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tunnel


yodude64

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  • 2 weeks later...

 as i was told as a child winwick church is were a king fell also wordv of mouth i was told cromwellk was caught up a tree in winwick all though the hidding cave was over a mile away newton lake were ib was told it was very well hidden seemingly kept in tacked by the church sounds silly almost like their waiting for it to be found otherwise why not destroy it long ago , winwick and the tunnels their is somewere id like to explore very soon

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I do not think stories of tunnels under Warrington are that far fetched.

 

Under ground river and streams are not that unusual and I have been told there is at least one under Warrington, one of Londons largest rivers flows underground (I think its name is the Fleet). It is perfectly possible there may be dry ones especially during summer.

 

Secondly escape tunnels dug for the purpose is also common many were even dug in medieval times.

 

look at the tunnels of Nottingham castle as an example

 

http://www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/explore/nottingham-castle-caves

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  • 5 months later...

Hello to yodude64, and everyone else! 

 

Could the Winwick tunnels be part of the Winwick Water Works.  I found this online: http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/districtuploads/callandss/1720114.A_history_of_water/

which mentions tunnels from Delph Lane to Dam Lane. 

 

I understand why people are fascinated by the mystery of underground tunnels, but I'm sceptical.  Others have pointed out the difficulties in construction, the time and labour required, and the considerable costs.  One has to ask the question, "Why?".  Why would anyone want to put all that effort into constructing a tunnel?  What was its purpose?

 

I don't understand the story of Oliver Cromwell and a tunnel from the Academy to the Parish Church.  The Academy wasn't built until about 100 years after Cromwell's death.  Cromwell was only in the town briefly.  He had no time, no inclination and no reason for building a tunnel to or from anywhere. 

 

Tunnels (or culverts) to manage water courses are common enough, and I wonder if this could explain the structures mentioned by old Warringtonians.  The River Fleet and several other London rivers are culverted, and have been for a long time.  I read that sections of the Fleet were covered over as early as the 1730s. 

 

Nottingham Castle tunnels look fascinating, but its clear that many of them are natural caves rather than manmade structures.  It seems that some have been altered, adapted and extended over many centuries, but not built 'from scratch', so to speak. 

 

Does anyone have any more thoughts on this?

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  • 5 months later...

I was a witness at Warrington crown court, defendants found guilty and there was trouble in court when jury returned verdict, police involvement to restore order and I was taken under the court to a tunnel  enterance that took me under the court under Warrington town centre and came up to safety in Warrington town centre 

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4 hours ago, Stevegg said:

I was a witness at Warrington crown court, defendants found guilty and there was trouble in court when jury returned verdict, police involvement to restore order and I was taken under the court to a tunnel  enterance that took me under the court under Warrington town centre and came up to safety in Warrington town centre 

How long ago was that and where abouts in the town centre did you come out Stevegg?  I wonder if the tunnel you were taken down still exists to this day:D
Fascinating stuff :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Next to the where the Friar Penketh pub has been built, directly opposite the old theatre there used to be a tiny pub. In that pub there were steps leading down to what you first might expect to be a cellar but was in fact the entrance to a tunnel. The tunnel was about 5ft high, 3ft wide with old wooden supports and about 6-8ft in was blocked off with planks of modern type wood, you could see through gaps in the planks that the tunnel went further. I saw it in the 70's.

I don't find it difficult to believe that there could have been tunnels under the town at some stage, but I don't think that they would have been dug by Cromwell's men - when would they have had the time? and why would they dig them? They came here to fight not hide.

Rumour has it, that there was a tunnel from the academy to the parish church. I think any tunnels would far predate these.   I think it's more likely that there were tunnels from the friary and from the parish church site - where there has been some kind of a church since circa 650 - both leading to the old Motte castle. So, by using these tunnels one could get from the friary to the church. These could have been the routes to safety for the religious orders if ever the town was attacked. The old Motte castle would have been where everyone in the town would have fled to safety.

As for construction, I doubt they were 'hewn from rock'. They could have been made simply by digging trenches. putting the framework in and filling in above with a foot or two of soil.  The purpose of these tunnels would merely have been to get them, unseen and protected to the castle. There were probably other tunnels from the friary surfacing in different locations around the town, giving them alternative escape routes should the friary be raided. The religious orders would be obvious targets for raids, having valuable icons etc and during the persecutions, considering the brutal deaths they would suffer if caught, it would seem to me stupid of them not to have devised some form of escape routes.    

  

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  • 4 years later...
On 12/29/2011 at 10:41 AM, harry hayes said:

Several years ago I posted a topic on Cromwell's cave at Winwick. Also posted in the Guardian. There was various talk but nothing worth quoting arose, and similarly about the other caves mentioned.

 

The one at Winwick was directly opposite the main gates to the hospital. We used to play inside it as children, but it was blocked off a few yards inside and later blocked off altogether.

An older friend told me that they had travelled further into the cave but had turned back when it got too dark and scary. (the cave allegedly went to the Academy in Bridge street, but people thought it more likely it went to Winwick church although my memory says it headed off townwards.

 

Happy days

Hello Harry,

Was there a white cottage near the cave set back on Hollins Lane? I lived in a cottage as a baby in the sixties (near the mental hospital) and was told it was where Oliver Cromwell once stayed. I also know it was near Lander’s Farm and you could see the church from the cottage. Having just come back from Winwick I couldn’t find it. It has either been knocked down or I’m misremembering. Can you help?

Thanks, Carrie

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