A historic landmark is tucked away beneath the streets of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and has been named one of the “best hidden gem attractions” in the entire country. Victoria Tunnel is a subterranean wagonway which runs underneath the city of Newcastle, all the way from the Town Moor down to the River Tyne.

The attraction came in second place in a raking of best hidden gem attractions in the UK by Bounce, which analysed Tripadvisor reviews to determine which attractions in the country were the most highly rated.

Of all of the reviews left on Tripadvisor, the Victoria Tunnel received 98.49 percent of “excellent” and “very good” reviews. The wagonway was built in 1839 and 1842 in order to transport coal from Leazes Main Colliery in Spital Tongues to riverside staithes, ready for loading onto boats for export.

In 1939, the Tunnel was converted into an air-raid shelter to protect thousands of Newcastle citizens during World War 2.

Converting the tunnel into an air raid shelter cost £37,000 and it was fitted with electric lighting, 500 bunkbeds and chemical toilets.

At the end of the war, most of the fittings were removed from the tunnel and all of its entrances except Ouse Street were closed.

These days, the tunnel is owned by The Ouseburn Trust, and is open to visitors for guided tours. The entrance to the historic tunnel can now be found in Ouseburn, beside Hotel Du Vin. Visitors are given a helmet before setting off underground on a guided tour to learn all about the tunnel’s long history.

As well as guided tours, Victoria Tunnel also hosts events such as “Tipple in the Tunnel” which is a wine-tasting event, and “Sound of the Underground” which sees performances from local musicians in the tunnel.

On Tripadvisor, the tunnel has been ranked as the number one out of 303 things to do in Newcastle and has a full five-star rating from 2,953 reviews.

Having previously visited the tunnel, one reviewer on Tripadvisor said: “Really enjoyed this tour. Very well organised and extremely informative and interesting.”

Another visitor who went on a tour of Victoria Tunnel in April 2023, added: “Found out about this just by chance, and so glad we managed to visit this tunnel with extraordinary stories.”

Victoria Tunnel is currently offering 15 tours per week for groups of up to 12 people. There are two different tour lengths to choose from.

Tickets vary in price depending on the length of the tour. Adult tickets range from £11 to £15.