Disused rail tunnels are dull at the best of times and the Walton ones are no exception.
But since someone recently asked me about these I went for an evening wander with a few torches to assess the current situation.
I thought I might as well do it entirely by phone since I was curious to see how a typical phone (iPhone 12) would fare in the dark.
Verdict - not bad, a bit grainy, but all you really need for exploring.
History. Plenty online, see e.g.
The tunnels stretch from a roundabout on Queens Drive in the north, the site of the former Walton-on-the Hill Station, to Kirkdale Station in the south, with two short cuttings as shown in the plan below.
This plan is an edited version of one from the subbrit link above, and is not to scale.
I’ve been visiting these tunnels for years, and used to walk the dog through them after all the rubbish was removed from the cuttings sometime in the 2000s.
There are several reports on here including a few pictures in one of mine:
www.28dayslater.co.uk
www.28dayslater.co.uk
www.28dayslater.co.uk
www.28dayslater.co.uk
Like the somewhat longer tunnels at Edge Hill (Wapping and Victoria&Waterloo) the Walton ones are always open, although access is not quite as easy as it used to be.
Heading in from the south next to Kirkdale Station, the first thing you come across is part of the Canada Dock or Bootle Branch line, emerging immediately to the right of the Walton tunnel portals.
Diesel freight trains still trundle down here to the docks.
There are two Walton portals in the south since a second tunnel (on the right) was started but never completed.
Inside the main tunnel (No 3) with one of the five entrances into the incomplete section.
Looking down the main tunnel with two more entrances lit by torches.
Inside the unfinished tunnel - there are still some raised sections of sandstone in the floor which were never excavated.
Through the first cutting near Selwyn Street.
Middle tunnel (No 2).
Pegs in the wall for ducting.
Through the Liston Street cutting.
Looking back.
Now in No 1 tunnel, with the first of two incomplete sections off to the side.
Looking north in No 1 tunnel, the triangular things in the ceiling are foundations for a flyover on Queens Drive above.
The entrance to another incomplete section can just be seen on the right - the floor here has been backfilled by about a yard.
Inside the second side tunnel, photo taken immediately in front of the ‘rathole’, which is what I call the alternative entrance to these tunnels.
There’s a post on here all about the rathole - just skip to the end: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/walton-on-the-hill-station.72884.
Rathole.
At the end of the crawly section is a little arch which leads into a shaft at the top of which is another short offset shaft to the surface.
The brickwork is just a skin inside a sandstone hole and some of the rungs are a bit loose.
Back into the main tunnel here’s the end, currently locked.
And from the other side earlier in the day.
Finally a few more heading back out in darkness - the first one was actually taken with a camera some time ago.
The orange glow in the trees in the final photo is from Kirkdale Station off to the right.
But since someone recently asked me about these I went for an evening wander with a few torches to assess the current situation.
I thought I might as well do it entirely by phone since I was curious to see how a typical phone (iPhone 12) would fare in the dark.
Verdict - not bad, a bit grainy, but all you really need for exploring.
History. Plenty online, see e.g.
Walton-on-the-Hill Tunnels – Subterranea Britannica
Subterranea Britannica is a society devoted to the study and investigation of man-made (including Nuclear Bunkers) and man-used underground places.
www.subbrit.org.uk
The tunnels stretch from a roundabout on Queens Drive in the north, the site of the former Walton-on-the Hill Station, to Kirkdale Station in the south, with two short cuttings as shown in the plan below.
This plan is an edited version of one from the subbrit link above, and is not to scale.
I’ve been visiting these tunnels for years, and used to walk the dog through them after all the rubbish was removed from the cuttings sometime in the 2000s.
There are several reports on here including a few pictures in one of mine:
Report - - C.L.C Tunnels Liverpool | Underground Sites
In an attempt to gain a foothold into goods traffic from Liverpool's northen docks the C.L.C (Cheshire Lines Committiee) gained an act of parliament to construct an 11 mile branch from Hunts Cross to Sandhills involving tunneling through Liverpool's sandstone ridge. This two mile extension from...
Report - - Walton on the Hill tunnel, Liverpool, Oct 09 | Underground Sites
Walton on the Hill Station was situated on the Cheshire Lines Committee's North Liverpool Extension Line which connected its main Liverpool to Manchester line to the north Liverpool docks at Huskisson by skirting through agricultural land to the east of Liverpool. When the line opened...
Report - - Walton tunnels, Liverpool, July 2017 | Underground Sites
by stranton visited with @ACID- REFLUX The Walton tunnels consists of 3 tunnels, the south tunnels 247 yds, middle tunnels 643 yds & north tunnels 229 yds there's a 70 yd cutting between 1 & 2 tunnels & 143 yd cutting between 2 & 3 tunnels crossed by Liston street bridge. running from Kirkdale...
Report - - Kirkdale railway wasteland mooch | Other Sites
An Easter school holiday explore of a couple of small buildings and some tunnels in the railway wasteland next to Kirkdale Station. This area is where the North Liverpool Extension Line used to run after coming out of the Walton tunnels, ending down by the Huskisson dock. The first building...
Like the somewhat longer tunnels at Edge Hill (Wapping and Victoria&Waterloo) the Walton ones are always open, although access is not quite as easy as it used to be.
Heading in from the south next to Kirkdale Station, the first thing you come across is part of the Canada Dock or Bootle Branch line, emerging immediately to the right of the Walton tunnel portals.
Diesel freight trains still trundle down here to the docks.
There are two Walton portals in the south since a second tunnel (on the right) was started but never completed.
Inside the main tunnel (No 3) with one of the five entrances into the incomplete section.
Looking down the main tunnel with two more entrances lit by torches.
Inside the unfinished tunnel - there are still some raised sections of sandstone in the floor which were never excavated.
Through the first cutting near Selwyn Street.
Middle tunnel (No 2).
Pegs in the wall for ducting.
Through the Liston Street cutting.
Looking back.
Now in No 1 tunnel, with the first of two incomplete sections off to the side.
Looking north in No 1 tunnel, the triangular things in the ceiling are foundations for a flyover on Queens Drive above.
The entrance to another incomplete section can just be seen on the right - the floor here has been backfilled by about a yard.
Inside the second side tunnel, photo taken immediately in front of the ‘rathole’, which is what I call the alternative entrance to these tunnels.
There’s a post on here all about the rathole - just skip to the end: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/walton-on-the-hill-station.72884.
Rathole.
At the end of the crawly section is a little arch which leads into a shaft at the top of which is another short offset shaft to the surface.
The brickwork is just a skin inside a sandstone hole and some of the rungs are a bit loose.
Back into the main tunnel here’s the end, currently locked.
And from the other side earlier in the day.
Finally a few more heading back out in darkness - the first one was actually taken with a camera some time ago.
The orange glow in the trees in the final photo is from Kirkdale Station off to the right.
Last edited:
As always, a proper job there 
