wirral

The Mersey Tunnels

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The George's Dock building which houses the ventilation shaft for the Queensway Tunnel, one of the two Mersey road tunnels

Why yes, I am stretching out a single day trip to Liverpool and Wirral into four blog posts. The first was our trip to Eureka Science + Discovery in Wirral, the second about the Mersey ferries, the third about the Museum of Liverpool, and now this, about the tunnels that run under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wirral.

There are three tunnels under the River Mersey; the oldest is the railway tunnel, which is now part of the Wirral Line of Merseyrail. The Queensway Tunnel opened in the 1930s, and is the oldest road tunnel, with the Kingsway Tunnel opening in the 1970s to relieve congestion. As it happened, Google Maps directed me through the Queensway Tunnel on the way there, and Kingsway Tunnel on the way back. And I got to experience the Mersey Railway tunnel back in 2010, so I’ve now been through all three.

Both road tunnels charge a toll – it’s about £2 for cars, but check the Mersey Tunnels web site for current prices. The toll plazas are on the Wirral side; unlike the newer Mersey Gateway Crossing further upstream, you have to pay to enter or leave the tunnels and can’t pay later online. Thankfully, card payments are accepted as well as cash.

The two tunnels differ in design. Both have two lanes of traffic easy way, but the newer Kingsway Tunnel has two separate bores rather than one single wide bore. The Kingsway Tunnel is also the only one open to heavy goods vehicles; the Queensway Tunnel has a 3.5 tonne weight limit, and buses must use the offside lane due to the lower ceiling. They’re also different lengths; the Queensway Tunnel is about 1 km longer than the Kingsway Tunnel, even though the Kingsway Tunnel is further downstream.

Another interesting fact is that the tunnels have their own police force; indeed, there are four police forces active in Liverpool. As well as the Mersey Tunnels Police and Merseyside Police, Liverpool Cathedral and the Port of Liverpool also have their own police forces. That’ll make a good pub quiz question.

The tunnels need ventilation shafts, and many of these are now landmarks alongside the River Mersey; indeed, the Georges Dock shaft in Liverpool is now grade II listed.

If you don’t want to pay the tolls, then expect to make a much longer journey. The next two crossings upstream, the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Mersey Gateway Crossing, also charge tolls (and the prices are similar), so the first ‘free’ bridge over the River Mersey that you can drive across is in Warrington. When I was planning my journey, a route avoiding the tolls took me down the M6, across on the M56 and up into Wirral on the M53, adding around 7 minutes and 32 km (20 miles) onto my journey. The extra fuel burnt would probably have equated to the toll.

Taking a ferry across the Mersey

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A photo of the Royal Iris ferry on the River Mersey in Liverpool

So, I mentioned in our visit to Eureka Science + Discovery that it’s located in the Seacombe Ferry Terminal in the Wirral, and that a typical visit lasts 2-3 hours. Therefore, that gave us a spare afternoon, and our eight-year-old decided that a ferry journey was in order.

The Mersey Ferries fill a double role. At peak times on weekdays, they offer a fast 10 minute crossing every 20 minutes for commuters. But at weekends and weekday daytimes, they take a less direct route and offer a 50 minute River Explorer Cruise with a commentary pointing out major riverside landmarks. And yes, you’ll get to hear that Gerry and the Pacemakers song too.

Boarding in Wirral, the first part of the journey took around half an hour. You pass the other ferry terminal in Wirral at Woodside, adjacent to the U-Boat Story museum – both are currently closed for renovations, but Christine and I visited in 2010. You then pass where the (much larger) ferries to Ireland depart, before the boat performs a u-turn and passes Liverpool Arena and the Albert Dock. You then arrive at the Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal (yup) in Liverpool.

The return journey to Wirral heads down the Mersey as far as the under-construction Everton Stadium, before again turning and passing Wallasey and onwards back to the Seacombe terminal.

The ferry we travelled on was the Royal Iris of the Mersey. Built in 1959, it’s seen a lot and various bands and artists have performed on it over the years – Elvis Costello, The Searchers, the aforementioned Gerry and the Pacemakers, and, yes, The Beatles. The on-board interior is rather sparse, but there’s a café which, thanks to a loophole (see this Tom Scott video), can sell alcohol without a license.

Currently the Royal Iris is the only ferry in use, but a new one is being built, to launch in 2026 – and it’s being built locally in Birkenhead.

Our eight-year-old really enjoyed the return trip. It’s not cheap – around £13 for adults and £8 for children. The ferries are accessible though as you can board and alight using ramps, and there accessible toilets on board.

Visiting the ‘other’ Eureka in Wirral

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A photo of the entrance to Eureka Science + Discovery in Wirral

Since 1992, Halifax has been home to Eureka, the National Children’s Museum. But in 2022, a ‘new’ Eureka opened in Wirral, just across the River Mersey from Liverpool, and I took our eight-year-old to visit a couple of weeks ago.

As we live near Halifax, we’ve taken our eight-year-old to Eureka a few times over the years, so we wanted to see what the new museum was like.

Eureka Science + Discovery

The ‘new’ Eureka is branded ‘Eureka Science + Discovery’, and is aimed at slightly older children. The original Eureka was groundbreaking at the time of its opening by being very hands on, when most other contemporary museums locked their exhibits away inside glass cabinets with ‘do not touch’ signs everywhere. Eureka Science + Discovery carries on with the same ethos, and there’s lots of things to touch and interact with. But there’s also more to read, in line with its older target age group of 7-14 year-olds.

Downstairs, you can learn about the body, and there’s an auditorium at the back. Upstairs there are two zones – one focussing on nature, and the other about science, especially in the home. Through a separate entrance is The Burrow, which is a play area for the under-7s and is included in the ticket, and of course there’s a shop and a café – again the café has a separate entrance and is open to the public.

We spent a full morning at the museum. Older kids may get more out of it, if they take the time to read the displays, but allow 2-3 hours for a visit.

A photo of the inside of Eureka Science + Discovery. There is a very large blue cat.

Accessibility

Eureka Science + Discovery is based in the Seacombe ferry terminal in Wirral, and so you can catch a ferry across the Mersey to Liverpool and back. It’s a bit of a walk from the nearest Merseyrail station at Hamilton Square, but there are buses. There’s also a pay-and-display car park, although if you are driving and aren’t using Google Maps or the like, make sure you follow signs for the Seacombe ferry terminal. Although Eureka has been open a little while now, there aren’t any ‘brown signs’ yet for directions.

Being a brand new museum, accessibility is top-notch, with lifts and a changing places toilet. Extra support is also available for those with sensory issues.

Pre-booking of tickets is required, but then they’re valid as an annual pass. Whilst it’s not yet listed on the Max Card web site, if you have a Max Card, then one adult and one child get in absolutely free at present. Tesco Clubcard vouchers are also accepted but can’t be redeemed for an annual pass.