I remember there being a gaping hole in the wall at the far end of the trading estate under the monkey steps when I was a kid in the '80's. Never went in though as we were all little shi*bags and would dare each other instead.It's bricked up now but is very noticable (grey brick against a black wall).I also remember there being some kind of cave/tunnel system hidden in the trees on Hoylake road (opposite the houses) but don't really know if they are connected...we just called them 'the caves' maybe someone can shed some light on these? and thanks to you all for the interesting read and pics guys...A job very well done
I have not read all of the posts here but my recollections of the tunnel entrances/vents are as follows;
Vent shafts at Marquis street / Frodsham street, top of Holborn hill/olive mount and at the bottom of Frodsham street in the small strip between holt hill and hinderton road behind the advertising hoardings was a construction identical to the two previously mentioned.
Entrances - at the top of Green lane there was a petrol station and behind it was a small former quarry, in the wall under the houses on holborn hill quarry wall and i think perhaps two entrances in the former Charlie Lanes scrapyard.
Entrances - at the top of Green lane there was a petrol station and behind it was a small former quarry, in the wall under the houses on holborn hill quarry wall and i think perhaps two entrances in the former Charlie Lanes scrapyard.
this 1 is the only proper entrance left as i think to know
Hi, & welcome. Your memories of the tunnels seem reasonably correct, but the location you mention, between Holt Hill & Hinderton Rd. is below the level of the entrances, & also beyond the area of the tunnels, so couldn't have been connected. I wonder what it was. There was also a vent shaft you didn't mention; officially known as the Seymour St. shaft, but it was quite a way from Seymour St., near what was known as the ice cream factory. It's now in the garden of a house in Guy Close, map attached. Hope you find lots on this site to interest you & we look forward to more of your contributions. http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=53.38197~-3.021052&style=h&lvl=18&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
Edit: don't know why that hasn't come out as a clickable link, but it works if you copy & paste it.
it may well be that the Hinderton road shaft(actually its the lowest point of Frodsham street but I do not know whether it was officially known as such, perhaps unadopted) was not associated with the tunnels however it must be higher than the entrances, (although by not much) Think about it, Holt hill descends all the way to its junction with hinderton road, the approximate elevation of the tunnel entrances. Is it known that the tunnels are completely level from their entry points, no sump area etc ? Is it still there ? its not too clear from aerial views due to the vegetation, if it is and its not a shaft what is it ? Now you mention it I do recall a shaft in the Guy close area although Guy close did not exist then, did that not used to be a car park for tour buses and perhaps ice cream vans, I thought the ice cream place was behind the sweet shop on Seymour street.
The purported "shaft" between Hinderton and Holburn at the end of Frodsham is an electricity sub-station, it has been confirmed that there is a large active transformer in there. This is just over 100 yards away from the nearest point of the tunnels, which is entrance No 3.
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
it may well be that the Hinderton road shaft(actually its the lowest point of Frodsham street but I do not know whether it was officially known as such, perhaps unadopted) was not associated with the tunnels however it must be higher than the entrances, (although by not much) Think about it, Holt hill descends all the way to its junction with hinderton road, the approximate elevation of the tunnel entrances. Is it known that the tunnels are completely level from their entry points, no sump area etc ? Is it still there ? its not too clear from aerial views due to the vegetation, if it is and its not a shaft what is it ? Now you mention it I do recall a shaft in the Guy close area although Guy close did not exist then, did that not used to be a car park for tour buses and perhaps ice cream vans, I thought the ice cream place was behind the sweet shop on Seymour street.
There's no evidence on any of the plans that the tunnels extended to that point. I think the sub station answer is correct. From the entrances in Holborn Square, there are steps down, since that point is higher than the other entrance. I don't remember ever seeing the shaft in the Guy Close area, but here's a pic. of it.