An insight into Oxford’s secret tunnel

Secret tunnels are the stuff of mystery and intrigue and are a draw to the brave souls who are moved to explore them. This tunnel beneath the streets of Oxford, its University and Colleges and the Westgate Shopping Centre has all the right ingredients. It is claimed that daring Victorian explorers tried to traverse it in a punt and that their skeletons were found there many years later. TE Laurence, Laurence of Arabia, was much more successful in a canoe and modern day adventurers venture underground in waders and armed with video cameras. It is called the Trill Mill Stream and in centuries past became Oxford’s open sewer carrying the city’s filth and rubbish down to contaminate the River Thames on its way to London. Now it is a secret underground place leaving Paradise Square and exiting at the college of Christ Church.

[@petermadams7848]

Very interesting as always, and nice music too!

[@BloobleBonker]

Wow. Who would have thought.

[@KempSimon]

Me! There's a very similar, brick-lined culvert which carries the River Lavant beneath the centre of Chichester in West Sussex! It's a fascinating explore and easily done in Summer when the river completely dries up!

[@leilaalieva198]

Amazing!!!

[@tolomevw9708]

very interesting video Rob

[@RobsOxford]

Thanks Robin. It is my best performer yet at launch.

[@paulbutler9731]

Hi, Rob. A group of us navigated the Trill Mill stream by canoe in the early 1970s. It would be great if you could include our expedition with the three you have included so far.

[@RobsOxford]

Brave you! I would love to include your adventure but cannot modify videos once published on UA-cam. You have delete the current one and start from scratch. Maybe I'll do a follow up some time. Do you have any photos?

[@paulbutler9731]

@@RobsOxford no photos, unfortunately, but lots of memories between those of us who navigated the stream. One in particular - we hired canoes at Folly Bridge and headed off upstream. But we returned to Folly Bridge from downstream. No-one noticed 😀

[@TheRobWaltersShow]

@@paulbutler9731 Hà, thats an amusing tale. Can you recall how you got in at the upstream end. Almost impossible with a canoe nowadays.

[@paulbutler9731]

@@TheRobWaltersShow The entrance was open in those days. We just lowered the canoes down to the water and away we went. A lot easier than walking, like in the video you referred to. A friend waited at the Ch Ch Memorial Gardens and he could hear us talking long before we appeared.

[@mrktdd]

Thank you, Rob - I never knew about this.

[@RobsOxford]

You are weloome Mark

[@ianwalton8337]

I Rob.i lived in number 7 chapel place, Paradise Square and went in that tunnel in a tin bath with a mate that lived in Paradise Square ( John Dawson nick name Dobby my nickname was Wally (Ian Walton)