Western Command headquarters, Chester & Bidston Hill, Wirral - April 2012

[canute]

Western Command headquarters, Chester is described as a large underground battle headquarters from WW2

sited on the crest of the southern escarpment of the River Dee and is built directly on the underlying bedrock, Bunter pebble beds. Probably shortly after the construction of the headquarters a network of tunnels was excavated to the east of the headquarters to act as an underground battle headquarters. Colloquially it was known as the `Catacombs'. During the war the available accommodation at the headquarters was increased by the erection of temporary timber hutting around the main offices and on land around Victoria Crescent.

The layout is basically 4 entrance/exit tunnels with rooms in the cross-tunnels. The sandstone in the cross-tunnels was lined and ceilings of steel beams and corrugated steel added – that’s where the problem lies as the steel beams were supported on timber columns which have now turned into mush. The occupants (or tunnel diggers anyway) must have been a bit on the short side as some of the main tunnels get pretty low. Missed seeing the tramp who lives there which was a bit of a shame

The door to the upper floor seems to have been have a layer of concrete behind it

Next stop was Bidston Hill which was one of the two deep level shelters built in the Wirral. The Council’s 1941 minutes refer to the tunnels being 7ft wide and 6ft 6in. high but I guess the diggers thought it was a safer place to be than up on the surface being pasted so they kept digging. The extra height must have been helpful at the time with the air quality, a bit of a contrast with the present day. When opened there were 2,213 bunks (3 level) and 793 seats, as a canteen, staff dormitory, toilets, medical aid post and an 80ft high ventilation shaft which doubled as an emergency escape route. The tunnels are 2882ft long in total. A pretty amazing place :

Some poorer rock had to be lined

The toilets had already been smashed up by local kids in 1959

Lava flow

Was looking for a third Grace to round the day off and bumped into these little Scouse browed beasties close to a local McDonalds (did you know that you’re never more than 10ft away from a McDonalds?)

Visited with Dave O. Big thanks to Leaf 1471 and Degenatron