The Rotherhithe Navvies – Brunel Museum host St Patrick’s Day 2021 celebration
The Brunel Museum will mark St Patrick’s Day 2021 with a new commission celebrating the contribution of the Irish community to the creation of the Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel built underwater anywhere in the world. Working with the local Irish community, and Spectrum Drama, the piece will include music and performance based …
Director’s Blog – February 2021
It is an absolute privilege to be writing my first blog as Director of the Brunel Museum. Although I’ve been in post just over two weeks-plenty has been happening! To say 2020 was a challenging year would be an understatement, and in many ways the beginning of 2021 hasn’t felt much different. But I am …
Tender – Mobile Food & Drink/ Street Food Operator Required
The Brunel Museum invites proposals from experienced registered mobile food and drink operators. We are looking to work in partnership to create an interesting place for visitors, residents and those passing by on the Thames Path to meet, eat and drink. The food business must be registered. The mobile food/ drink outlet self-contained. The Brunel …
Lockdown: Improving Our Facilities
As we continue into the 3rd nationwide lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic everyone is thinking about novel ways of working and keeping themselves busy. The Brunel Museum is no exception and we have taken advantage of the current closure to complete some important capital works and improve the facilities available to visitors and people hiring …
TV Appearance! Channel 5 – Tower Bridge: Gateway to London
If you are into architecture, history and the marvels of Victorian engineering then Channel 5’s Tower Bridge: Gateway to London presented by Rob Bell is a must watch. Even though the series discusses bridges they did a spot on the Thames Tunnels highlighting that in the 19th century there was indeed a crossing of the …
Guest Article: THE CRYSTAL PALACE – THE BRUNEL CONNECTION
In 1846, at the opening session of the Council of the Society of Arts, Queen Victoria’s Consort, Prince Albert, expressed a desire to wed high art with mechanical skill. In the 1840s he, along with Henry Cole (1808-1882) and other members of the Society, visited a number of exhibitions of industrial design in England; the …
Podcast: Becoming director of the Brunel Museum during a global pandemic
Our new director Katherine McAlpine has been interviewed by Museums + Heritage Advisor. Click on the link below to read more and listen to the podcast! Podcast: Becoming director of the Brunel Museum during a global pandemic
1828 Tunnel Flood
On this day in 1828, the Thames Tunnel flooded for the second time, badly injuring and nearly killing young Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and bringing an end to the lives of six other men working on the project. The workers Isambard had been assisting with shoring, Collins and Ball, did not make it out alive. They …
2020 in Review (Trustee Nick Mansell)
I’m sure that for many, 2020 hasn’t quite been the year we had hoped for, however with hard work and dedication, the incredible spirit of our Museum proved difficult to suppress. Dana Skelley OBE joined us as Chair of the Board of Trustees in January. Dana brought a wealth of experience to the Charity and …
Brunel Museum appoints new Director for 2021
The Brunel Museum is to welcome Katherine McAlpine as its newest Director in January 2021. The museum tells the story of the first tunnel to be built under a river anywhere in the world – an engineering feat which was once acclaimed as the eighth wonder of the world. The tunnel itself currently houses TfL’s …