Permanent historical factsheet

Thames Tunnel

Great Britain · Science / Engineering. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.

12Records
1823–1843Date range
2Named people
3Places

Chronological records

1823

Marc Isambard Brunel1823

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

Brunel prepares a plan for a tunnel between Rotherhithe and Wapping using his patented tunnelling shield.

1824

Isambard Kingdom BrunelJuly 1824

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

Brunel joins the Thames Tunnel project after his father is appointed engineer for the crossing beneath the River Thames.

1825

Isambard Kingdom Brunel2 March 1825

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

Construction of the Thames Tunnel begins ceremonially and Brunel lays the second brick after his father.

Marc Isambard Brunel2 March 1825

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

Construction begins ceremonially on Brunel's tunnel beneath the River Thames.

1826

Isambard Kingdom BrunelApril 1826

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

Brunel becomes resident engineer after John Armstrong resigns because of illness and exhaustion.

1827

Isambard Kingdom Brunel18 May 1827

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

The River Thames breaks into the tunnel and Brunel helps evacuate the workers before directing repairs to the breach.

1828

Isambard Kingdom Brunel6 January 1828

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

A major tunnel flood kills six workers and seriously injures Brunel, forcing him to withdraw from the project.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel1828

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

Brunel leaves the Thames Tunnel project because his injuries prevent him from continuing as resident engineer.

1836

Marc Isambard BrunelMarch 1836

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

A larger improved tunnelling shield is assembled and excavation beneath the Thames resumes.

1841

Marc Isambard BrunelNovember 1841

Wapping · Science / Civil Engineering

Excavation reaches the Wapping side and the main tunnelling work beneath the Thames is completed.

1843

Isambard Kingdom Brunel25 March 1843

London · Science / Civil Engineering

The Thames Tunnel opens to pedestrians after eighteen years of construction begun under Marc and Isambard Brunel.

Marc Isambard Brunel25 March 1843

Rotherhithe · Science / Civil Engineering

The Thames Tunnel opens to the public as the first successful tunnel beneath a navigable river.

Names involved

Isambard Kingdom BrunelMarc Isambard Brunel

Provenance

This factsheet is generated from stored World History Database records matching the country, broad category, detailed category and exact Event value shown above. Duplicate display records are collapsed; database wording is otherwise preserved. Source provenance varies by record, so formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.