The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre in Edge Hill has confirmed it will close to the public at the end of opening hours on Sunday 20 December 2026.
The centre, which preserves the legacy of one of Liverpool's most storied historical assets, has faced various problems over the last year in an attempt to secure its long-term future.
Background of the Tunnels
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 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. For the last two decades, the site has had a dedicated heritage centre located in Edge Hill.
Fundraising Campaign
Last year, the ECHO reported on a campaign to raise thousands of pounds to save the centre, after the Joseph Williamson Society announced it could be forced to close due to financial difficulties and a £20,000 rent bill.
Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre manager David Bridson told the ECHO at the time they needed a "miracle" to stay open, but a fundraising campaign generated more than £23,000 in just one week, and helped keep the centre going for more than a year.
End of the Road
Despite the continued support and generosity of the public, as well as the efforts of those involved in running the centre, it now appears to be the "end of the road".
In a statement published to the Facebook page linked to the official website, Bridson wrote on Sunday: "On the 25th May 2025 the Joseph Williamson Society launched a GoFundMe page to try and raise the £20,000 needed to save the Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre."
"Thanks to all of you very generous people out there we reached our target and the heritage centre continued to operate but now it seems we have reached the end of the road."
"Despite two years of negotiations (and a court case), the financial liabilities that would be imposed by the proposed new lease are far beyond the society's means to pay and so the decision has been taken by the trustees to close the centre."
"Consequently, it is with huge regret that we have to announce that the heritage centre will close to the public at the end of opening hours on Sunday 20th December 2026."
Friends of the Williamson Tunnels, a separate organisation that operates sections of the tunnels under Mason Street and Paddington, will be unaffected by any closure.
