Recreation in Newcastle's Bigg Market of a party held... in 1842

Then and Now: The 'pub' as it was in 1842 is the centre of today's celebrations Credit: The Ouseburn Trust

Today sees a special celebration of one of Tyneside's most popular historical attractions.

The Victoria Tunnel runs from the north of Newcastle, under the city streets, down to where the Ouseburn enters the River Tyne.

When the tunnel was finally completed on January 8, 1842, a celebratory party for two hundred workmen was held at the Unicorn Inn in Newcastle's Bigg Market.

Accounts from the time report that the thirsty workers were "regaled with a substantial supper and strong ale", and there was entertainment from the Albion Band who "enlivened the joyous occasion with their music".

Almost exactly 174 years later, the Elizabethan-built Unicorn Inn is long gone, and it its place stands a Holland and Barrett health store.

Today - to recall that early Victorian era Bigg Market booze-up - modern day tour guides from Victoria Tunnel will re-create the party at the same location.

Bottoms up!

Facts about The Tunnel

  • The Victoria Tunnel's history stretches back to 1842 when it opened as an underground waggonway, taking coal from the long-demolished Spital Tongues Colliery to waiting colliers on the bustling Tyne.

  • More recently, by the middle of the last century, it was being used as an air raid shelter during World War II.

  • Today, it's open to the public, and guided tours are available at least seven times a week.

  • The story of the unique underground structure began in the early Victorian times when the waggonway became the world's longest railway tunnel

  • Its underground route avoided taking coal through Newcastle city centre and saved 85% on transport costs. Most of the coal was transported to London.

  • The Victoria Tunnel, named after the Queen, took less than three years for 200 navvies to excavate, and was then lined with stone and bricks.

  • The tunnel is 2.25 miles long and when built measured 7.5 by 6.3 feet. The route was planned by the engineer WE Gillespie.

  • The miners and navvies dug the tunnel using a method called 'clay kicking' and an incredible 31,600 tons of clay was extracted from Newcastle's bowels.

  • That clay was then used to make two million bricks which were used to line the tunnel on top of a solid three foot high foundation of stone.

  • By 1860 all coal reserves in the area had been exhausted and the tunnel was closed off (apart from being used briefly as a mushroom farm) right until the outbreak of war in 1939 when it was used as an air raid shelter.