The Thames Tunnel Victorian Experience
(£215 per class / 90 minutes / suitable for KS1, KS2 and KS3)
Meet one of the people who designed and built the Thames Tunnel, and they will guide your class through the Brunel Museum, showing what life was like in Victorian London at the height of the Industrial Revolution. You’ll visit our Engine House and underground Tunnel Shaft – once the grand entrance hall to the tunnels – and find out more about your chosen character’s life and work.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Meet the man behind the famous name. Working on the Thames Tunnel was his first job at the age of 19. Hear about his father’s engineering ideas and how Isambard himself almost drowned when the tunnel flooded!
Marc Brunel
The brains behind the Thames Tunnel, he was a natural born engineer. Find out how he escaped the French Revolution, fled to America and made history here in England. And as Marc always says, he was the one who taught Isambard everything!
Sophia Brunel
Described as ‘Brunel in petticoats’, Sophia knew as much about engineering as her famous brother Isambard and father Marc. Not only did she understand their work but was also an excellent artist in her own right.
Seamus Fitzpatrick
Who really built the Thames Tunnel? Find out when you meet Seamus – one of the many Irish navvies who dug the tunnel under the river. Hear him talk about his experiences and what life was really like for the workers.
We strongly recommend that bookings should be made at least six weeks in advance. A booking is active upon receipt of confirmation email from the museum.
Explore the fascinating history of chemistry and engineering with the Brunel Museum’s exciting new schools show, “Mud, Flood, and Fire,” in collaboration with Queen Mary University. Thanks to a generous grant from the Royal Society of Chemistry, this innovative production takes KS2 students on a journey through the construction of the Thames Tunnel, highlighting the challenges faced by workers and the scientific principles behind their work.
Join us as we delve into the stories of the brave individuals who dug the tunnel, using hand tools and gas lamps in hazardous conditions. Discover how Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s first major project nearly cost him his life and learn about the grueling realities faced by the tunnel builders.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this groundbreaking educational initiative and make your next school trip an unforgettable journey.