.....News added on 22nd November 2004.....

Major tunnel rediscovered
November saw FoWT taking advantage of some surface levelling being carried out on the land behind the site of Williamson's house. With the kind cooperation of the site landlord and guided by the expertise of CC Geotechnical, pictured above we oversaw the drilling of four pilot holes in an attempt to locate two tunnels known to have been sighted by Liverpool City Council in the 1950s. One of the drills soon broke through into a void four metres below the surface and a quick JCB excavation the following morning was enough to allow FoWT's explorers to climb down into the 'new' tunnel. The tunnel, pictured below, is about forty feet wide, with a solid sandstone wall at one end and a serious break in the ceiling at the other. As a result, it is largely filled with rubble and progress is impossible beyond about fifty feet of its length. Removing that rubble will be a major undertaking but, as with the likes of the Banqueting Hall, holds the potential to reveal more parts of the labyrinth ... not only the other, smaller tunnel referred to in the 1950s plans but also access to the long-lost Great Tunnel, towards which the new tunnel points.
Inside the new tunnel. The roof is just a few metres under ground
	Inside the new tunnel, looking at the solid stone back wall. What is below the very deep layer of rubble?
We are already in discussion with the landlord regarding long-term access so hope to return to the site for further work soon.

Horror in the tunnels! Also in November, local film production company Andris Productions began shooting their latest movie inside the Williamson tunnels. The film, titled 'The Cask' is a modern remake of an Edgar Allen Poe gothic horror story.

Producer Vicky Hesketh said that "The tunnels were the perfect location for us and they looked stunning". They were used for many of the film's scenes, which see a man lure his long-time enemy to a terrifying fate in an underground labyrinth. The film is expected to gain a great deal of exposure at various film festivals in 2005. The director oversaw scenes in the Paddington section, the Heritage Centre and the 'Wine Bins' area. The latter earns its name from an old anecdote suggesting that Williamson had wine racks with his drinks collection stored there. For the purpose of the story, we temporarily re-built the wooden wine racks. A load of old bottles and some strategically placed spray-on cobwebs completed the effect (pictured right). Elsewhere, piles of skulls and bones added to the spooky atmosphere.

Above, the famous 'wine bins' stocked up again

"Little do you realise what I've got in store for you my old friend!"

Keeping out the cold (The answer to what those people are doing on the front page) Both the filming shoot and the November visits for FoWT members benefitted enormously from the generosity of Milsys UK Ltd. Our friends at the Hereford-based supplier of operational support systems lent us one of their DRASH shelters for the month. Pictured below near the ladder down to the Banqueting Hall, the shelter made an ideal check-in point as well as keeping everyone out of the rain while waiting to go below ground!

DRASH military shelter keeping tunnellers out of the rain!

Planning objection succeeds FoWT wasn't alone in submitting an objection to a private developer's application earlier in the year to build a five-storey tall block of flats right in front of the Williamson's Tunnels Heritage Centre. The development would not only have ruined the visibility of the Centre but would also have jeopardised attempts to excavate long-lost tunnels on the Smithdown Lane site. Fortunately, Liverpool City Council rejected the plan in October. The developer does still have prior permission to build a three-storey block on the same site, so we will be closely monitoring any plans to press ahead with that scheme.