The ruins of an historic house marking the entrance to a labyrinth of tunnels under Edge Hill could be torn down as its very foundations have 'rotted beyond repair'.
The remains of the white house belonging to Regency-era businessman Joseph Williamson, the eccentric 'King of Edge Hill' who built the Williamson Tunnels between 1810 and 1840, still stands on Mason Street as a beacon for the famous tunnels, which extend beneath Grinfield Street, Smithdown Lane and Paddington.
Now the centuries-old structure faces the wrecking ball, as the Friends of Williamson Tunnels, the group dedicated to the upkeep of the tunnels, say it has become too unsafe to remain in place.
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The news comes as a hefty blow for the Friends group, which for the past six months has been fighting to save the old house while at the same time trying to secure a 100-year lease of the land from Liverpool City Council, ensuring the preservation of the tunnels for years to come.
Group chairman Gordon Hunter said: "The support beams that have been supporting the place have rotted beyond repair. It has damaged the structure of the house itself.
"The keystones are all just resting on the top of the house. The cement has gone completely. There are areas where cement has come out and it's just the weight of the top stones holding everything together.
"If the steel frame that's holding it up is moved, the whole place would come tumbling down."
The mysterious Williamson Tunnels were thought to have been lost to time after being gradually filled with rubble during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, until archaeological digs were carried out in 1995. Chambers of all shapes and sizes were discovered, including the 64ft 'banqueting hall' and the 40ft deep Paddington chamber.
The true purpose of the tunnels remains unclear, and subject to speculation. The most commonly offered explanation is that Williamson paid for the construction as a way of providing work to struggling local labourers, but some have theorised the tunnels were in fact a refuge in preparation for Armageddon.
Gordon said: "Some of the trustees can see the value of preserving the bricks and using them to build an information centre or some other facility on the site. Others are still very much determined to see the house protected at all costs. But to protect it at all costs would come at the expense of interfering with the negotiations on the 100-year lease.
"At the moment we're only on a one-year rotating lease, and nobody wants to invest in something short-term.
"The Williamson Tunnels is one of the best places to visit in Liverpool and we want to preserve that for the community and visitors alike, but we can only do that with capital investment.
A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said that no plans had been lodged for the demolition of the ruins at this stage.
Gordon added: "Everyone has the same goal, which is ensuring the Williamson Tunnels remain open to the people of Liverpool.
"It's so important that this part of our history is not lost. We've lost so much in the past."
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