Welcome to WikiWirral, sharing is what we do best.
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,453
Posts1,033,906
Members14,828
Most Online44,182
Mar 18th, 2025
Who's Online Now
9 members (2 invisible), 16,814 guests, and 582 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,809
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
silverking88, ladams888, Davids123, Sunwick, cashandcarry
14,828 Registered Users
New General Forums
Cancel Account?
by ladams888 - 30th Mar 2025 6:25pm
New Wirral History
Bidston Docks!
by Bronski - 27th Mar 2025 4:11pm
Tam O'Shanter. 1841 census
by granny - 25th Mar 2025 6:16pm
Italian bedroom
by cashandcarry - 24th Mar 2025 8:53pm
History Lesson
by bert1 - 23rd Mar 2025 7:41am
New Brighton Stock Car Racing 1971
by KevinFinity - 22nd Mar 2025 4:33pm
Top Posters(30 Days)
bert1 15
Bronski 14
granny 6
Topic Replies
Cancel Account?
by bert1 - 31st Mar 2025 8:08am
Bidston Docks!
by diggingdeeper - 28th Mar 2025 5:16am
Jets flying overhead
by granny - 27th Mar 2025 4:15pm
Tam O'Shanter. 1841 census
by granny - 26th Mar 2025 10:52pm
676 Queens Royal Hotel Marine Promenade Wallasey
by diggingdeeper - 25th Mar 2025 3:16pm
Italian bedroom
by cashandcarry - 24th Mar 2025 8:53pm
New Brighton Stock Car Racing 1971
by diggingdeeper - 24th Mar 2025 6:56pm
History Lesson
by bert1 - 23rd Mar 2025 7:41am
Wirral Festival of sport racing 1971
by KevinFinity - 22nd Mar 2025 4:27pm
April
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 29 30
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
bert1 8
Top Likes Received
bert1 22
Mark 4
casper 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 2 1 2
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,471
Likes: 31
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,471
Likes: 31
That's interesting, it would head under Knox Street and head towards the Monks Ferry Tunnel. This must be the one that was used as a drawing office I think, its somewhere around there.


We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Google Ads
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 760
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 760
I think we are looking at two different things here.

There does seem to have been a tunnel under Monks Ferry (even though it shows as Ivy St on Google Earth) to the old Monks Ferry station (which was later used as a coal terminal). The square shape seen in the ariel photo could mean it was made by the cut and cover method. It seems too small to take an engine. It starts at the top end of the buildings running parallel to Church St, on their easterly side.

Also, there seems to have been two entrances from the shipyard going under Abbey St. when looked at from another ariel photograph. Although the path to it curves with the railway lines, I think it's down an embankment from them.

There's no trace of any of these now, but there is plenty of info on this site regarding the making of the dock and the loss of the graveyard etc.

I've attached another ariel photo on which I've marked in orange the line to Monks Ferry terminal and put green dots at either end of the Monks Ferry tunnel. The purple dots mark what look like round tunnel entrances going under Abbey St.

Attached Images
Lairds North Dots.jpg (731.38 KB, 278 downloads)
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 209
Addict
Offline
Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 209
A former Lairds employee once told me that a tunnel was started somwhere in the yard, but it wasn't very long & came to a dead end. It wasn't a railway tunnel, but something to do with drainage or the like.

Bob.

8HBob #929962 21st Feb 2015 12:32am
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,868
Forum Veteran
Offline
Forum Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,868
The tunnel in the 1912 OS map (post 4) is clearly a rail tunnel. It joins rail tracks at the yard end and at the other end at Monks' Ferry, terminates in a turntable.


Carpe diem.
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,712
Likes: 22
Wiki Veteran
Offline
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,712
Likes: 22
Map images below are before and after Princess Dry Dock,other tunnels on these maps are clearly marked. No tunnel is marked at Abbey Street, so was it a tunnel in the planning that was scrapped?

Attached Images
001.JPG (226.92 KB, 250 downloads)
002.JPG (181.52 KB, 249 downloads)
Last edited by bert1; 21st Feb 2015 7:28am.

God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,471
Likes: 31
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,471
Likes: 31
It must have been a tunnel at some point, they aren't going to dig the cutting and lay the line for nothing, its the only line that goes to the Abbey St wall. And we even have a picture of the tunnel entrance above.


