An underground network of tunnels was discovered under Liverpool. Now workers think they’ve solved the mystery
Volunteers say the tunnels were a philanthropic project to keep unemployed men working, a theory supported by decades of research and excavation.
- On Sunday, visitors explored the Williamson Tunnels, a multi-level underground network in Liverpool, England, dug by tobacco merchant Joseph Williamson—known as 'The Mole of Edge Hill'—in the early 19th century.
- Williamson likely created the tunnels for philanthropy, spending 34 years employing men who needed work after the Industrial Revolution and the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815.
- The site features vast chambers, including a 27-foot-high 'Banqueting Hall' and a 65-foot-long expanse, with some floors covered by rubble estimated to be 20 feet deep.
- Two separate organizations, the Friends of Williamson Tunnels and the Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre, now manage the site and offer public tours of the long-lost cellar system.
- Researchers have struggled for 30 years to decipher the purpose behind the tunnels, noting that the secretive Williamson left behind a 'centuries-old mystery' that continues to fascinate visitors.
16 Articles
16 Articles
An network of tunnels was discovered under Liverpool. Now the mystery may be solved
It's an unassuming entrance to what's been described as the world's largest underground folly, a centuries-old mystery buried at least 60 feet below the streets of Liverpool, England, and stretching out for perhaps a square mile or more.
It is a discreet entrance to what has been described as the greatest underground extravagance in the world. A centenary mystery buried at least 18 meters beneath the streets of Liverpool, England, could occupy an area of some...
The discovery that amazed Liverpool: a maze of tunnels hidden under centuries-old cities. The mystery of construction has been elucidated
An underground network of tunnels was discovered under Liverpool. Now workers think they’ve solved the mystery
By Maureen O'Hare, CNN Liverpool, England (CNN) — It’s an unassuming entrance to what’s been described as the world’s largest underground folly, a centuries-old mystery buried at least 60 feet below the streets of Liverpool, England, and stretching out perhaps for a square mile or more.The peeling, graffiti-covered facade of a Georgian house is all
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