When I was first born(35 years ago) up until the age of three I used to live in an old priory in Watergate Lane in Woolton it was called St. Bennets Priory. My Mum and Dad told me of the subterranean passage that began in the cellar of the house. They found the entrance (which was partially blocked) while checking the electric meter. As I was too young to remember very much at all about the Priory I did a bit of research and found the following.....

St. Bennet's Priory.

After the Reformation, the Catholic families of Great Britain practiced their Faith in secret. Those Manorial buildings, which remained to Catholic owners, were furnished with secret rooms, passages, and exits for the safety of priests, who crept there, in disguise, to attend to the spiritual needs of the family and all the inhabitants of the Manor.



For many generations the Norris family at Speke Hall played a great part in preserving the Roman Catholic Faith in South West Lancashire. Speke Hall, which is about two miles from Woolton, contains hiding places for priests. Entrances and exits were often affected by means of subterranean passages leading from the Hall to the banks of the Mersey. In 1586, we read that a certain priest named Richard Brittain "remayneth now at the house of Mr. Norris of the Speke." This Mr. Norris later became Sir William Norris, and his descendants remained true to the old Faith.


Here's a link to the full article...

RootsWeb: ENG-LANCS-WOOLTON-MUCH-L [ENG-LANCS-WOOLTON-MUCH] Woolton History 19

Moreover, when the priory was knocked down to build houses the builders, working on the Watergate Lane site, unearthed the remains of a tunnel.

It was a really spooky place to live, I remember clearly the tomb stone in the garden and the graves. They have now been removed and put in St Mary's Church in Woolton. My Mum told me of the time she was hanging out the washing one day only to slip and twist her ankle on one of the graves that was badly damaged and falling in. She said the place was haunted!