Liverpool, parliamentary and municipal borough, city, seaport, and parish, SW. Lancashire, on estuary of river Mersey, 31 miles W. of Manchester and 201 miles NW. of London by rail – parish, 1715 acres land and 755 water, population 210,164; municipal borough, 5210 acres, population 552,508. From the latter part of the 18th century its progress in mercantile and maritime affairs is without a parallel, and justly entitles it to its position in the first rank of British seaports. Commercial intercourse is maintained with every part of the world. Several lines of splendid steamships keep up regular communication with New York; others with Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Halifax, the Canadian ports, and the East and West Indies. Extending along both shores of the Mersey are immense lines of docks, which form the principal feature of the city. On the Liverpool shore they cover fully 6 miles, and on the Cheshire shore, at Birkenhead, 2 miles. Large vessels may proceed up the Mersey as far as the mouth of the Irwell, 35 miles above Liverpool; 5 great lines of railway now enter the city; but by the completion of the Mersey Tunnel, a formidable undertaking, begun in 1872, these facilities have been very materially increased. Inland water communication is kept up with Yorkshire and all parts of Lancashire, chiefly by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Cotton is the staple of the imports of Liverpool, which otherwise include goods from all parts of the world. Recently an enormous trade has arisen through the importation of provisions, including live stock, from America and the colonies. The port, too, is the principal place in the kingdom for the departure of emigrants. Manufactures are not extensive. Shipbuilding has fallen off greatly owing to the competition at the Clyde and in the north of England. The manufactures of engines for marine navigation, however, have a worldwide renown. Sugar refining, iron and brass founding, ropemaking, brewing, chemical works, iron chain cable and anchor making, and the distilling of tar and turpentine, form other leading industries. A large source of trade exists in the produce of neighbouring collieries. Liverpool was created a diocese in 1880, at which time it was transformed into a city by royal charter.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)Note: Merseyside was created in 1974 from parts of Lancashire and Cheshire.
20 Forthlin Road
Allerton
Liverpool L24 1YP
0870 900 0256
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatles-childhood-homes
20 Forthlin Road is one of the most important houses in the history of popular music. This ordinary terraced house was the family home of Sir Paul McCartney right through the early Beatles years.
Beatles’ Childhood Homes, The – National Trust
Mendips, (National Trust)
Liverpool L24 1YP
08457 585702
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatles
Mendips was the childhood home of John Lennon, he lived there with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George and composed early songs in the front porch and in his bedroom. Mendips has been restored to its 1950s period glory.
Bevin Boys Association
General Enquiries to:, Bevin Boys Secretary, D.Elizabeth Todd [Mrs], The Chalet, 24 Oldfield Way, Heswall,
Wirral CH60 6RG
0151 342 3703
www.bevinboysassociation.co.uk
The Bevin Boys Association was formed in 1989 with a small membership of 32 in the Midlands area. By 2009 the membership had grown to over 1,800 from all over the United Kingdom and overseas.
Collections: The Imperial War Museum has now become the home for the preservation of Bevin Boy records, documents and photographs.
Birkenhead Priory & St Mary’s Tower – The Birkenhead Packet
Priory Street
Birkenhead, Wirral L41 5JH
0151 666 1249
www.birkenheadprioryparish.co.uk
This Benedictine Monastery established 1150 is the oldest building on Merseyside. Much of the original building still remains and other parts have been sympathetically restored to their former stature. First restored over a century ago, the site continues to develop with museum displays, education/meeting/concert space and chapel dedicated to HMS Conway (open by appointment).
Croxteth Hall & Country Park
Croxteth Hall Lane
Liverpool L12 0HB
0151 233 6910
www.croxteth.co.uk
Croxteth Hall Country Park is at the heart of what was once a great country estate stretching hundreds of square miles and was the ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton. It is now managed by The City of Liverpool and is one of the major heritage centres of the North West, attracting thousands of visitors every year.
Everton Collection, The
Liverpool Record Office, Central Library, William Brown Street
Liverpool L3 8EW
The Everton Collection is Heritage Lottery funded to promote the history of football through the story of Everton F.C. The Everton Collection is the most complete collection of football memorabilia in the world relating to a single football club.
Garstang Museum of Archaeology, The
School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, 14 Abercromby Square
Liverpool L69 3BX
0151 794 2467
www.liv.ac.uk/sace/garstang-museum/index.htm
The Garstang Museum of Archaeology, in the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology is named in honour of Professor John Garstang, whose excavations in Egypt, Sudan and the Levant produced the majority of our archaeological collections.
Hardmans’ House, The – National Trust
59 Rodney Street
Liverpool L1 9ER
0151 709 6261
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardmans-house
Georgian terraced house – the former studio and home of the photographer E. Chambre Hardman. Collections include a selection of Hardman’ss collection of photographs – over 142,000 images.
