After living on this earth for 30 years, I've finally seen the inside of Wavertree Lock-Up today. Only open for 4 hours a year, I had the chance to take a nose inside.

While I took a load of pictures, you can get an idea of it from my youtube video.

What I wasn't expecting was a single stone floor. There was a very good story from my late grandfather that said that the Lock-Up was merely an entrance to an underground prison/cellar system which covered the entire green that the lock-up sits on.

I've never heard of this yet have done extensive history and research in to Wavertree - even contacted the Wavertree Society over this too.

Does anyone have any evidence to prove that this was the case at all? I know all of the history around the Lock-Up and the laws of the green but the interior of the building is very small to lay more than a few people down at a time.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FL-83XbQs_A

Excellent, I've never seen inside there until now :handclap:

An interesting video.

Very interesting, Cadfael. Thanks! My impression is that the lock-up was pretty much what you saw from the outside, a "one room" cell as it were so it would greatly surprise me if there was any underground warren of cells. I should think its main use was probably a place to allow drunks to sleep it off during the night or to shut up an abusive husband or a thug. I wonder how many people might have been in there at any one time? There must be records somewhere or mentions in someone's correspondence. An interesting question this, Cadfael.

Chris

There was a very good story from my late grandfather that said that the Lock-Up was merely an entrance to an underground prison/cellar system which covered the entire green that the lock-up sits on.



What a good subject for the Folklore and Oddities (http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=44) section.

Great video, allways wondered what it looked like inside.

I saw the lock-up everyday this summer when waiting for the bus. Thanks to let us see the inside.

I've seen the inside of the Everton crest lock up on Netherfield Road South and that is just a single room.