Hidden History
September 19, 2025 / September 19, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
A wall on the north side of Childwall Road, near its junction with Thingwall Road, contains two unusual stones. They are around 12 metres apart, and stand out from the... read more
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Buildings
April 14, 2023 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 3 Comments on 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
Landscapes
October 26, 2022 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 4 Comments on Parkgate, Wirral
Parkgate is a small town on the western coast of Wirral, facing across the Dee to Wales, and downstream from Chester. It’s popular with people from the region for days... read more
April 4, 2022 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on 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
Landmarks
February 6, 2022 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on Wright’s Moat, Halewood
Halewood was rather rural in character, before the landscape transformed it in the 20th century. Being on the edge of Liverpool contributed to the preservation of some interesting features. Two... read more
January 23, 2022 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 4 Comments on Fisher Street – cobbles and cottages from the Victorian era
In early 2020 a Twitter user by the name of PhoenixME (@Phoenix1270) got in touch to ask about the ‘Forgotten Street’ (as they put it) – Fisher Street. This led... read more
January 14, 2022 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 5 Comments on Five postcards from Georgian Liverpool
A good friend of mine recently sent me a handful of postcards he’d found, showing photos of Georgian Liverpool in the first quarter of the 20th century. He’d house-sat for... read more
September 11, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
The area coming to be known as Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter (how many quarters can one city have?) has distinct landscape characteristics. The university is just one resident in a neighbourhood... read more
August 5, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on 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
June 20, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 3 Comments on 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
June 17, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on 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
May 19, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on 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
May 19, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 6 Comments on 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
May 19, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
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
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
May 19, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 2 Comments on West Derby Fountain and Lamp Post, West Derby Village
The West Derby Fountain, with its lamp post atop, is one of those interesting features of the landscape that dozens of people must pass every day, but never take a... read more
March 1, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Credit for this goes to Phil Nash, who posted a couple of photos of the lumberjack on the Dominion pub to the Liverpool Hidden History Facebook group. The former Dominion... read more
February 4, 2020 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Recently, I was contacted by Monica Lewis who had found a collection of Edwardian postcards belonging to her grandfather. He was in the Navy in the First World War, and... read more
Natural Features
November 13, 2019 / July 21, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
The Allerton Oak is a 1000 year old sessile oak that stands in Calderstones Park. It’s surrounded by a double fence to protect its ancient structure, and metal crutches installed... read more
August 3, 2019 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
The Duck Decoy at Hale is an impressive, complex monument, now a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It lies in the lowest part of the... read more
May 30, 2019 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 23 Comments on John Bibby Sons and Co.: unique photos of the copper rolling mills, formerly in Window Lane, Garston
This is another guest article, this time from John Owens. John got in touch hoping that I or you, dear readers, could help identify the source of some photos of... read more
May 15, 2019 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on 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
Archaeology
November 26, 2018 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
This is part of a series of posts based on the talks given at the Recent Developments in Merseyside Archaeology conference. It was held on the 13th October 2018, and... read more
November 22, 2018 / July 15, 2025 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on Pembroke Place: court houses and ‘dark’ heritage
