Double Tunnel and Cafe at night from the stable yard
Tunnels can,
surprisingly, form an interesting study. Being on The Wirral, we perhaps come
across them more than most, with two road and one rail tunnel connecting the
peninsula with
However, what
if the tunnels had been almost unheard of and hidden away for over a hundred
years? Yes, it would make some very fascinating research, wouldn’t it? That is
exactly what has happened with Williamsons Tunnels - a labyrinth of tunnels and
underground caverns under Edge Hill, in
A fine view of the Banqueting Hall. It's about 65ft long and is dominated by two mountains of rubble
There are
reported similar mazes of tunnels and caverns across
Thanks to the
‘Friends of Williamsons Tunnels’ however, the labyrinth at Edge Hill has
been opened up AND they continue to be explored, unveiling a truly fascinating
history of their instigator, Joseph Williamson, a wealthy Liverpool Tobacco
merchant who married into the famous Tate family at the time of Liverpool’s
massive growth and wealth in the 19th century.
Sandstone arch and Pit beneath Biddulph's cellar
The purpose
of their construction is not known with any certainty. Theories range from pure
philanthropy, offering work to the unemployed of the district, to religious
extremism, the tunnels being an underground haven from a predicted Armageddon.
Although some of the tunnels have been lost over the years, a lot of them still
exist today, under what is now a residential area.
To find out
much more about this fascinating topic, you will have to venture out on a cold
winter’s night into the darkness – not the darkness of the tunnels however,
but just the darkness of Irby’s streets as you will have to make your way to
St. Chads Hall, Roslin Road, Irby to listen to our first winter talk – “Joseph
Williamson and his Tunnels” by Claire Moorhead.
Sandstone arch over the Pit at the end of the Corner Tunnel with Biddulph's Cellar above
Our first Winter Talk had a great reception, We had to keep putting more chairs out!! Thank you Claire and all the 'Friends' for doing a great job - keep up the good work. You can learn more about the Tunnels by clicking on the links below which are for two different websites.
All photographs are published with the kind permission of the 'Friends of Williamsons Tunnels' and 'The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre'. They own the copyright on these photographs so please do not use them without their permission. You can contact them via their websites where you can also find much more information.....
http://www.williamsontunnels.com
http://www.williamsontunnels.co.uk
Note - these are two different websites run by two different organisations, so please establish who you need to contact first in the event you wish copyright information
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