Wishing everyone a merry and peaceful Christmas!

Chris Palmer, RIP We recently received the very sad news that fellow volunteer and digger, Chris Palmer, aged 57 had passed away. This is very sad news that has shocked us all. Chris was a volunteer digger for quite a few years williamsontunnels.com/2025/12/21/c...

Our Christmas and New Year Opening Hours The last tour of the Williamson’s Tunnels this year, will take place on Sun 21st Dec We will be closed on: Wed 24th Dec Sun 28th Dec Wed 31st Dec Our tours will resume on Sun 4th Jan 2026. williamsontunnels.com/2025/12/15/o...

Great reads both. Haven't yet seen the paper on the station Ant.

"The Rocket" (artist unknown) showing the scene in 1840. Painting is located at Agatha Christie's Greenway home in Devon.

Littlewoods, Air Raid Shelter, Edge Lane The Secret, long abandoned, WWII Air Raid shelter, along side the Littlewoods building. I've shown the 280m (approx) bunker on a map, showing its location and entrances from 1940, along with Google Earth today chrisiles.co.uk/2018/09/21/l...

Harland & Wolff, Liverpool It was around 1913 when Harland & Wolff Ltd, expanded their existing shipbuilding business into Liverpool. Opening a further engineering Works and foundry on Strand Road, along with a new head quarters on Regent Road...

At the Manchester end of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. A sketch giving the context for the Liverpool Road terminus. Mid 1830s.

Liverpool & Manchester Railway. A description of how the rail-track or 'permanent way' developed.

Continuing research into the Edge Hill engine station, an approximation of the rope winding mechanisms that operated through the Wapping tunnel for dock-bound goods wagons (gravity out/cable back).

Re: previous post. Edge Hill Engine Station - mid 1830s. How trains were detached from locomotives and rope-hauled to Crown Street station.

Continuing research into the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, a new and more historically accurate version of the Edge Hill Engine station illustration - mid 1830s. Showing the connection between it and Crown Street Passenger station - top right - via a 290 yard tunnel.

@lmrailway.bsky.social . A new project to illustrate all 31 miles of the L&MR with information panels along the way. First steps.All aboard..

The 'Star of Hope' and 'Atlantic' Shipwrecks Two of the many shipwrecks that have foundered on the Sefton Coast, which occasionally becoming visible. The 'Star of Hope' and the 'Atlantic', as shifting sand had briefly uncovered their skeletons, which normally sit submerged for long periods of time

Our next FoWT monthly meeting will take place on Monday 1st December 2025 – 7.00 pm (19.00 hrs) "Bogs, Baths and Basins – the Story of Domestic Sanitation" by David Everleigh. williamsontunnels.com/2025/11/07/n...

2026 Talks and Guest Speakers A list of guest speakers, booked to give talks on a mix of interesting or historic subjects during FoWT's monthly meetings in 2026. williamsontunnels.com/2025/11/07/2...

Ghosts and Ghoulies have moved into Paddington, it's looking quite spooky. Would you like to bring your children for a special Halloween visit of Paddington? We currently have vacancies for 29/10/2025 williamsontunnels.com/visit-the-tu...

With much sadness, we announce the death of Martin Dixon on 15/10/2025, having had cancer for over 5 years. He was a long-time member, former chairman. He & Linda enjoyed many happy times together, including organising numerous Sub Brit trips. We'd love to hear your anecdotes & memories of Martin.

Our next FoWT monthly meeting will take place on Monday 3rd November 2025 – 7.00 pm (19.00 hrs) "James Cropper and Liverpool's unheralded contribution to the Abolition of Slavery" by John Lamb. williamsontunnels.com/2025/10/14/n...

It pains to post uncited quotes. One interesting fact that has always been used is that it could take longer to transport cotton from Liverpool to Manchester than it took to get it from the Americas to Liverpool. Turns out the quote is from a Liverpool corn broker called Sir Joshua Walmsley.

FoWT - Annual General Meeting 2025 The 29th AGM of FoWT, 29th September 2025 at 7pm With guest speaker, Paul O'Donnell of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Trust, on the 'Opening day of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway’ @lmrailway.bsky.social williamsontunnels.com/2025/08/25/f...

Our next FoWT monthly meeting will take place on Monday 6th October 2025 – 7.00 pm (19.00 hrs) "The Lancashire Witches" by Tina Naples. The story of Lancashire's Witches... williamsontunnels.com/2025/09/14/n...

Today is the 195th anniversary of modern railways. The first inter-city railway opened on this day when eight trains left Crown Street in Liverpool for Liverpool Road in Manchester. It didn't do a lot of "firsts", it just got the combination right becoming the template for everything that followed.

Currently researching the guests present on opening day of the L&MR in 1830. One of the hard ones to find information on is Count Potocki the Russian Ambassador. The problem is there are several simultaneous Counts and most contemporary press reports don't distinguish which is which...

FoWT - Annual General Meeting 2025 The 29th AGM of FoWT, 29th September 2025 at 7pm With guest speaker, Paul O'Donnell of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Trust, on the 'Opening day of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway’ @lmrailway.bsky.social williamsontunnels.com/2025/08/25/f...

