Buildings Archives • Historic Liverpool

Photograph taken from the top of St John's Beacon

St John’s Beacon

St John’s Beacon has been a landmark of the Liverpool skyline since it opened in 1969. Originally designed as the ventilation tower for the new St John’s Market, the architects... read more

Photo of a gateman hut at albert Dock, with the Museum of Liverpool in the background

Hartley Huts, Albert Dock

The Hartley huts are three squat buildings at the entrance to Canning Dock. They were built in 1844 for the ‘gatemen’, those charged with operating the gates to allow ships... read more

Photograph of the Liverpool Castle Reconstruction, Rivington, Lancashire

Liverpool Castle

Liverpool Castle is one of Liverpool’s greatest lost landmarks, alongside the Customs House and the Sailors’ Home. The Liverpool corporation pulled down Liverpool Castle itself in 1715 and built St... read more

Engraving of Woolton Hall, Liverpool, by JP Neale

Woolton Hall

When William Brettagh (of Holt) died, he left a cottage that would later become Woolton Hall. It was bought by the Broughton family, who began to extend it, and bring... read more

Woolton Old School

Woolton Old School has a date stone showing 1610. There has been a suggestion that the last figure is the result of later restoration, but this can’t change the supposed... read more

Photograph of the Liverpool Castle Reconstruction, Rivington, Lancashire

West Derby Castle

Edward the Confessor chose West Derby for his hunting lodge, and after the conquest West Derby was given to Roger of Poitou. West Derby Castle was probably built around 1100... read more

Extract from Yates and Perry's map of 1768, showing West Derby Mill marked as 'Mill House'

West Derby Mill

Mill Lane (Mylngate in documents of 1444 and 1492) in West Derby is aptly named as the site of the king’s windmill, first mentioned in 1461, along with a horse... read more

Photograph of West Derby Courthouse in 2018

West Derby Courthouse

West Derby Courthouse was, amongst other things, the place where local copyholders deposited a copy of their freehold lease in a secure chest, and had to renew it once a... read more

A sketch of West Derby chapel, from the north

West Derby Chapel

West Derby Chapel was situated in the centre of West Derby village, a space now occupied by a monument. It was first mentioned in the mid-14th Century, and mentioned again... read more

Royal Liver Building: A Liver Bird’s point of view

There isn’t a more iconic Merseyside building than the Royal Liver Building. It sits at the Pier Head, the point at which Liverpool’s wealth flowed into the Victorian and Edwardian... read more

Photograph of Hale Lighthouse, likely taken in the early 20th century

Hale Lighthouse

The River Mersey at Hale Point can be dangerous, as the Hale Ford demonstrates. Conditions change with each tide, and formerly dry land can become swift and deep channels. The... read more

Engraving of Hale Hall by Neal, 1824

Hale Hall

Hale Hall was a quadrangular building, begun in the early 17th century, built of local stone with a red shale driveway. It was altered near the end of the century,... read more

Allerton Hall

Perhaps the most significant of the merchant houses in the history of Allerton is Allerton Hall itself. The wealthy Lathom family built the first house on the site back in... read more

Queensway Tunnel

The thing which inspired this website from the outset was the huge number of historic features in Liverpool that we take for granted every day. The Queensway Tunnel is one... read more

Yeoman’s House, West Derby Village

The ‘Yeoman’s House’ (as it is known locally) dates from the 1580s, so is a cherished historical feature in the village of West Derby. Others include the similarly-aged courthouse across... read more

Photograph of Speke Hall, Liverpool

Speke Hall and the Speke Estate

Speke Hall is one of the most famous historical features on Merseyside. Its distinctive black and white appearance, highlighting its amazing timber structure, make it a memorable sight for visitors.... read more

Clarke Gardens Pillbox

Clarke Gardens Pillbox, Allerton

There is an octagonal pillbox in the grounds of Allerton Hall, seemingly ‘defending’ Springwood Avenue from an invisible army. While many no doubt pass it day to day without a... read more

Blackburne Place ventilation shaft and the Wapping Tunnel

This red brick and sandstone tower on Blackburne Place is a beautiful ventilation shaft for a railway which once ran beneath it, and could be seen as representing the tunnel... read more

Edge Hill Station shown on a Victorian postcard

Edge Hill: the First Ever Passenger Station

Edge Hill has had two stations in its history. The earlier of these was the first passenger station in the world, along with Liverpool Street in Manchester. The first station... read more

Photograph of Lewis's department store, Liverpool

Lewis’s Department Store

David Lewis founded a small shop selling men’s and boy’s clothing in 1856. The sale of women’s clothes began in 1864, and by the 1870s Lewis’s Department Store was in... read more

Mapping the history of Liverpool

Old maps of Liverpool, articles and interactive maps of the historic landscapes of Merseyside.

Buy maps

Many of the maps on this site can be bought as high quality prints, either as paper or ready-framed.

You can also buy notebooks, postcards, greetings cards and other map-printed items!

Go to the shop to find out more

The book

Liverpool: a landscape history is a book about Liverpool and Merseyside from the very earliest days to the 21st century.

You’ll learn about everything from the Calderstones to the Capital of Culture.

Signed copies are available direct from me, the author, in the shop.

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