‘We’ve got days to save a vital piece of our city’s heritage’

The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre looks set to close this Sunday – and manager Dave Bridson says there are only days left to save this vital piece of Liverpool history.

The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre needs a £20,000 boost to give it a stay of execution and keep it safe for the next 12 months or, ideally, a ‘miracle’ sum of £275,000 to preserve its future once and for all.

Dave says:

“This is an important part of the city’s heritage that’s at risk, and I’m gutted to think it could be lost.

“Everyone here is shocked and deeply saddened that we could be forced to close.”

“I’m clinging on to hope.

“However likely closure is, I am still praying for a miracle and hoping that we can keep this place going. 

“But I have to admit that time is running out.”

The heritage centre is devoted to preserving the legacy of philanthropist and tobacco merchant Joseph Williamson who created the brick-arched subterranean tunnels and chambers deep below the city’s streets.

An incredible underground world, it was discovered beneath Joseph Williamson’s former house on Mason Street, Edge Hill, and as well as tunnels you can see the dramatic banqueting hall and wine bins quarried out of the sandstone in the early 1800s. 

The tunnels were gradually filled with rubble and remained largely inaccessible until archaeological investigations were carried out in 1995, and since then tours have been led and events held within the fascinating network system.

“The heritage centre was leased to the Joseph Williamson Society, a charity set up to run it, and access to the tunnels is part of the centre and was included in it,” explains Dave. “The freehold initially remained with the developers who bought it in the ‘90s from the council.

“Land above the tunnels has changed hands many times but even after various parts of The Old Stableyard on Smithdown Road, where the heritage centre is based, were sold off the centre had continued to operate on a peppercorn-lease for 25 years.

“But following the failed sale of the freehold after a further development was halted, a firm of property developers are now in control of the site. 

“They have offered the society a new lease but are proposing a commercial rent of £20,000 a year that is beyond our means to pay. They have also offered to sell us the freehold but the asking price of £275,000 is also way beyond our reach.”

Without the finance to pay the new rent figure or buy the freehold The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre will be forced to close, and with it the tunnels themselves.

An online fundraiser with an initial target of £12,000 has so far raised just under £3,500.

Dave says:

“We have been trying to find a solution and have been back and forth with talks, but we have been unsuccessful.

“We will close this Sunday, June 1, and have got until June 6 to remove our belongings and anything we want to save…unless we can find the money.

“This is the city’s heritage and it’s unique, and there are so many more tunnels to clear and who knows what we might find?

“I have worked at the centre for almost 25 years and hundreds of volunteers have given their time to give people an insight into this amazing world that was created below ground.

“We have tours for those interested in such a historical find and we are an educational resource for local schools who come, some year on year, because it fits in with the curriculum. Imagine the social history we can show to schoolchildren, the stoneware jam jars and bottles that have been found.

“There are other tunnels, but if the heritage centre closes all this is going to be lost.”

Dave goes on:

“We can only hope that someone in the city, perhaps another philanthropist like Joseph Williamson, can see the value of what we preserve and look after and help us to save it, or people can donate to the online fundraiser.

“I’m holding on to that hope because this is something that should not be allowed to go forever.

“We have only got days to save it – but I really hope we can.”

Help support the Williamson’s Tunnels fundraiser here.

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