Not saying crime was rife in Liverpool in 1978, but apparently, even if it was bolted down, it was not safe. Page 15 of the Liverpool Echo for the 9th June 1978 has two separate railway thefts relating to the Liverpool & Manchester Railway.

Next we have a close up of the cutting with and without models of the Moorish arch (model by ‪vrsimility.bsky.social‬) and the two "Pillars of Hercules" chimneys (model by POD). It may be time to remake our Wapping Tunnel route video...

Looking at how much Google Earth has improved in recent times. The 1st image is from 2023, which was made to show the location of the cutting in relation to Edge Hill station. The 2nd image is a 2025 version showing a vast improvement in both image quality and 3D modelling of buildings.

Today marks the 189th anniversary of the opening of Liverpool Lime St station - the oldest grand terminus station in the world still in use. Here is a photo of the station in 1890.

George Stephenson (1781-1848), seen as the father of the railways, died #OTD 1848. He and his son Robert built the first steam passenger railway, the Stockton and Darlington, and built the first public inter-city railway, the Liverpool and Manchester.

FoWT, No. 4 on #LiverpoolWorld 19 must-visit Liverpool attractions with coveted Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards www.liverpoolworld.uk/news/liverpo...

FoWT win TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award 2025, for 8th consecutive year FoWT were delighted to have won, TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice award 2025, Placing tunnels tours with the Friends of Williamson’s Tunnels in the Top 10% of Attractions worldwide. williamsontunnels.com/2025/07/27/f...

A nice old photo of Liverpool Road Station from the Sunday Times. Year unknown.

Guess where we are now?

It's a hard life, on the banks of the Bridgewater canal in Astley. We have been to Chat Moss to see the tracks sink under trains, but modern trains are not heavy enough to see the effect properly... 😕

Network Rail has uncovered the original 1849 rope winding vault for the Victoria Tunnel at Edge Hill. As with the Wapping and Lime Street tunnels, the Victoria used a steam-powered rope haulage system to pull rolling stock up from the North docks.

Continuing on about our visit into the 1829 Passenger Tunnel. The Crown Street portal has two distinct cut-outs to allow the coal wagons to make a sharp turn without clipping the portal stonework. So when we visited, the portal and the two cut-outs are visible from the inside.

While the stalactites in the 1829 passenger tunnel are quite impressive, if a bit delicate and crumbly, the stalagmites are not at all impressive, this four inch example was the biggest one we found.

On Monday, we guided a charity visit into the Edge Hill Cutting. Organised by Network Rail for the Branch Line Society, raising funds for the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. We explored and explained the operation of the Engine Station and investigated the 1829 passenger tunnel that ran to Crown Street

Our next FoWT monthly meeting will take place on Monday 4th August 2025 – 7.00 pm (19.00 hrs) "Saving Chapman - The Last Hilbre Island Lifeboat" by John Parr. The story of Lifeboats from the 1700s, through to opening a lifeboat station on Hilbre Island... williamsontunnels.com/2025/07/15/n...

Yes, a little "Jinty" That ended its working life at Edge Hill before going to Barry for scrap. Saved and restored and now at the GCR, but minus the unofficial painted signs on either side. www.gcrailway.co.uk/the-railway/...

This is carved into the south wall of the Olive Mount Cutting in Liverpool. It shows how much further it is to go to Manchester. Not sure if the markings are every quarter mile. That would need a visit to try to find another one.

A bit of then and now for the front of Lime Street Station. Not sure of the date of "then", but I am guessing at a hundred year interval between shots.

The other King of Edge Hill… Joseph Williamson was affectionately known by many as the “King of Edge Hill”, due to his keeping so many people in employment... ...with Locomotive No. 47406, the “King of Edge Hill” williamsontunnels.com/2025/07/02/t...

New Fridge Magnet designs available… We have just taken delivery of a new set of Fridge Magnets. These 6 unique designs, showing views within the Williamson’s Tunnels, are available to purchase direct from our office on Mason Street. 🧵1 of 2 williamsontunnels.com/2025/07/03/n...

We are also doing very well on Google too, with 180 reviews giving us 4.9 out of 5 starts Thank you everyone 😀 maps.app.goo.gl/o8XXkL1wVNFq...

Delighted to receive our 1000th review on #TripAdvisor. Amazing news, thank you everyone. Williamson's Tunnels - Friends of Williamson's Tunnels Travellers Choice Winner 2024 5.0 star rating #2 of 874 Things to do in Liverpool #HistoricSites www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_R...

An interesting story of a Tunnel found behind a wall in a pub in North Wales... www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-w...

#Paddington Lv4's chambers, originally thought the same depth as Lv3 until our #BigDig. Nov 2013 the top of an arch is discovered. Feb 2015 the full arch exposed to Lv3 floor. July 2016 we reach the floor of Lv4, a cathedral-like chamber, 40ft(12m) high & 60ft(18m) below ground level #photography

descending even further into #Paddington to Lv3, Feb 2013, the infill is still throughout both chambers. July 2014 the Boote chamber is now empty with a ladder for access, but the Lomax chamber beyond is still yet to be fully emptied #photography