Merseyway Tunnel, Stockport - August 2008

[ricmonkey]

Merseyway Tunnel is 500m long and runs beneath the shopping centre, which is actually built on stilts. The tunnel has a lot of water load measuring equipment, a motorized gantry that runs the length of it, and, surprisingly, gives entry to the shopping centre loading bays! Visited with Alley, Havoc and Bigjobs.

Great group shot taken at this location

Evidence of more of Stockport's tunnel network, and some sandstone bedrock

 

[Richard Davies]

I was wondering a while back is this was do-able.

It was originally build in the late 1930s as a inner town bypass, & converted into a precinct in the late 1960s.

There was an underground toilet until the early 1990s, which went in a refurbishment. I wonder if any signs of it were visable.

 

[BigLoada]

This is really interesting. Those photos are sinister man! Brilliant, I love the one with the water coming out the drain.

 

[Alley]

Sweet photos Ric.

There is evidence of older structures under there: some brick archways which have been backfilled, under the South side of the river. No toilets unfortunately.

It's obviously doable, but it's difficult and risky, and only down to Bigjobs that we made it.

 

[Gibbo]

Nice photos there. Havoc knows more about the location of the toilets which were covered over.

 

[Richard Davies]

From memory the toilet enterance was roughly in front of the shop that's now Anne Summers

There was a bridge crossing the river about there WH Smiths & Woolworths are, as well as one near Barclays.

Both were pulled down when building the current structure.

 

[havoc]

RD, your right on the location of the toilets, from what I know they where just covered over, dont think any drains running off from them would be big enough to explore or gain access to though.

The toilets before they where covered over

Was a cool explore this one if only for the mission in getting across which wouldnt of been possible with out Big Jobs, nice one mate.

 

[smileysal]

Excellent pics mate, really like the gantry going across and the concrete pillars either side. Love all that brickwork and stone work under the concrete pillars. Good to see a pic of the toilets before they were filled in.

Love all those buttons and switches

Excellent find, really like this.

Cheers,

Sal

 

[Richard Davies]

Thanks for that photo, it's more or less as I remember the Merseyway when I was little.

I can't remember there being a walkway on that side though, all the shops on that side have ground floor entrances, though some have 1st floors open to the public ( M&S certainly does).

Coming back to the toilets, I wasn't sure how deep the tunnel roof was at that point. If it wasn't too thick I was wondering if the toilets where actually suspended under the tunnel roof.

 

[Bigjobs]

Quick update.

We went back the other night, and did the other side.

Found these stairs

Which lead to a sqaure concrete room, which had mosaic tiles on some parts of the wall and floor, and a drain hole in the floor.

So it looks like the toilets have been converted into access for maintenance.

 

[Richard Davies]

Quick update.

We went back the other night, and did the other side.

Found these stairs

Which lead to a sqaure concrete room, which had mosaic tiles on some parts of the wall and floor, and a drain hole in the floor.

So it looks like the toilets have been converted into access for maintenance.

That tiling was used a lot in & around Merseyway, & might still be visable in some places, though a lot is now under stucco.

I picked up a free DVD of Stockport made to celebrate the centenary of the Town Hall.

This has some footage of the covering being built & some photos from the early days of the shopping precinct. I've taken some stills but can't find how to upload them here.

 

[krela]

I've taken some stills but can't find how to upload them here.

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=6744