Watch Adventure Films In A Tunnel Leading Under The Thames

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Watch Adventure Films In A Tunnel Leading Under The Thames

This is a sponsored article on behalf of Secret Adventures.

Photo credit: Mathew Williams- Ellis

Almost 200 years ago, the sunken shaft at Brunel Museum served as a shopping centre, banquet hall, fun fair and even a brothel. Last year the cavernous space, with its unpolished walls and brilliant acoustics, was once again open for concerts. Now it's been given the Secret Adventures special touch, and film enthusiasts are in for a treat.

Photo credit: James Millar

But before you head into its shadowy depths, there's an adventure waiting above ground. On the rooftop of Brunel Museum is a pretty, lantern-strewn cocktail garden, one of the little-known treasures of London. Lottie Muir, founder of the Midnight Apothecary, moves from flowerbed to bar, rustling up delicious cocktails using freshly picked herbs and foraged ingredients.

Get there for 6.30pm, when guests are invited to pull up a log around an open fire, toast marshmallows and grab a bite from Greek street food whizzes Pan London before heading below ground for a night of award-winning adventure documentaries.

Photo credit: James Millar

At 7.30pm, it's time to make your way down the spiralling staircase and into the 50-foot deep iron shaft. The short films The Swimming Granny (eight minutes), North Of The Sun (46 minutes) and And Then We Swam (37 minutes) have racked up 22 awards between them — and for good reason.

Beautifully shot, the three documentaries are poignant reminders of why it's important to get back to nature every now and then. It's also pretty funny watching the predicaments people get themselves into once unmoored from 'civilised' life.

Photo credit: Mathew Williams- Ellis

Secret Adventures has always thrown events intended to stoke that free-spirited, slightly anarchic side of ourselves, which tends to get quashed by city life. And this event is no different.

Once the final credits roll, you'll want to pack up your nine-to-five, dive bomb into the open sea, build a cabin from old drift wood, surf in the dark or maybe even sail across the Indian Ocean. OK, maybe don't pack in your day job just yet, but do turn up with an open mind and be willing to meet new people. You never know, this could be the start of many adventures.

Catch Adventure Films Underground at Brunel Museum Shaft on 19 September, 26 September, 5 October, 12 October and 26 October. Tickets are £20, which includes entry to the shaft and the garden. Bring extra cash for Lottie's cocktails and Pan London's street food — you won't regret it.

Last Updated 31 August 2017