What to See

The north rotunda, Howdon – the main access to and exit from the tunnels on the north bank.
The vertical lift – an alternative to using the inclined lifts.
The inclined lift and escalator – your glass-sided ‘gondola’ to a bygone age. Through its walls you will see the workings of one of the Otis-Waygood escalators, at one time the longest wooden-step escalators in the world. The workings of the escalator have been illuminated. The 85 ft (26 metre) rise of the lift is higher than the Angel of the North. Your journey will take less than a minute. The escalators are no longer operational and will only be used as an exit in case of emergency.
The Pedestrian Tunnel – 900 ft (275 metres) long and at 10.5 ft (3.2 metres) in diameter. See the tiled signage marking the old border between Northumberland and Durham. Can you guess where that door at approximately half-way leads to?
The Cyclist Tunnel – slightly larger than its twin at just over 12 ft (3.7 metres) in diameter, the Cyclist Tunnel is a key link in the National Cycle Network connecting routes 14 and 72 as well as the rapidly developing network of cycleways on both sides of the river.
The River Tyne – at the time the Tunnels were conceived, the banks of the Tyne echoed to the sounds of shipbuilding and many other industries. Tens of thousands of people needed to cross the river to get to and from work. The Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels, the first ever purpose-built dual-mode tunnels in the UK, replaced the old Jarrow ferry.
No need for an umbrella. The Tunnels are 40 ft (12 metres) below the river bed at their deepest point. The water and salts that constantly attack the tunnels are from ground water, not from the river.
The acoustics are amazing. You can hear a whispered conversation from one end of the Tunnel to the other.
Inclined lift and escalator (see Point 3).
Vertical lift (see Point 2)
The south rotunda, Jarrow. If you visit us by car, there is a free car park near the Jarrow rotunda.

Information Screens