Victoria Tunnel Overground Walks

The long awaited repair and revamp of the Victoria Tunnel is nearly complete, and a programme of tunnel tours will begin in the autumn.  In the meantime, two overground walks are on offer in June to whet your appetite.

Many people will have walked the streets of Newcastle without ever knowing what lies just a few feet beneath them.  These walks will track the route of the Tunnel through the city and use it as a starting point for exploring the historic buildings and townscape that lie above it. 

The first walk will explore Spital Tongues as it was over a century ago – a small village outside the city centre that was home to a number of fascinating buildings and people.  As we rediscover the hidden Pandon Burn and the forgotten Spital Tongues Colliery, we will look at why and how the Victoria Tunnel, a remarkable underground waggonway, was built.

In 1939, the city engineers converted the Tunnel into an air raid shelter to protect hundreds of Newcastle citizens.  The second walk will focus on this wartime theme. We will locate the positions of several WWII entrances that once led into the Tunnel as well as journey through the newly-developed grounds of Northumbria University , once the site of the badly bombed Manor’s Goods Station.

Overground Walk 1

Tuesday 3^rd June, 7.00pm

Meet at the gates to Exhibition Park , Claremont Road

This circular walk involves a gradual gradient and covers 1½ miles

Overground Walk 2

Tuesday 10^th June, 7.00pm

Meet at the gates to Exhibition Park , Claremont Road

This linear walk finishes on New Bridge Street
Close to bus and metro links so that you can easily get home.

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