the hospital.
I wouldn't even want to drive through that tunnel. The travel lanes are so narrow! It fails many health and safety standards and requires an alternative.
For preference, I’d definitely use the Overground. Of course, that tunnel was originally a pedestrian subway...
now i know that i can ride my bike through im gonna do that because its pretty convenient for a place i go a lot.
i dont think the fumes will affect me much ive noticed they dont under different circumstances.
plus im pretty sure in a few hours the body will sort itself out
@@FBI-ej8zr as I've said elsewhere in these comments, it took me circa 6 minutes when I worked in southwark late 2014
Never suffered adverse effects
People overrate the potential risks, but car drivers suffer more, especially if their queuing up in peak hours
@@FBI-ej8zr I really wouldnt dude, black soot contamination lingers in ur lungs and body for life. Its known to increase cancer and decrease cognitive function.
@@tuscanyiscol well it didnt feel like anything at all happened when i rode through the next day.
it was more difficult to breathe but i was through in less than a minute so to avoid any possible effects i couldve even held my breath and rode through.
as soon as i was out it was like nothing ever happened back to normal not that it was even that bad.
but i actually realised its not that convenient so probably not gonna ride through again.
Jago, you are a brave man for doing this video so we don’t have to experience this tunnel in person. In my opinion, this tunnel should either be a. Closed to all vehicular traffic (auto and lorry); b. be a single lane one direction tunnel or c. have single traffic lane with direction change depending on when the major flow of traffic occurs; d. Widen the tunnel. It is obviously insufficient as a 2 way tunnel with bike/pedestrian lanes since there wasn’t a vehicle that could drive between their lane markers!
I used to be scared of this tunnel when I was a child. Thought it would collapse because it was under the Thames. Lol
My only memory of the tunnel is being stuck on a bus in a traffic jam in it when I was about 8. Fumes definitely get to you then. Now that I think about it that was probably the start of my journey to my current state of mild asthma.
I should be working on my Bachelor's Thesis, instead I'm watching a man walk through some tunnel in a foreign country
Buses that did used to go through the tunnel had the front near side tyre with extra side tread due to constantly rubbing up against the curb - this is true because my late Dad drove buses back in the day through the tunnel.
Oh, I remember walking through it, not once, but twice!
And I remember feeling dizzy midway, then coming out and perceiving ordinary London's smog as the purest mountain air ever breathed.
You should put a disclaimer that one might get lung cancer barely watching this video.
This is definitely a video of a man walking down the Rotherhide tunnel!
"This stretch of pavement is distressingly narrow" XD
On a somewhat stressful day of moving earlier in the year I accidentally drove through the tunnel in my van. Saw the width and height restrictions, missed the 2T weight limit, twice.
Still undecided as to whether the £130 discounted fines were worth it for a tourist visit, but the tiles were rather cleaner at that time so it was actually rather beautiful and a little exciting.
In a weak moment, once and only once, I cycled through this tunnel. The nightmares continue.
Nope, nope nope nope nope I would not want to do this ever. You're a madman!
Also that shot of the old 395 bus that's really a converted van. I didn't even know that was a thing but that is so interesting/surreal/charming to see in a London bus. I have seen buses in London, both present day and in old pictures, that are sort of like that (more a small hopper bus type deal - think of some of the R routes around Orpington in Bromley), but to see a straight up van in operation that recently is, well, a reflection of the needs of the route. I associate that sort of thing with the more minor routes you see out in Kent for example.
Great video!
My partner and I did this on our anniversary thinking it would be an interesting walk. We almost vomited and had to stick our heads in a bush on the other side to get some oxygen. A very bad idea.
@James Cricket ummm thats kind of where Oxygen comes from. Plants. Well free unattached oxygen in our atmosphere anyway, I know technically it is formed as a star goes through its death throws but you get what I mean.
@James Cricket it was obviously never meant literally 🙄 r/whoosh
@James Cricket so it would appear. You obviously didn't notice the original comments tongue in cheek nature either. Oh well, such is life. Oh wait, you knew what r/whoosh meant after all. Do you sir perhaps live under a bridge in Norway?
I find sticking my head in a bush cures most ills.... well it makes me forget about them, temporarily at least!
Do this weeky, you're off your head.
Well, I have started watching your videos and find them not just interesting but comforting as well as it is one of the only ways I can visit my homeland at the mo....this video was particularly comforting showing the light at the end of the tunnel, as right about now I see no light at the end of the tunnel in which we find ourselves.
Done this a few times. The first time it was a stinking hot day, and the pollution was terrible! The tunnel itself was good but the weather made conditions terrible. Good video.
When ever there is a problem in this tunnel the whole area becomes congested with heavy traffic. Couple of weeks ago the tunnel was shut for repair there was so much traffic on tower bridge road and grange road in Bermondsey.
You had me at “an improvised bike rack” 😂
You know what, you just earned your self a subscription on the basis of doing a silly but mundane thing & somehow finding a way to make it interesting.
"Walking The Rotherhithe Tunnel (Is A Terrible Idea)" sounds like an Orphans of Babylon song title.
