Frist psot...? <EDIT : Bah!> Anyway, morning, and here's the news....
So, you know how I tee'd up the story earlier on about strange rumblings underground? Well, that bit of grass was actually just above the entrance to the Victoria Tunnel (VT). The tunnel was built in the 1840s to carry coal from Spital Tongues Colliery in Newcastle to the Tyne riverside, and now, clumsy developers have damaged the tunnel! Here's the story...
A prominent part of the North-East's industrial heritage which survived the Blitz has been damaged - by developers building £15m luxury riverside apartments.
And here's the site, just in case ya divvn't kna where it is. It's next to the Bella Vista restaurant on City Road. More or less.
It seems the developers dislodged a massive boulder which "crashed on to the Tunnel".
More bad news for us Tunnel affectionados too..
...on Saturday, safety equipment used to show schoolchildren inside the tunnel, including torches and a £500 gas monitor, were stolen.
Developers Metier Properties have created more than 100 homes and offices on the site and pledged before work began to protect the historic tunnel, which lies directly underneath the site. Newcastle City Council bosses, who secured Grade II listing for the 7ft 3in high tunnel in May this year, said they only granted planning permission for the scheme because of guarantees the tunnel, also used as a wartime air raid shelter, would be protected.
The Ouseburn Advisory Committee and the cooooncil met yesterday and said: "In August 2004, piling works were ongoing adjacent to the tunnel."
"It is understood that either the last pile or second last pile dislodged a boulder which then impacted on the wall of the tunnel, causing a slight bulge on the internal face."
Obviously, we'd normally be straight down there to investigate the damage, but "Without the safety equipment which has been stolen we are not able to carry on with the tours", says Phil from the Heritage Trust. Bah!
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman confirmed a burglary had taken place at the tunnel over the weekend and asked anyone with information to call (0191) 214-6555.
And I'd better be off to wung-urk. Double bah! TTFN!
3 comments:
I think someone should write a tunnel report on the Vicky - just in case it's destroyed forever. We wouldn't want generations of Geordies growing up not knowing their history like.
"Someone" should at least stick a title on their post. ;)
Bah! I just did!
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