Changing Plans: A Circular Tunnel?
The Thames Tunnel as built differs from the original ideas set forward by Marc Brunel in 1818. Today’s Thames Tunnel is a horseshoe shape, but Marc did consider a circular tunnel at one point as these two images from the Thames Tunnel watercolours show. However, it didn’t take him long to realise a circular tunnel …
Museum Reopens Monday 10th August!
We’re delighted to announce that The Brunel Museum will reopen its doors to visitors on Monday 10 August 2020, having been closed since the UK went into lockdown in March. The museum will be open to visitors 12pm – 5pm Monday – Saturday and 1pm – 5pm on Sunday throughout the summer. Ensuring the safety of …
Engineering Connections
Have you ever wondered whether all the famous Victorian engineers knew each other? Who worked on what with whom? How other famous names of the Victorian era fit into this picture? Did you know that Mark Brunel was friends with Alexander Hamilton (yes, THAT Hamilton)? Are you curious about who else worked on the Thames …
Volunteers Week 2020
This week is #VolunteersWeek Here is a thank you to our volunteers from the trustees, in recognition of their great work: “The Brunel Museum Trustees appreciate the incredible dedication and commitment of our volunteers, their range of skills and the ideas they bring. Without our volunteers the museum would not have the respect that it …
Thank You to #NationalLottery players
Today we want to say a big Thank You to #NationalLottery players for the part they do in keeping the museum going. The Heritage Emergency Fund is helping us to make necessary changes so that we can continue to provide useful and interesting resources for everyone. We will be using some of the funds to …
Local Treasures: Free School
There are many other amazing places near the museum that you may like to walk past if you live locally – why don’t you tell us about your favourite? (We might even do a feature on it if you do!) Perhaps you have walked past this building and wondered about it? Well, wonder no more! …
Museum Week: Isambard Kingdom Brunel Superhero?
Listen to this article: Recently watching a re-run of the Crystal Skull, I mused on a vague similarity between Indiana Jones and IKB. Both extremely attached to their different hats and with a touch of the same reckless disregard for their own safety! During his lifetime there are many accounts of his daring and frequently …
Our Volunteers and Our Mission – What Would You Like From Us?
Whilst we cannot physically open the museum, our volunteers are still working hard to fulfil the mission of the museum: To preserve and share widely the ground-breaking stories of the Thames Tunnel project and the outstanding achievements of the Brunel family and their relevance to our lives today. We inspire communities through exploration, learning and …
Amazon Smile – Support the Museum for Free!
Are you shopping online a bit more rather than heading to the high street? Did you know that you can donate to us at zero cost to yourself? If you shop on Amazon, just access it via this link: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1003287-0 The Brunel Museum This will not change your Amazon experience or the prices that you …
Do You Have Any Brunel Memorabilia?
We know that many of our visitors are Brunel enthusiasts and have collected or inherited various wonderful items. This gem is from the collection of volunteer Gill Howard. What treasures of Brunel memorabilia have you collected? Brunel’s Own Copy of An Explanation of the Works of the Tunnel Under the Thames from Rotherhithe to Wapping …