Where are the tunnels?

In Liverpool, north-west England. Just to the east of Liverpool city centre is the Edge Hill district and it's here that the main 'tunnels site' can be found. It is a rectangle of land bordered by Mason Street, Grinfield Street, Smithdown Lane and Paddington. This is a few hundred metres from the city's landmark Metropolitan Cathedral.

Who built the tunnels?

For the sake of brevity, most people say that 'Williamson built the tunnels .....'. However, it wasn't really Williamson himself, but rather the thousands of workers he eventually employed who did the work. Probably beginning with a number of abandoned quarries which had long existed on the plot of land he adopted, Williamson designed the tunnels and gave construction orders to his workers. At first, the workers were largely unskilled labourers but, if you look at the 35 years or so that the project lasted (until Williamson died), many of them no doubt became highly skilled in brickwork and stonemasonry. It is believed that a good number went on to work on other contemporary projects such as the pioneering railway building of the early/mid-18th century.

Why were the tunnels built?

Despite speculation ever since Williamson died, this most often asked question still has no definite, provable answer. The explanation most commonly offered is that having risen from humble beginnings, the rich retired merchant was touched by the poverty which pervaded the Edge Hill district and offered construction labour to the unemployed as a gesture of generosity. Rightly or wrongly, this theory has become so entrenched in folklore that it is taken by many today as the truth.
The improbability of this and the absence of supporting evidence have led to new efforts by today's researchers to discover the truth. Some speculate about smuggling - that the tunnels were used for storage of contraband, but this suggestion has even less evidence to support it. Another theory has it that Mr and Mrs Williamson subscribed to a religious cult which believed that the world would be destroyed soon and that the tunnels were built as a refuge within which followers could escape the fire and brimstone.
Until hard evidence is uncovered, it remains impossible to prove or disprove any of the explanations for the tunnels, including that which is most often heard - that the tunnels were the means by which a philanthropic Williamson gave work and a living to an impoverished local population.

Did Williamson build anything other than tunnels?

He built a lot of the houses on Mason Street (although half a dozen or so were already standing when he moved in) and many in adjoining streets. Some of these were conventional; others were very strange. He was constantly changing the houses he owned - knocking down walls, putting in bigger and bigger windows, extending cellars. Most of these houses survived into the 20th century but few remain now.

Are the tunnels all still in existence today?

Unfortunately not. Many of the big and spectacular Williamson structures at the back of the Mason Street houses were demolished before 1900 and some tunnels were destroyed by building work above over the decades. That said, the frequent practice of tipping the spoil of demolished buildings into the tunnels underneath probably did many of the tunnels a favour in that it stopped them being flattened. Take the rubble out of the filled tunnels and they'll be in very good condition. Recent excavations have borne this out.

How big are the tunnels?

They vary. The so-called 'banqueting hall' is about 70 feet long, 20-25 feet wide and 20 feet high. By the same token, there are tunnels which are 4 feet wide and 6 feet high. Think of tunnels and caves of every conceivable size in between and you get the picture.

How far do the tunnels go?

The big question. Because so many of them are inaccessible or blocked with rubble (and because no comprehensive map has ever been found) it's impossible to say. If all the tunnels and caverns under the central tunnels site were put end to end and if the rumours are true about long tunnels going all the way to the centre of Liverpool, it wouldn't be too unsafe to wonder about a total distance of several miles.

When were the tunnels discovered?

They've never really been 'discovered' in that they've always been known about. Obviously, they were widely known while Williamson was alive, but after he died in 1840 one only had to walk along Smithdown Lane to see them. Even after the most outwardly visible tunnels were no longer visible, enthusiasts have raised the profile every now and then. The press archives show expeditions and re-tellings of the story every decade or so.

Who owns the tunnels?

They are generally owned by the owner of the land above. The central 'tunnels site', incorporating the three sections of the tunnels to which we frequently refer in this web site, incorporates both private landlords and Liverpool City Council.

Are the tunnels open for me to go and see them?

Yes and no!
Following a major excavation and renovation exercise, one of the three sections of the tunnels (the Stable Yard section) was opened open to the public as a permanent tourist attraction in the Autumn of 2002 (see Visit the tunnels for details).
Eventually, the other sections of the tunnels (under Mason Street and under Paddington) will also be fully cleared, renovated and opened. Until then, for safety and insurance reasons these latter sections can only be opened occasionally for special visits by FoWT members and other guests.