International Slavery Museum
Albert Dock
Liverpool L3 4AQ
0151 478 4499
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism
The International Slavery Museum highlights the international importance of slavery, both in a historic and contemporary context. Working in partnership with other museums with a focus on freedom and enslavement, the museum provides opportunities for greater awareness and understanding of the legacy of slavery today.
Liverpool & S W Lancashire Family History Society
6 Kirkmore Road
Liverpool L18 4QN
www.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk
We are an active and forward-looking society that brings together genealogists and historians with an interest in the area covered by the old Hundred of West Derby.
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool L1 7AZ
0151 709 6271
Liverpool Cathedral is an awesome, beautiful building and a vibrant living church attempting to live the Christian Gospel.
Liverpool Central Library, Archive & Record Office
Liverpool Central Library and Archive, William Brown Street
Liverpool L3 8EW
0151 233 5817
The largest library is the Central Library in the City Centre. There are smaller community libraries spread across the city.
Collections: Liverpool Record Office’s photographic image collection is a Designated Collection of national importance. The photographic collection contains photographs from the City Engineer.
Liverpool Football Club Museum
Liverpool FC, Anfield Road
Liverpool L4 0TH
0151 260 6677
www.liverpoolfc.tv/club/tour.htm
Seize your opportunity to gain exclusive access behind the scenes at one of the world’s true sporting cathedrals – Anfield, soaking up the peerless heritage of England’s most successful football club.
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Cathedral House, Mount Pleasant
Liverpool L3 5TQ
0151 709 9222
www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk
Architects throughout the world were invited in 1960 to design a Cathedral for Liverpool which would relate to the existing Crypt, be capable of construction within five years, cost at the current prices no more than one million pounds for its shell, and most important of all, express the new spirit of the liturgy then being radically reformulated by the Second Vatican Council. Of 300 entries from all over the world, Sir Frederick Gibberd’s (1908-1984) design was chosen, and building began in October 1962.
Merseyside Maritime Museum
Albert Dock
Liverpool L3 4AQ
0151 478 4499
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime
Set sail and drop anchor for a fun day out at Merseyside Maritime Museum – about the seafaring importance of Liverpool as a gateway to the world, including the city’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and emigration. The Maritime Archive and Library contains one of the finest collections of merchant shipping records in the UK.
Museum of Liverpool
Pier Head, Liverpool Waterfront
Liverpool L3 1DG
0151 478 4545
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol
The stunning Museum of Liverpool is the world’s first national museum devoted to the history of a regional city, demonstrating Liverpool’s unique contribution to the world. Showcasing popular culture while tackling social, historical and contemporary issues, it is a fantastic, free family day out and an exceptional learning and community resource.
National Museums Liverpool
William Brown Street
Liverpool L3 8EN
0151 478 4597
National Museums Liverpool is a group of museums and galleries. Our diverse venues attracted over over 3 million visitors in 2011 Our collections are among the most important and varied in Europe and contain everything from Impressionist paintings to a lifejacket from the Titanic.
North West Museum of Road Transport
Old Bus Depot, 51 Hall Street
St Helens WA10 1DU
01744 451681
www.nwmort.co.uk
A unique and extensive collection of vintage buses, British trolleybuses and classic cars in the UK are the centrepiece of this regional transport museum formerly known as St Helens Transport Museum. Following its extensive and comprehensive refurbishment the North West Museum of Road Transport has joined the ranks of the top North West attractions and is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday.
Port Sunlight Museum
23 King George’s Drive
Port Sunlight, Wirral CH62 5DX
0151 644 6466
Located in the heart of Port Sunlight, a world famous 19th century garden village, Port Sunlight Museum offers a unique insight into the origins and social history of one of Britain’s finest and most intact model villages. Port Sunlight consists of over 900 Grade II Listed buildings and has one of the largest War Memorials outside of London. Discover within Port Sunlight Museum what it would have been like to live in this village during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Prescot Museum
The Prescot Centre, Prescot Shopping Centre, Aspinall Street
Knowsley L34 5GA
0151 443 5617
Prescot Museum provides access to the cultural heritage of Knowsley through its local history collection, museum displays and educational and outreach programme. The museum presents a range of permanent and temporary exhibitions, celebrating the history of Prescot, including the town’s watch-making past, former industries, local dignitaries, businesses and much more.
Sefton Park Palm House
Sefton Park
Liverpool L17 1AP
0151 726 2415
Sefton Park Palm House is a Grade II* listed Victorian palm house situated in leafy glades of Sefton Park, 2 miles from Liverpool City Centre. It was built in 1896 and gifted to the city by Henry Yates Thompson. It is managed by Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust and contains plants from around the world.
Smithy Heritage Centre
Kiln Lane, Eccleston
St Helens WA10 4RA
01744 730744
Located in an original blacksmith’s forge that was still operating until the late 1970s, Eccleston Parish Council has transformed the smithy into a museum dedicated to the history of the area. Learn about the skills of local craftsmen including the farmer, the wheelwright, the farrier and the blacksmith, all of whom played a vital role in Eccleston’s rural past.
