Tranmere Deep Level Shelter, Wirral - June 2016

[Paulpowers]

I got a message on Facebook saying that Tranmere was open again but it wasn't going to be open for long so I was all over it like a Wiganer on a pie.

The way in was a bit tight but as it was late afternoon I wasn't going to worry about being delicate and I just chucked my bag in and dived through which resulted in me landing face down

Once inside the shelter is in reasonable condition

It was at the Birkenhead Town Council in 1940 that the go-ahead was given to build two large civilian air raid shelters in Tranmere and Bidston for the protection of Cammell Laird employees and their families. The tunnel took over two years to build and stretched 6,500ft underground with a final provision to house over 6,000 people. But not just anyone could have access to the shelter and a ticket system was operated with permanent tickets to be given to approved applicants only, tt one point in 1942, the application for tunnel tickets was 4,259 with 2,305 allocated and 1,626 applications refused. By the time the tunnels were completed at a final cost of £131,000 the need for them had disappeared and danger of invasion over. They were then abandoned.

 

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I've got a load of video as well but most of it is blurry and a bit shit so I won't upload it

The shelters are now sealed up again

 

[Lenston]

Wouldnt mind seeing this myself mate, some good snaps to be had down there.