as it say I am off to london and got to go through blackwall tunnel otherwise I got to go round the long way…hoping it over 13.5 feet.
Southbound it’s around 15’4" and it’s not a bad tunnel to use.
Northbound is much worse, could be 13’4" and it’s got nasty kinks in it, the right hand lane is out of bounds as there are tubes hanging down from the roof to prevent taller vehicles using that lane. At the corners the tubes stop allowing you to briefly use a bit of the other lane (providing there’s no-one alongside) I’ve never done the northbound in an artic but it was bloody awful in my 8 legger.
The Woolwich Ferry is not far away and is also free, unfortunately it’s usually got a lengthy queue and often one one boat running.
The Rotherhithe is out of the question but Tower Bridge is OK for 18t & under and falls outside of the London CC zone.
am only going southbound tomoro…I sold my merc truck and am taking it to its new home…
No problem then, if you’ve got someone bringing you back you should come back through the northbound just for the experience of it.
It beggars belief in this day and age that a major route has got such a crap outdated facility.
Southbound no problem, Northbound is 4.0metre = 13’ 1’’
13.12 actually 
i have been through the north tunnel a long while ago in my old 811 cargo 3 years ago.that was fun going on the uphill section loaded. 
8wheels:
No problem then, if you’ve got someone bringing you back you should come back through the northbound just for the experience of it.It beggars belief in this day and age that a major route has got such a crap outdated facility.
Before my time, but it used to be 2 way traffic as well 
quite a bit about it here:
http://trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19513&highlight=
also found this:
Regarding the height indicator for the Dartford tunnel. The height limit for the Northern Blackwall tunnel (Brunel’s original) is 13’4", which is pretty low as witnessed by the amount of Lorries that get stopped & diverted off by tunnel control. They’re hoping the drivers know the height of their vehicle & the height of the Blackwall pipe & are letting them know they can get through the Dartford crossing. A lot of drivers seem to take the chance as it’s obviously a quicker route, or don’t know their height but there’s no fooling the 1st set of height-sensitive electronic beams which turn on a warning to divert them off the road at the next slip & the 2nd set illuminate the red traffic lights at the tunnel entrance if they ignore the warning. There then comes a loud announcement telling them to take a walk of shame to the phone on the wall where they are instructed to drive up the steep exit ramp at the mouth of the tunnel while everyone stuck at the red light curses them. Many Foreign Truckers get caught out here.
c/o pathetic.org.uk whoever they are.
Driveroneuk:
quite a bit about it here:http://trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19513&highlight=
also found this:
Regarding the height indicator for the Dartford tunnel. The height limit for the Northern Blackwall tunnel (Brunel’s original) is 13’4", which is pretty low as witnessed by the amount of Lorries that get stopped & diverted off by tunnel control. They’re hoping the drivers know the height of their vehicle & the height of the Blackwall pipe & are letting them know they can get through the Dartford crossing. A lot of drivers seem to take the chance as it’s obviously a quicker route, or don’t know their height but there’s no fooling the 1st set of height-sensitive electronic beams which turn on a warning to divert them off the road at the next slip & the 2nd set illuminate the red traffic lights at the tunnel entrance if they ignore the warning. There then comes a loud announcement telling them to take a walk of shame to the phone on the wall where they are instructed to drive up the steep exit ramp at the mouth of the tunnel while everyone stuck at the red light curses them. Many Foreign Truckers get caught out here.
[/quote]
c/o pathetic.org.uk whoever they are.
[/quote]
The reason I put 13’ 1’’ is that I am sure the tunnel is marked wrongly on the conversion. I have seen too many foreign trucks turned round to be correct.
many years ago,before the m25.
iwas going to to dover week in and week out.
we always used the blackwall tunnel.
i have seen the timber stakes,they were there then.
all our trailers were 4mtrs high
then the m25 is built and we are told to use the dartford tunnel and pay as well.
blackwall is free as is the ferry…
thats all right.it was relief to get away from travelling through london.
i dont like cities.
one night i had reason to use the blackwall and when i approached it,the red lights went off.
i stopped.
a cop arrived and told me my trailer would not fit in the tunnel.
i asked him why?
i had brought trailers…fridges…tilts that way for years before the m25.
they always got through the tunnel without problem.
he stuck to his guns.
you wont fit.i said it will be ok.
i couldnt go back as it is a one way system/i was sticking to mine as well.
he let me go in the end.
i know london is chocked with traffic.
i avoid as much as possible.
but i would use the blackwall tunnel anytime if it suits me.
4 mtrs is your lot.
dont try it with cars carriers or supercubes.
dont go in the outside lane either.
8wheels:
It beggars belief in this day and age that a major route has got such a crap outdated facility.
The first Blackwall tunnel ( now the northbound ) was built with the bends and
kinks in it deliberatly. When it was built, there was still a lot of horsedrawn carts
about. The kinks were so the horse didnt see the light at the end of the tunnel
and make a bolt for it. Horses dont like tunnels.
Before they built that big circus tent called the dome, i asked tony blair if he could build a bridge over the thames instead, and he said, no, the acoustics were wrong, and besides it would make the traffic flow better, which we didnt want. Probably the same clown who has just announced that they wont build a bridge from thamesmead to becton, but instead build a cable car…absolutely brilliant…
Anyway…Blackwall is 13.4 northbound…and not 4m…because as we all know a metre is 3.3 inches, and if we multiply that by 4…we get 13.2…so its a bit over…and if you go through with a tilt, the cover will lift enough for the alarm to be set off.
13’4" it is. Used to regularly drive through for Safeways. Would get interesting on the bendy bits when Mr. White van man tried to overtake 
SB used to be 40mph but has been reduced to 30mph Watch for the speed camera at the exit.
i was using it in the late 70s with a fridge.
not sure what height the fridge was.
it had to be 4 mtrs at least/
ugh? Taking a trailer through a tunnel with a clearly defined restricted height & being unaware of the trailers height.
went through last year in a transit pickup, bit of a funny story:
I had a thing called a genie lift stood against the headboard and had taken an educated guess at the height, as I aproached the tunnel (northbound) I saw the signs saying that the outside lane was lower than the inside but I was stuck (you know what london drivers are like) I worked out that I should just be low enough - I was wrong. As you get to the entrance, there’s not chains hanging down, there’s big things which I’d say were steel box-section, to warn you if you’re too high.
no lights, no sirens nothing - so far, so good. BANG the bloody thing scared the ______ out of me
Luckily, a guy in a truck saw and let me go in front of him. If you’re reading, thankyou very much - no-one else would’ve thought to, they’ve all got this tunnel vision; get there as fast as possible and stuff everyone else 
this is interesting.
i started doing europe in approx 1978.
we used the blackwall tunel all the time.
our trailers always fiited,no problem.
there were less health and safety issues in those days.
then,the m25 was built and the next day,we are told.
our trailers wont fit in the blackwall tunnel anymore.;
i realise the ouside lane in the blackwall tunnel has a height restriction.
theres no problem in the inside lane.
all trailers 4mts high will get through.
its a ruse to get the tunnel toll at the dartford tunnel.
at £2.90 a time,it must pull a lot of money in.