Speke Hall, Garden & Estate – National Trust
The Walk
Liverpool L24 1XD
0151 427 7231
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/speke-hall
Tudor half-timbered house with rich interiors and fine gardens. The atmospheric interior of this rambling house spans many periods.
St Helens Local History & Archives Library
First floor, Gamble Building
St Helens WA10 1DY
01744 676952
www.sthelens.gov.uk/history
The Local History & Archives Library is on the first floor of the Gamble Building. It holds the historic records of St Helens.
Sudley House
Mossley Hill Road, Aigburth
Liverpool L18 8BX
0151 724 3245
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/sudley
Sudley House is the former family home of the Holt family. George Holt founded the Liverpool shipping line Lamport and Holt and was a pioneer of trade with Brazil.
Collections: Sudley displays fine 18th and 19th century paintings from Holt’s collection, together with works from the Walker Art Gallery. George Holt started collecting paintings in the late 1860s, specialising in contemporary British art, but later acquired portraits by Gainsborough, Romney and Raeburn, and two superb late paintings by Turner.
Unilever Archives
PO Box 69
Port Sunlight, Wirral CH62 4ZD
0151 641 4551
The archivists are responsible for the collection and management of Unilever’s archives which span several centuries – in fact, our oldest document dates from 1295. The archives contain original documents, printed sources, artefacts and artwork, images and films.
Collections: The Archive of the United Africa Company is of primary significance for the study of the evolution of British business and corporate organisations; the character of the transnational enterprise; the economic and political development of the main West African societies.
University of Liverpool, Museum of Dentistry
Edwards Building, School of Dental Surgery, Pembroke Place
Liverpool L3 5PS
0151 706 2000 x5279
The School’s Museum of Dentistry was started in 1880 and has continued without interruption until the present day. Because of its long history, it contains many early dental artefacts, not least of these being the collection of early dentures, now thought to be one of the most important in the world.
Victoria Gallery & Museum
Ashton Street, off Brownlow Hill, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3DR
Liverpool L69 3DR
0151 794 2348
www.vgm.liv.ac.uk
The Victoria Gallery & Museum is home to the University’s unique art and museum collections donated to and created by the University throughout its history. Paintings by JMW Turner, sculpture by Jacob Epstein and a fascinating array of Victorian bottled creatures are just some of the highlights of this wonderful collection.
Western Approaches
1-3 Rumford Street, Near Town Hall
Liverpool L2 8SZ
0151 227 2008
www.liverpoolwarmuseum.co.uk
Set beneath the streets of Liverpool, re-live the times of 1940s Britain with an insight into the life and work of the Wrens and Waafs working under constant pressure in the original area command headquarters for the battle of the Atlantic. Now open to the public, you can visit the reconstruction of the 50,000 sq ft labyrinth of original rooms which brings a dramatic period of history vividly to life.
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum
Slatey Road
Birkenhead, Wirral L43 4UE
0151 652 4177
Located outside the centre of Birkenhead, the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum was purpose-built and was opened in December 1928. The Williamson has built a strong regional reputation for the quality and variety of its exhibitions and houses the vast majority of Birkenhead’s collection of art and history collections, some of which are displayed in a series of varied and well proportioned galleries. Always on show is the largest single display of ship models in the area, focusing on Cammell Laird shipbuilders and their contribution to marine history, the Mersey Ferries and the variety of vessels that used the River Mersey when it was at its busiest.
Wirral Transport Museum & Birkenhead Tramway
Wirral Transport Museum, 1 Taylor Street
Birkenhead, Wirral CH41 1BG
0151 647 2128
Welcome to the Wirral Transport Museums. Birkenhead is a town packed with transport heritage, it is the home of Cammell Lairds shipyard and the home of the European tramway.
Collections: Wirral Museums Historic Vehicle Collection is a selection of vintage buses representing a variety of local operators over a number of years. There is also a display of cars,and motorcycles and a 1930s garage scene.
World Museum
William Brown Street
Liverpool L3 8EN
0151 478 4393
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml
Discover treasures from around the world, explore outer space and meet live creatures. World Museum is the largest and oldest of the National Museums Liverpool, founded in 1851 when the 13th Earl of Derby left his substantial natural history collection to the city.
Collections: Its collections are worldwide in scope, and world-class in quality. They cover archaeology, ethnology and the natural and physical sciences.
World of Glass
Chalon Way East
St Helens WA10 1BX
01744 22766
Come along to The World of Glass and see our live glassblowing demonstrations. Watch as our resident glass artists take blobs of glowing glass from kilns many times hotter than the oven in your kitchen. Be amazed how they create beautifully shaped decorative pieces just by blowing down a tube and using simple tools.