We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 8
Beginner
Offline
Beginner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 8
I might be wrong, but looking at the Britain from above pic it looks as though the Tunnel is bricked up and is just buffer stop. Maybe it was intended to be a tunnel, if it was would it have been a link or branch off from monks tunnel (If that was the case then there would be a bricked up area or branch off Monks Tunnel, which there doesn't seem to be). Shame there isn't a recent pic.

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339
Old Hand
Offline
Old Hand
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339
Very interesting - I have researched this area quite extensively and only knew of the Monks Ferry tunnel. I think this tunnel was used to move single wagonloads of 'steam coal' into Lairds - for the boilers of ships under construction/test to be steamed on.

I will look at my maps for the area again !

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339
Old Hand
Offline
Old Hand
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 339
Can add a little to the puzzle - on a 1950 Britain from above image - there is a definite buffer stop.

Also and perhaps crucially the line is not a British Railway run one - as it is separated from them by fencing and also it branches from the Lairds line that runs next to the BR line over the bridge on Chester Street.

So it is a private line within the Lairds site...

Also as hinted at above, it is situated in a cutting - on a downward gradient towards the 'tunnel mouth' - so at least it looks like it was meant to go through there at some point.

If it was pre-steam railway (which it isn't) - there were tunnels at much lower heights - just enough to get a horse and wagon through - known as tramways - it initially looks like that may be the case - but the destination of the line is then the issue !

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,868
Forum Veteran
Offline
Forum Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,868
Originally Posted by bigpete
Very interesting - I have researched this area quite extensively and only knew of the Monks Ferry tunnel. I think this tunnel was used to move single wagonloads of 'steam coal' into Lairds - for the boilers of ships under construction/test to be steamed on.

I will look at my maps for the area again !


Now that's a strong possibility. Because of the turntable shown on the 1911 O.S. map it's clear that only one wagon at a time could be transferred from the main line at Monks' Ferry to the line at 90 deg. leading into Laird's.


Carpe diem.
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,712
Likes: 22
Wiki Veteran
Offline
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,712
Likes: 22
If the map below is correctly dated, 1850. The rail lines are already in place. The Monks Ferry Tunnel, Chester & Birkenhead railway opened in 1844. Could the tunnel in question(Abbey St) be the one in The Daily News, February 18, 1846. Additional Monks Ferry Tunnel will not be proceeded with.

Attached Images
1850.JPG (191.41 KB, 89 downloads)
1846.JPG (94.47 KB, 89 downloads)

God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 7,098
Wiki Addict
Offline
Wiki Addict
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 7,098
Amazing.
Thanks Bert for taking the time to look this up for us.
interesting thread enjoyed every post.xx

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,471
Likes: 31
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,471
Likes: 31
Excellent work Bert clap clap clap


We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Page 2 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Cancel Account?
by ladams888 - 30th Mar 2025 6:25pm
Bidston Docks!
by Bronski - 27th Mar 2025 4:11pm
Jets flying overhead
by granny - 27th Mar 2025 11:44am
Tam O'Shanter. 1841 census
by granny - 25th Mar 2025 6:16pm
Italian bedroom
by cashandcarry - 24th Mar 2025 8:53pm
For Sale & Free
Member Spotlight
KevinFinity
KevinFinity
Wirral
Posts: 2,361
Joined: April 2009
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
Dr Robert Hermon Wallasey
by robin47 - 8th Mar 2025 9:42pm
Eastham kitchen
by robin47 - 5th Mar 2025 9:48pm
Galtres School Bebington
by AllanB - 20th Aug 2021 7:36am
News : New Topics
Jets flying overhead
by granny - 27th Mar 2025 11:44am
Are our local councillors all insane?
by Excoriator - 20th Mar 2025 10:32am
Wirral Planning searches
by Excoriator - 16th Mar 2025 4:39pm
New Ferry regeneration
by Excoriator - 16th Mar 2025 4:22pm
Old Littlewoods Building
by Excoriator - 11th Mar 2025 12:39pm
New Enthusiast Forums
Tranmere Tunnels - Inside the Shaft Part 2 Access
by KevinFinity - 24th Jan 2015 7:22pm
Popular Topics(Views)
10,282,888 CW Chat room thread
5,556,460 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,397,780 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5