The Queensway Mersey Tunnel is something we take for granted now.

People who use it regularly see it as a necessary evil, while those yet to explore the wilds of the Wirral think of it as that mysterious place that the spider disappeared into back in 2008. It’s odd to see it so empty, and so round, in this photo of the construction in 1931.

This is another blast from the past from the Stewart Bale collection held at the Maritime Archives and Library, at Merseyside Maritime Museum. This view shows the 44-foot diameter tunnel, looking towards Liverpool from Birkenhead.

Photograph copyright National Museums Liverpool