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  1. #1
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    Default Crank caverns, Crank, Mersyside, may 4th 2013

    Visited with the Missus

    After driving to wigan we thougt we would have a walk around crank caves near rainford mersyside.
    I could not go deep into the cave due to the missus being just under 8 month pregnant. So i was going in them on my own and didnt want to leave her stood outside on her own, But i managed to get a few good snaps.
    I want to arrange another visit soon with a few 28dl members so message me if intrested.

    Here is history of the caverns

    The small village of Crank close to Rainford in Merseyside is not the sort of place where you would expect to encounter a vast underground man made cave system, however this little known strange place does exist and many legends are attached to this disturbing place
    Four children decided to explore the limestone caverns in the area and vanished. One child survived and told a terrifying tale about small old men with beards who killed his three friends and chased him.

    The petrified child stumbled over human bones in the caves and finally managed to scramble through an opening to the surface as a hand was grabbing at his ankle.

    The authorities were concerned because a number of people had gone missing in the area near the cave entrances. Two heavily armed soldiers descended into the caverns with torches and claimed that they not only found a heap of human bones, they also found the ruins of an ancient church of some unknown denomination.

    The interior of the church was lit by three large candles and grotesque gargoyles formed part of an altar.

    Throughout the exploration of the underground, the soldiers said they felt as if they were being watched, and also heard voices speaking in an unknown language. One report said that a child's head was found in a cave, along with evidence of cannibalism. After a second investigation, the caves either collapsed or gunpowder was used to seal them, and so the riddle of the underground church of Billinge remains unsolved.
    The caverns are actually the remains of the Rainford Delph Quarry. in which mining ceased in 1865. The surrounding woods and caverns were later used as a game reserve by the Earl of Derby, and in the WWII they became a storage facility for ammunition for the Anti Aircraft position at Crank.
    The Caverns are said to have tunnels leading to them from some of the buildings in
    the Village, one use was for the Catholic priests to escape from the
    Parliamentarians/Cromwell’s soliders.At this time Catholic priests were
    being killed and were banned from saying mass, so they had to practice mass in
    private at places such as Birchley Hall, tunnels from the hall are said to lead to the caverns.
    The main caverns are fairly new compared
    to the main tunnel system which starts at the mousey, Level 1 was for
    mining-nothing else, although one passage which streches to the 12 yarder does
    connect with the original level 2 main system. Level 2 was there first, this was
    a large network of tunnels leading to many known places in the St Helens area
    including the Stork Hotel Billinge, Lowe House Church, Carrmill area, St Aidens
    Church Billinge etc. The tunnels also run under a lot of the Pubs in the
    Billinge area, not all of them have entrances, but i believe the tunnel network
    under the Billinge arms (George and Dragon) may hide a dark secret.
    The Stork Inn in the village of Billinge located 2-3 miles from the cave entrance and where one of the tunnels is said to have connected with the cellar some time in the past.There is a story that the Church was once above ground, but due to part of the
    Cavern’s tunnels collapsing, the Church sunk into the ground and fell inside the caverns.

    Here are my shots

    The caves are in the trees








































    Thanks for looking I hope you liked
    exploring in manchester ?
    give me a SHOUT!!!

    tomos25@live.co.uk

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Crank caverns, Crank, Mersyside, may 4th 2013

    I bet that place would produce some interesting echoes if one were to SHUOT loudly inside.

  3. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to jST For This Useful Post:

    Only2Eyes (07-05-2013), steatridge@yahoo.co.uk (04-02-2015)

  4. #3
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    Default Re: Crank caverns, Crank, Mersyside, may 4th 2013

    loads of stories about underground lakes and an extensive tunnel network here
    http://www.sthelens-connect.net/foru...re-do-they-go/
    long winded but sounds like good info to me mods please deleate if not allowed as its another forum (not urbex tho)

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