Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Tranmere Tunnels - Inside the Shaft

True - some maggots crawled out of a wheelie bin the other week and it made the front page

Well I suppose it's a nice change from seeing Jade Goody and the likes on other newspapers haha

Fab pictures and thread. I went looking at the birkenhead tunnels when i was younger and remember being scared STIFF!!, very weird feeling around them, eerie.
I would defo go and have a good look around the different places, live in Moreton now so i might go and see if i can find the bidston hill entrances
Let me know if there will be any meets so we can all have a wee nose together

There is a bit of rubble up on hill but thats all really.

Wouldn't they call them Laird's tunnels because they were primarily for the workers of Laird's and their families?

I've never actually heard them called Laird's tunnels, except on here. Of course, they were used by the workers there, but also, tickets were issued to local residents (many of whom would no doubt have worked at Laird's). As I understand it, these shelters were intended for general use by the locals. They were constructed where they were because of the suitability of the site; the fact that they would be useful in protecting the Laird's workers was a bonus.

when i bought my house in marquis street ,that building was still there (18 years ago),it was removed about a year later iirc bceause the story goes that a kid got stuck in there but i never heard anything after that.you can still see in the pavement where this was by the shape of the pavement.covered over with tarmac now.

So, it was still there in 1990? Interesting. The capping wasn't that brilliant; there's evidence of slight subsidence in the pavement.

Cheers, Chris.

This is a fantastic read

cheers

Just to round off this topic. I came up yesterday & took a couple of pics of the site now it's finished. Working from my earlier pics & measurements, my red clipboard is on the centre of the shaft, +/- about a foot.

it really is a shame that these have not been turned into some sort of tourist atrraction.mind you it is not far to dig from that manhole...buisness oportunity for the house owner lol.

Going back to Oggies mention of the other access at Charlie Lane's scrap yard......I was on one of those old buses the other day at the Oxton Secret Garden's, and this old bloke, who has driven buses in Birkenhead since...well....forever, said he remembers exactly where the other entrance by the scrapyard is. He knew a lot of stuff, but I was with little people and couldn't stay for much of a natter.

So the thing is, is this a feasonable other entrance? What happened to it? Anyone know??

The guy was a mind of information, am going to try and find him again take him for a pint!! Find out what he knows. It seems there are a LOT of people with a LOT of knowledge who just don't use the internet.

Sally we know exactly where it is, pm me

we do yerr mate

TRANCENTRAL really interested about this any info you can post about it or would it have to be off forum pm