WikiWirral Wirral's Biggest Online Forum
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,436
Posts1,033,835
Members14,789
Most Online30,276
Jan 9th, 2025
Who's Online Now
14 members (AR_One, 2 invisible), 9,150 guests, and 549 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,803
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
Mattygray, PaulOstermeyer, Christoff, Janos, Bobster
14,789 Registered Users
New General Forums
New Wirral History
Woodslee School Croft Lane Bromborough
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 1:10pm
Heswall and "Yowlers"
by neil1024 - 22nd Jan 2025 11:36am
Storeton Radar Station WW2 era
by DaveCaraher - 29th Dec 2023 12:16pm
Seafield House, Tranmere
by chriskay - 7th Aug 2014 12:25pm
Coffers Dam Disaster
by dava2479 - 20th Dec 2008 10:09pm
Top Posters(30 Days)
bert1 10
JunxinH 10
Topic Replies
Jorvik mt11 trike
by gregory66 - 17th Feb 2025 6:29pm
Unilever Research
by gregory66 - 16th Feb 2025 12:21pm
Help Pensioners
by TudorBlue - 10th Feb 2025 12:48pm
Woodslee School Croft Lane Bromborough
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 1:10pm
Seafield House, Tranmere
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 11:06am
Storeton Radar Station WW2 era
by AR_One - 6th Feb 2025 3:19pm
The most interesting building in New Ferry
by bert1 - 5th Feb 2025 10:58am
Lucy Letby
by diggingdeeper - 4th Feb 2025 2:54pm
Heathrow's third Runway
by Jeremy - 3rd Feb 2025 12:26pm
February
M T W T F S S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
Top Likes Received
bert1 14
casper 4
Mark 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 690
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 690
When i started working for Arriva about 4 years ago I was told a story about underground tunnels there.

The depot was originally a tram depot and was changed for buses at some point. When they tore down the old buildings and dug some of the ground up to relay a decent floor and foundations for the new building they found some underground tunnels and rooms. Nothing was in them but they didnt seem to be for any purpose. A few people reckoned they went to the docks or seacombe and they where bomb shelters. Noone got to go down there though and everyone was forbidden to enter (obviously some people sneaked in for a nose and said it looked like it went on for ages) and it was of course covered back up.

Anyone got any info or ideas? I thought it could be an escape route from the docks into bidston or claughton for the workers.


I HATE cars.
[Linked Image]
Google Ads
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,990
Are you SoNutz?
Forum Master
Offline
Are you SoNutz?
Forum Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,990
Hey dave... Not tunnels am afraid but it was actually storage compartments (cellar) they did go for ages they where built for the entire length of the Bus Station the old Tin can one (what i call it) I think you can still get to them from the cellar underneath the Offices but im not sure i will investagate further as i have an uncle who works there and a friend who used to work to smile happy


Lee Mills

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Offline
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
what where thay used for? why so big? happy


[Linked Image] Please do not adjust your mind, there is a slight problem with reality
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,000
Awesome
Wiki Master
Offline
Awesome
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,000
I once nursed a man who had fallen off the old sheds when he was a boy. He had quite severe epilepsy as a result of the fall. Nice fella though he had a filthy mouth if he got agitated. Probably dead now.

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 131
Enthusiast
Offline
Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 131
They're going digging work in the Asda here in Liscard, I work there so when I go into the warehouse yard on the odd occasion you see the test pits put in. Nothing seen in there so far in terms of tunnels but there's old brickwork from its days as a tram/bus depot visible. Maybe I'll have to ask one of the workies if there's been anything useful found in there.

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Offline
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
good info gang! thumbsup

Last edited by TRANCENTRAL; 17th Oct 2008 10:46am.

[Linked Image] Please do not adjust your mind, there is a slight problem with reality
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 6,644
Keep It Real !!
Wiki Guide
Offline
Keep It Real !!
Wiki Guide
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 6,644
Can any 1 get pics ???


[Linked Image from ]





Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 690
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 690
I dont work there anymore you see so i cant really ask anymore info. But ill pop in soon and ask. Theres a few lads who have worked there over 30 years and more, and have lived nearby all their lives so they may have a story or two to tell.

Ill look into the access via the offices too.


