Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne

Just imagine! Not only have I walked along part of Hadrian's Wall, today I walked under it! Oh yes, the Victoria Tunnel runs under the line of the Wall. I must admit when I was at the mouth of the tunnel donning my hard hat and grabbing a torch that worked it did cross my mind that this was not a good idea. What if I get halfway along and can't cope? However, I was with a friend so pride demanded that I go ahead with it. In the event it was OK, and the guides said from the outset they would be happy to take back anyone who didn't feel comfortable. We walked down the slope and into the tunnel. The guides took us through the tunnel's wartime history and the story of how it was originally built. How scary it must have been to crowd down there after the air raid siren had sounded and not know quite what was going on above you. If you are of average height you can stand comfortably in the tunnel and although the ground is wet in places I never found it slippery. The final slope up (and down on the way back) was very steep though. What did we see? A Roman spring Clay pipes embedded in the wall Wartime blast walls A wartime toilet bucket A signalling system used to let the pit at Spital Tongues know when a waggon was readey to go on its way back up the tunnel. Patches of paint(?) which would change colour in the event of a gaa attack No doubt I've missed out loads. This is a unique walk. As we strolled back to Ouseburn Farm it was amazing to think that minues before we had been strolling right underneath. And under Hadrian's Wall too - I'm going to remember that.