please empty your brain below
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I've cycled through the Rotherhithe Tunnel and confirm it is is best avoided by all non motorists. The descent was bad enough, but once one starts breathing deeper for the gradual climb out the experience becomes truly hideous. Do you have the figures for usage by cycle?
dg writes: An estimate - 40 bikes a day. I'm surprised, I'd have thought it would be more.
Lorenzo | 12.06.08 - 2:12 a.m. | #
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I suppose that you could have donned one of those face masks favoured by the Japanese. This may stop the Diesel particulate waste but wont do much good against the CO, nitrate and sulphurous gasses
Rick | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 10:06 a.m. | #
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I cycled though the tunnel once - just to see how it was.
DTL | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 10:36 a.m. | #
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Dito, also cycled through 'to see what it was like.
You can acutaly feel the broncials swelling up as they clog with the gritty, acidic air. Lovely.
James | 12.06.08 - 10:55 a.m. | #
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I foolishly walked through there in a just because it’s there kind of way. It was interesting once, but never again. I was coughing like a smoker!
Mark Garth | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 11:20 a.m. | #
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My understanding is that this tunnel is forever attempting to float. The last I knew was that ballast is regularly dumped in the river above to help it stay down.
I used to use this tunnel once a week knowing this information. It was either this, and guarantee getting to my destination on time, or sit in the Blackwell Tunnel car park.
Bina | 12.06.08 - 11:29 a.m. | #
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I walked through the tunnel many times in the late 1980s. I was living in a squat in Limehouse, but often suffered insomnia and would go for long nighttime walks.
The pollution in the tunnel at 3am was definitely bearable. Enough for me to keep using it anyway.
Peter Moore | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 12:02 p.m. | #
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The things you do so that we don't need to....
Autolycus | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 12:24 p.m. | #
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It's not as bad as the Blackwall, which I'm fairly sure you are not supposed to walk through. I did, once, north to south about 20 years ago when I'd given up waiting for a night bus at Bromley By Bow (yes I was off my face at the time). My hair was full of soot.
Hippo | 12.06.08 - 12:31 p.m. | #
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Did it once when unemployed in the 80's, would go out on rambles with a day travel card to see places. Ended up in Rotherhithe with my girlfriend and we wanted to return to the Isle of Dogs, but the East London line was knackered for some reason. So we thought let's walk through the tunnel, it'll save having to go back to Tower Bridge!! By the time we had exited the tunnel in Limehouse my girlfirend was in mild panic and hyperventilating. Not something I would do again!
Big Al | 12.06.08 - 1:20 p.m. | #
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Risking your long term health for your blog - you're braver than I am. Personally, I'd only go down there with breathing apparatus...
The Londoneer | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 1:57 p.m. | #
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Ooh, DG you are so brave. I have driven through the tunnel many times when I lived in New Cross, and it was very claustrophobic. Not a wise thing to do, specially at your age! You need to get some mountain air to compensate.
SurreyGirl | 12.06.08 - 2:25 p.m. | #
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I've walked through the Rotherhithe tunnel on quite a few occasions in my younger, more foolish (I hope) days late at night when I didn't have the money for a taxi. It's the only place in London I've found where apparently normal people will stop their cars (or, on one occasion, maintenance men their pick-up) and offer you a lift. Just to the other end, mind. It's happened to me on more than one occasion. I suppose it's because there's no doubt about where you're headed for. It's definitely against etiquette to then ask if they're then going in the right direction for you, and could you stay in the car for a bit.
kenromford | 12.06.08 - 5:02 p.m. | #
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I always found myself driving faster and faster, in an effort to get the journey over with. I think there is a 20mph limit in place.
All in all, a useful link for locals, though.
Clunking Fist | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 8:48 p.m. | #
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I thought about cycling through it "just to see" several times, latest was last week on the way home, but Tower Bridge was more appealing. Thanks for saving me the trouble.
Ham | Homepage | 12.06.08 - 9:16 p.m. | #
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Yes, well I remember back in the early 90s cycling through the Blackwall Tunnel South to North. I really didn't see any no cycling signs, but they are there and it was dark.
Got up quite a good head of steam on the decent, but then once the assent started, started puffing a bit, and unsurprisingly started to get a bit dizzy. Luckily I was fit in those days and my racer was light, so I got out fine. The large lorry bearing down on me also gave me an incentive.
Not recommended.
Chris | 13.06.08 - 12:43 a.m. | #
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The Blackwall Tunnel is definitely a no walking or cycling zone. But the 108 has been running all night for about seven years, at least...
Inspector Sands | Homepage | 13.06.08 - 1:25 a.m. | #
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The Times has opened up its archive for free (although does require registration) and you can read in anorak level detail all about the tunnel's specifications [Jun 11 1908] and opening [Jun 13 1908]. http://archive.timesonline.co.uk...uk/tol/archive/
Mark | 13.06.08 - 9:52 p.m. | #
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There are some construction and opening pictures here http://tinyurl.com/5slpra as well as http://tinyurl.com/6r32jr which includes pictures of the older Brunel tunnel nearby
Brad | 14.06.08 - 6:30 p.m. | #
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ooh i used to cycle through here on a regular basis, it's ok late at night when there's little traffic, and always strangely warm and windless (not strange, but feels strange) but not a good idea in traffic.
H | 15.06.08 - 1:27 p.m. | #
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I just did this walk today and it is probably even worse than you describe. Truly dismal. "Probably best to celebrate by not visiting." - sums it up perfectly.
Ian Wright | Homepage | 02.02.13 - 10:15 p.m. | #
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I'd always wanted to do this walk, but strangely could never find anyone else up for it. I finally buckled and set off from Limehouse. There were a fair few cyclists passing me by, and I got a lot of attention from motorists. One guy wound down his window and laughed his head off! Charming. Got a few beeps too.
I went around 7pm - if you are thinking of doing this avoid any busy time as the fumes from the nose to nose cars crawling along at 20mph start to mess with your head.
The ascent at the end when you can start to breathe fresh air again was fantastic, and while I'm glad to have done it, I think once is enough. Had to have a pint at The Mayflower to recover.
Jon H | 22.11.13 - 3:04 p.m. | #
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