.....News added on 29th January 2003.....

Digging the depths A few weeks after Christmas, FoWT diggers set about the task of digging out the long-blocked 'Well Tunnel', adjacent to the famous 'Double Tunnel'. Now visible through a glass wall in the Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre, the Well Tunnel turns out to be very deep, as seen in the picture here, showing work going on to pump out accumulated water. Visitors to the Centre have been keenly watching as the floor gets lower and lower and the team are planning now to clear the next section of the tunnel, beyond the arch visible at the top. It is hoped that this section can soon be incorporated into the tour.

Tours prove popular With the Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre now in full swing, more and more people are booking in to enjoy guided walks round the important Stables section of the tunnels system. Centre Manager Dave Bridson said "Things are going very well, with visitor numbers above expectations even through the winter period".

Thrills in the tunnels! Top thriller writer and TV producer Lynda La Plante joined us for a tour of the tunnels a while back, looking at possible ideas for a new project, and is pictured right sporting the honorary FoWT jacket!
Also looking at the tunnels in a more sinister context was crime writer Denise Ryan, whose latest hit novel, Betrayed, sees devilish goings on in modern-day Liverpool, with many scenes involving the Williamson Tunnels. Denise, another FoWT member, kindly pays tribute to this web site in the acknowledgements at the start of the book.

Lottery award We are indebted to the National Lottery "Awards for All" scheme for their generous award of £2,700 for the purchase of new computer projection equipment. One of the most important parts of FoWT's activities is the audio-visual presentations we offer, telling and showing the story of the Williamson Tunnels to interested groups. This process will be helped enormously by an the award.

Key tunnels 'book' republished One of the most important written works on the Williamson Tunnels was that of local historian James Stonehouse, who visited the tunnels just five years after Williamson died - when they were far more extensive and visible than they are now. Liverpool Record Office has just republished Stonehouse's 1869 book 'The Streets of Liverpool', which includes his full paper on the Williamson Tunnels. You can read some short excerpts in the 'Articles/Research' section of this web site, but the full article is fascinating. The book is available to buy from Liverpool Central Library.

Geophysics Survey In the never-ending quest to find the lost Williamson Tunnels, late last year we gratefully accepted the offer of a detailed ground penetrating study from one of our friends at the British Geological Survey. Dr. Robert Cuss and colleague took a large number of readings around Williamson's Mason Street domain and we eagerly await the resulting report. The findings will appear here once analysis is complete.