A subterranean world hidden beneath Edge Hill could be lost to future generations.
The mysterious Williamson Tunnels, spanning from Mason Street to Grinfield Street, Smithdown Lane and Paddington, date from 1810 to 1840. Wealthy tobacco merchant Joseph Williamson employed out-of-work labourers to create a maze of brick-arched underground tunnels and vaults for seemingly no reason.
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.
READ MORE: 27 amazing pictures show step by step Williamson's Tunnels being re-discovered
But the group's chairman said that the unexcavated parts of the vast system could remain lost to the public, as they struggle to acquire a 100-year lease of the land which would allow works to continue.
Gordon Hunter said: "There's quite a bit of work to carry out to expose the full extent of Mr Williamson's kingdom underneath Edge Hill. It's part of the history of Liverpool and therefore we should do as much as we can to preserve it. The universities and schools make use of it and we can't afford to lose it."
The Friends of Williamson Tunnels currently operates on a rotating one-year lease, which Gordon said made it difficult to attract investors as nobody wanted to fund projects that could potentially be cut short.
The group had been negotiating a 100-year lease with Liverpool City Council, but were instead offered a 10-year lease with a £100 rental fee to allow for the excavation to continue.
Gordon said: "This has never been required in the 20 years we have been operating. The fact is that if they put a rent on the last that we're using the excavate the tunnels, we will probably go into debt. Everything here is done by volunteers and we don't ask for one penny from the council, so we feel it's quite unreasonable.
"We only take voluntary contributions. We ask for donations from visitors, and if they feel it's been an enriching experience they will be quite generous. We make enough money to cover our running costs, making sure health and safety is fully in place.
He added: "My hope for the new year is that we secure the 100 year lease which is what we have been negotiating, and we can carry on excavating for the benefit of the public.
"At the moment I don't know how it's going to develop, but if it develops in the wrong way it could be that the tunnels may not be able to continue in the future."
A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said the head of terms - a document which sets out the agreed terms of a commercial transaction - regarding the future ownership of the tunnels had not yet been decided.
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