I am from Texas, and have become fascinated with the complex interaction between the Thames and the communities that it runs through. My latest book, Downriver by Iain Sinclair, mentioned the Rotherhithe Tunnel -- pretty disparagingly and so I found this -- just what I was looking for. Thanks. Glad to be spared making this walk, if ever I return to London.
"I know the drill" - oh man, any more like that and they'll put you in the tower!
That was my favourite _bit_
I recall the old width and height, and goods vehicle weight, limits. It used to be legal to drive a double-deck London bus through the tunnel, the AEC Regent 3, or RT class. 7'6" wide and 14"6" tall.
Nowadays there's a 2T weight limit for goods vehicles, a 2m width limit with generous barriers at each end, and a statutory 2m height limit with no physical limits. ( apart from the approximate 14"6" physical limit)
Jago - I admire your courage in walking the Rotherhithe (correct local pronunciation: Rovver’ive) tunnel. I drove through it many times in the 1970s, and it had a very old-world atmosphere then. Seriously, I am glad that you survived. London has so many terrible + incompetent drivers. This video did have its moments of concern; some of the cars were driven right on the white dividing line.
In the 1960s (and being about 15) I would cycle a circular route that took in the very bendy Blackwall Tunnel. Hugely heavy traffic, I can recall the smell of the exhaust fumes now, as I type.
"Exhaust fumes do not loiter"
I very much disagree, the exhaust fumes obviously loiter for a very long time.
I remember cycling thru the Rotherhithe Tunnel c.1980 and hazardous it felt - the surface was pretty bumpy then. Later in the 1980s as a DR, 70 or so on the straight was possible, and tuneful with reflected engine noise.
It's crazy how we built this stuff even when modern technology and safety wasn't really put in place and the tunnel still stands today.
Great video! Cannot wait to try the walk myself. If you ever go to Rio check the wall tiles of the tunnel that drives you into Copacabana.
4:33 " I have a headache not sure if it's the exhaust fumes or the beers I had last night "
Also the ‘keep an eye out for fear of your back becoming an improvised bikerack’ made me giggle
"It's hot, noisy, and dirty"
Oh cool so the entirety of the New York subway system
Thanks Jago! Whilst visiting my Son recently (who lives in Rotherhithe) I was curious about this tunnel and wanted to explore but ran out of time. So thanks for showing me what I thankfully missed ;-)
Just thought I would let you know ,that that what you thought were tiles on the wall .are not tiles but glazed bricks.. so there you go. I used to walk through there with my dad in the 50s..and I was told that the bends in the tunnel were there to stop horses bolting when they saw the light? Conan ,,,all the best
Ah, interesting. I assumed they were tiles, but I suppose glazed bricks makes more sense.
The dry delivery of your humor is spot-on. I couldn't stop laughing
DONT WALK THE ROTHERHITHE TUNNEL GUYS, WORST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE
In all my yrs I've never seen a Walker in the tunnel... more power to you sir!
There needs to be a new tunnel drilled, this is insanely inadequate for the traffic it has. Maybe the old tunnel can be made into a pedestrian/bike route... They do that with old bridges in the US sometimes, not sure if Europe does it.
The sensible option no one seems to consider is to reduce the amount of traffic.
Commuter tax, ses I.
@@millomweb - They've done loads of that already. Apparently London is just filled with white vans instead now.
@@mr8I7 I bet they haven't reduced the traffic - just shifted it onto other modes of transport !
2:17 Me when it's 2 o'clock in the morning but instead of getting some much needed sleep I'm watching a video about walking in a tunnel.
Back in the 1950's rival gangs of Teddy Boys from Rotherhithe and Wapping used to clash in the tunnel. A geezer from Fisher's Wharf told me about this back in 1972.
@@swanningabout And what are you trying to sound like?
@@swanningabout people do say geezer in the UK, especially in Yorkshire where im from
The description in your video gave me a good hearty chuckle. LMAO
When I went to London I had a nasty headache from all the diesel cars in underground and confined spaces
This is the driest most British vid I've seen in a long time. Great job mate
The most interesting thing about this tunnel is that the exit signs are labelled in yards...
Yards and miles. Units of lengths used in Britain.
Good sir,
Your dignified humor in the face of danger was quite enjoyable. I do hope that when you got to the end you weren't to exhausted....
Sincerely,
The Seb
Its hard coming up with muffler jokes.
I found myself holding my breath while watching this video.
I was sitting in the back of a 2:8 I Granada ghia x pack (really nice car back in 1989.. still is ! ) leaning forward between the front seats and my friend who was driving said "who wants to see a granny do a ton (100 mph) through the pipe ! And we all agreed that it was a good idea and so he pulled out to the right and put his foot down untill I remembered that we were in the rotherhithe which is two way and not one way like the blackwall !.. he was a cab driver and had got a bit confused with the two but I didn't and pointed this out to him after about 20 seconds of achieving a "ton" he slammed the anchors on and pulled back in to the left .. about 3 seconds later a wagon came thundering past in the opposite direction .. would have been a right old bloody mess . I was 22 at the time I'm 53 now and am grateful for every breath that I take ! Lol seriously !