Liverpool is home to one of the "best kept secrets" that many pass by "without a second glance".
The Williamson Tunnels, spanning from Mason Street to Grinfield Street, Smithdown Lane and Paddington, date from 1810 to 1840. Wealthy tobacco merchant Joseph Williamson employed workers to create a maze of brick-arched underground tunnels and vaults for seemingly no reason.
Known as the ‘Mole of Edge Hill’, the maze of tunnels expanded the city’s already vast underground network. Now under the care of The Friends of Williamson Tunnels, many people, locals and visitors alike, often pass by "without a second glance".
READ MORE: Mum who would 'do anything for anyone' died in 'freak accident'
With great historical significance for the city, paranormal investigators Chris Cummings and Adam Billing were keen to visit one of Liverpool's "best kept secrets". And they were shocked with what they discovered.
Chris told the ECHO: "There are two sides to the site we were on, both equally fascinating, when you first go in you're at the basement of a house where they started digging from. It's unknown why he dug, one story is religion, it was created to be an underground meeting place, and that fascinated us if that story is true.
"The other is that he was a philanthropist who decided to dig and see how far he could go. It does make more sense but there's nothing to suggest it's true. But the second site, Paddington, is where people have been having paranormal experiences."
After hearing of a "shadow figure" that shows itself to visitors and people "sensing" another being there, Chris and Adam wanted to experience this for themselves. Chris added: "It's a huge site, over three levels, so I was in one area and out of the corner of my eye I saw a figure. I moved from the area sharpish.
"It's pitch black but dark can get darker and that's what I saw in the corner of that room, like someone was stood there. Throughout the night our equipment would flash and we would hear noises and taps that we couldn't explain."
Chris believes he saw what could have been the spirit of a former worker as he added: "They wouldn't have had respiration equipment, there were so many choking hazards. But the strangest thing that happened on the night was we were at the cathedral chamber and we heard on our audio a loud noise, like someone tapping metal, there was no-one there apart from ourselves."
The tunnels were gradually filled with rubble during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and remained largely inaccessible until archaeological investigations were carried out in 1995. Since then, the Friends of Williamson Tunnels have made steady progress, excavating under Mason Street with the help of archaeology students from Liverpool universities.
It is believed Williamson’s tunnels were built in the early 1800s when Liverpool was suffering from a recession due to soldiers returning from the Napoleonic Wars and looking for work. Williamson employed many of them to build his “underground kingdom”, which even includes a banqueting hall. Nowadays, locals and tourists can book various tunnel tours to explore Liverpool's underground world.
Chris said more should be done to promote these tunnels and what they represent. He said: "The work that went into them and how vast they are, the work is not done.
"We are so proud of our history in Liverpool I think this is one we miss. If you go to the bottom floor and look up, your mouth will open in wonderment, how did these people create this space? And people just walk past without knowing the significant because it's underground, people don't know it's there. The entrance just looks like a building but it's all about the history."
Chris met primary school teacher Adam two years ago and during the pandemic, they decided to set up their own 'Haunted Scouse' YouTube channel, exploring Liverpool's spookiest places. What began as a hobby, Chris and Adam wanted to share Liverpool's important history and it has grown from strength to strength.
The full episode can be found on their YouTube Page here, or more information about next locations or to contact the pair can be found on their Facebook page.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
Mum leaves behind five children after dying in fall down stairs
Family 'mortified' after being thrown out of Liverpool Empire's Mother Goose panto
Teen told mum 'don't worry' minutes before he was killed in hit-and-run
Man so ill he can't even cut his own food told he's fit for work
11 characters that were once a familiar sight on Merseyside streets
