The long forgotten Tunnel

Somerfield's plans could unearth a long forgotten tunnel, says historian

A Supermarket's plan to build a small footpath over the Cross could lead to the re-discovery of a long forgotten tunnel in Lymm.

Community News historian Mark Olly's research into the folklore of the area has convinced him a tunnel used to exist between the area below the Italian restaurant Baci on Pepper Street and the stocks on the Cross.

But little information exists to determine whether the tunnel, which would have been used to transport prisoners from their holding cells below the area where Baci now stands to their fate on the Cross, still exists, or whether it has been filled in.

It was last sighted when the two prison cells, which were calved out of standstone as early as the 17th Century and used up until the middle of the Victorian era, were taken out sometime last century.

However, it could be sighted again if Somerfield's plan to create a small footpath over the Cross get off the ground.

The plans which are currently being drawn up by the supermarket would involve the replacing of several cobbles on the Cross with half-a-dozen paving slabs.

Olly says this would be a great opportunity to find out more about the village's history - because nobody can be sure what lies beneath the cobbles.

The historian who lived in Lymm for seven years, researched the area for his book, Celtic Warrington and Other Mysterys 2. He said "My research took me to somebody from Lymm who had helped remove the two cells below the Italian restaurant. The exact date of this is uncertain, but it was many many years ago. My source who was a teenager at the time, remembered a tunnel running from the cells in the direction of the stocks."
"He said it was then walled up. To my knowledge, nothing has ever been written about this, and there has been no archaeological study on the site. I still need to do a lot more research before I can include it in one of my books."

What lies beneath?

"If the cobbles are to be lifted to create this new footpath, it would be very interesting to have a look what's underneath them. I'm quite sure a tunnel existed, because my source is very reliable. Whether it has been filled in os still exists nobody knows."

"But there must have been an exit at the stocks, and there may be someone living in Lymm who remembers the prison cells been taken out."

"If they do decide to do this, I would strongly recommend an amateur or professional archaeologist be on hand to record it."

Olly believes the tunnel may have been created to protect prisoners from retribution from angry locals as they made their way to the stocks.

The stocks themselves, an enduring symbol of Lymm, were last used in the 19th Century at the beginning of the Victorian Era.

Source: 'Community News' Newspaper - February 2002