The Greenwich Foot Tunnel opened in August 1902 connecting Greenwich with Island Gardens (Tower Hamlets) underneath the Thames. It is approximately a ten minute walk to get from one side to the other, and I explored it on my recent February visit to Greenwich. The entrances to the foot tunnels are red-bricked domed shafts. The shafts do have a lift/elevator that operates approximately fifty feet down.
The Greenwich entrance/exit shaft is located near Cutty Sark, and there are som good views over London's Canary Wharf.
I took the lift down; the tunnel expands into the distanc and dips in the middle. It is too far to see the other end. White tiles line the tunnel.
On the Island Gardens end, the tunnel had been damaged by a World War II bomb, so it was repaired with the metal rings. The damage happened on the first night of the Blitz in September 7/8 of 1940. The tunnel was fully closed for immediate repair before the condition worsened, and it was reopened a few months later. The tunnel was originally built for dock workers to access both sides of the river, so it was important strategically.
On the Island Gardens side, I had views over Cutty Sark and Greenwich's beautiful buildings.
The shaft entrance on the Island Gardens side is within a green square. The blue skies made it feel almost tropical, but the weather was cold and became cloudy later and colder.
Over 4,000 people apparently use the foot tunnels daily.
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