575 replies to this topic

[james seddon]

Hi Daystate,

No i didn't unfortunatley I did not have the camera and have not been back since, hoping to pop up soon and have another look. It definately went somewhere as very cold air was coming out of it

[Sonia]

Hi there, I was wondering about the term "Crank Caverns". Why are they called 'Crank'? I have not heard of the term before. It sounds interesting to go in them but am not sure I would be brave enough. Once on a school trip long ago, we went in a cavern to see the stalagmites, stalagtites, was really nice, but we didn't go in to small spaces, thank goodness.

[Griffin]

Crank is the name of the district where the caverns are located. As you leave the township of Windle and cross the East Lancashire Road, you turn first right off the Rainford Bypass (A570), and, after a couple of miles, Crank is the first place you come to. You can either continue up to Billinge, or take another road leading to Rainford.

[donkey o'tay]

Crank? Well that's just sick that is.

[Griffin]

I got it, but I fear my experience may not be universal.

[tomfarrall]

It may be a little late for this and seeing as i only had time to read the first dozen pages it may already be on but i know for a fact that during the religious reformation, there was a tree near the caverns which was used to hang catholic priests. This may be of some use to the guy doing the paranormal research. I've also heard from a potholer that there is an alter type formation down there and if you look very closely there are a few faded pagan symbols, all relating to the dark side of paganism...hence the alter being underground. (Hiding from the sun and worshipping darkness maybe)

Me and a friend are going down there on this sunday (28th june 09) around 1/2 o'clock to have a look around and maybe move some of the blockages if they still remain. If anyone fancies coming your more than welcome to join us.

[HORT]

I am intrigued.
How do you know the hanging of priests from this tree is a fact?

[splus]

Does your mum know you are going Tom?

[donkey o'tay]

The 'alter' is a quarrying technique and nothing to do with religion, dark or otherwise.

[cavemaster]

Amazing to see people still have so much interest in the caverns, I might call back down myself soon before the last of the warm weather.

[HORT]

I have just found this article on David Icke’s website:: http://www.davidicke...ad.php?p=749378

After that quoted below the article goes on to quote from St Helens Connect forum on the Caverns.

Has anyone heard any of the stories mentioned below?




Stories of Crank Caverns myths or reality

"What must rank as the strangest find underground is the subterranean church allegedly found near Billinge in the late 18th century.

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."

http://thomasslemen....nderground.html


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.

The rest of the post is from a forum where they have been debating the topics for 4 years.
http://www.sthelens-....showtopic=8585

[Archie]

Icke is s certifiable fruit cake.

The caves are not limestone and are therefore not 'solution cavities'. They are very clearly excavated by man so that anything remotely resembling the fantasy church in the picture is highly unlikely to exist, or have ever existed on the site.

If soldiers actually went down there, the 'voices speaking in a foreign language' is a very common phenomenon in cave exploration and is caused by everything from echoes of your own voice, to the sound of water drops etc., amplified and distorted by the shape of the cave.
I'm happy to meet anyone who wants to explore the caves properly.

Arch

Edited by Archie, 07 July 2009 - 11:04 PM.

[Griffin]

To quote one of our absent members, the caverns don't "go" anywhere. They're the remains of a sandstone delph or quarry, excavated by the "pillar and stall" method. This is not to say that, in an area with a strong Catholic adherence in times of persecution, they might not have been used for secret masses, but I think we can more or less rule out human sacrifice, devil worship and cannibalism. Mind you, there are some strange people in Billinge.

[daystate]

Yes thats right Griff, they 'go'nowhere Just a big circle with two other circles attatched im up for a group trip if anyone wants proof i think ai could navigate it all now, weve been enough times, incidently?sp in the months weve been going there has been 1 cave in, about 4ft x3ft and about 6 inches thick like shalley mud, even so think it would have chaffed a bit had anyone been underneath!!!

[Fisher]

So whens the next trip down???
should get a few go down
whos up for it?