I HATE cars.
[Linked Image]
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4
Beginner
Offline
Beginner
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4
These "tunnels" were only at the front of the sheds, an area known to staff as "The Pits."
Going back to the days of the tram, i understand that trams would run into this area, over a series of open pits. This enabled work to be carried out underneath. There were perhaps half a dozen parallel pits, of maybe 60 yards in length, and there were occasional "gaps" connecting these lengthy pits, enabling workers to go from pit to pit, without having to keep climbing in and out. I imagine the tram lines just went over these gaps.
Eventually, as trams were phased out, most of these pits were covered over -rather than filled in. On some of them the front part was left exposed for buses to be worked on. (I remember a bus falling into one of these pits when the shunter got too close to the edge!) In time, probably in the 1980's, these were also covered over, as all maintenance work was done further down the garage.
However, it was still possible to gain entrance to these undercover pits, from the MOT bays further down, and it was possible to walk pretty much the entire matrix of them.
Without prior knowledge of the original use of these pits, they would seem to be a strange, pointless collection of tunnels.
I have one or two photos from the day i went down them, and will see if i can find and post whatever i have. -Don't hold your breath!
There was also at least one air-raid shelter from the war that was also accessable from within the garage.
However, there is nothing left now, as, following the demolition of the old sheds early into this millenium, the entire garage floor and matrix of 'tunnels' were dug up, and filled in, to allow for the new bus parking area, following redevelopment of the depot.
Incidentally, during the preparation works for the new yard, underneath the old bottom garage, the subsoil was NOT found to be merely subsoil. Following research at Birkenhead Library, it transpired that BEFORE becoming tram sheds, at some point in the mid-nineteenth century there was a brick works on the site, and all the clay had been dug up for brick production, and the hole was filled in with all sorts of garbage.
Huge drilling machines had to be brought in, to dig down to the bedrock below, and pilings were inserted to support the new bus parking area!
I may need correcting one or two things in the above, but the general information is correct.

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 74
Member
Offline
Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 74
Originally Posted by Snooze
I once nursed a man who had fallen off the old sheds when he was a boy. He had quite severe epilepsy as a result of the fall. Nice fella though he had a filthy mouth if he got agitated. Probably dead now.

I too nursed a guy who had fallen from these sheds as a young boy, the guy you mentioned maybe sounds like the same guy? He had a great sense of humour,an a v heavy smoker,ended up in a home in birkenhead ?

Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,357
Likes: 1
Forum Master
Offline
Forum Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,357
Likes: 1
I worked on the new bus deport there when it was built. Our company did the electrics. I never saw any underground tunnels when I was there. The nearest I got where small cable ducts that run under the yard from the back of the old office building to the new workshop building further back.
I did however only start on that site just after the new yard/bus wash and service building where erected and two thirds of the original shed had been demolished so I didn't get to see what was under the concrete before it was laid.

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,235
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,235
i remember waking up on the back seat of a bus in the bus wash there one night, didnt see any tunnels so went back to sleep


needed to change this for years. so now i have. ha
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 19,446
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 19,446
Originally Posted by rentaclown100
i remember waking up on the back seat of a bus in the bus wash there one night, didnt see any tunnels so went back to sleep
raftl

Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 8,620
H4H County Volunteer
Wiki Veteran
Offline
H4H County Volunteer
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 8,620
Originally Posted by rentaclown100
i remember waking up on the back seat of a bus in the bus wash there one night, didnt see any tunnels so went back to sleep


Why doesn't that surprise me wink raftl


Sometimes Police Officers give more than just speeding tickets!

It�s hard to be fit as a fiddle when you�re shaped like a cello!

Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Unilever Research
by Excoriator - 8th Feb 2025 5:45pm
Woodslee School Croft Lane Bromborough
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 1:10pm
The most interesting building in New Ferry
by Excoriator - 3rd Feb 2025 2:42am
Royal Oak Little Neston ghosts?
by LibraryDenJ - 31st Jan 2025 11:00pm
Heathrow's third Runway
by Excoriator - 30th Jan 2025 12:13pm
For Sale & Free
Jorvik mt11 trike
by Dilly - 27th Oct 2024 2:49pm
Member Spotlight
diggingdeeper
diggingdeeper
Wirral
Posts: 14,460
Joined: July 2008
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
Unilever Research
by Excoriator - 8th Feb 2025 5:45pm
The most interesting building in New Ferry
by Excoriator - 3rd Feb 2025 2:42am
Heathrow's third Runway
by Excoriator - 30th Jan 2025 12:13pm
Help with general life
by Peter0787 - 28th Jan 2025 7:00pm
Help Pensioners
by diggingdeeper - 25th Aug 2023 8:41am
News : New Topics
Wirral Bins Cancelled this week
by diggingdeeper - 10th Jan 2025 3:01pm
Lucy Letby
by diggingdeeper - 16th Dec 2024 6:16pm
New Enthusiast Forums
Royal Oak Little Neston ghosts?
by LibraryDenJ - 31st Jan 2025 11:00pm
Shaftesbury Boys Club
by derekdwc - 10th Aug 2013 4:41pm
Popular Topics(Views)
10,180,481 CW Chat room thread
5,495,053 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,349,128 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5