Guided walk through the century-old Mail Rail tunnels beneath the Mount Pleasant sorting office, with expert guides, on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
The Postal Museum runs Tunnel Walks on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings, taking you on foot through the century-old Mail Rail tunnels, tracks and platforms that lie beneath the Mount Pleasant sorting office. It's a part of the site you can't see on the Mail Rail ride itself, so if you've done the ride and want to see what's actually down there, this is the one.
The railway was built in the early 1900s and carried post under London for 76 years, reaching its peak in the mid-century before closing in 2003. At its height, the line stretched from Paddington to Whitechapel. On the walk, expert guides tell the stories of the staff who built, operated and maintained it, pointing out the floodgates that kept workers safe and a train graveyard along the way. You'll wear a high-visibility jacket and a hard hat, and the route covers about 1.2km over 75 minutes.
The museum itself is in Clerkenwell and traces Britain's social history through the post, from Victorian valentine cards to wartime letters home. It houses the world's first postage stamps, a restored mail coach, and the 'Sorted!' play space for under-eights. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00.
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Tunnel Walks run on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings, with a Festive Tunnel Walk running from Thursday 7 November to Friday 22 December, two tours daily at 18:30 and 19:00. Tickets are £58 per person. The museum is at 15-20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA, with Russell Square as the nearest station.
