Book reviews
March 4, 2017 / March 10, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
A gathering together of the best finds reported to the Portable Antiquities scheme for the region.
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Buildings
February 5, 2017 / February 16, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
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 the road. The stocks to one side, and the beautiful red brick cottages around the entrance to Croxteth Park add to the historic landscape. That’s […]
Landscapes
January 9, 2017 / February 19, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
A question came in back in October 2016, looking for information on Paton Street in Kirkdale. I couldn’t find out any information on this myself, as there were few clues. However, Phil D came to the rescue recently with some aerial photos (truly a rarity!) and some maps to locate ourselves with. Go to the […]
Tourism
October 6, 2016 / February 20, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Occasionally I get to treat myself to a history-indulgent week on Merseyside. One where I catch up on the ever-changing town centre (it’s still changing), check that my book’s still on the shelves of Waterstone’s (it’s not 🙁 ) and book myself on a tour or two (I did). One of these weeks back int […]
May 22, 2016 / February 19, 2024 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on Neolithic Anglesey and the Merseyside connection – a trip with the NSG
Anglesey and North Wales are very close to Liverpool hearts. Countless Welsh builders helped create some of our inner suburbs in distinctive yellow brick, and the red bricks of the University are Welsh too. More recently, there can’t be many Scousers who haven’t had a day trip or two to Llandudno, Conwy or Beaumaris. On […]
General
April 5, 2016 / March 10, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
A day-long conference on the the spirit of Liverpool's places. Topics covered include punk, prehistory and magic.
Hidden History
February 20, 2016 / October 24, 2023 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Following the curve of Princes Parade, on the north west side of Princes Dock, are a set of rails which are one of the few clues left to the presence of Liverpool Riverside Station. Today the rails might look odd, as they are constructed like a tramway’s, with heavy stone setts bringing the level of […]
February 12, 2016 / November 14, 2022 by Martin Greaney | 5 Comments on Parkside Drive – a West Derby bypass?
Plans were once put together to make West Derby a more peaceful village. Only a few clues now remain to those plans. Martin’s Note: I’m indebted to the West Derby Society again for revealing this feature to me, in a post on their Facebook page back in December 2015. Having been a political centre for […]
February 6, 2016 / September 29, 2023 by Martin Greaney | 2 Comments on 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. Speke Estate is centred on Speke Hall, and although much of that estate has been cut off from the Hall in the last 100 years, […]
January 30, 2016 / November 11, 2022 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on 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 second thought, a lot of people are puzzled as to why a pillbox is so far inland, and what feature of any importance is being […]
Landmarks
January 20, 2016 / February 19, 2024 by Martin Greaney | 2 Comments on Calder Stones
The Calder Stones name refers these days to a group of six megaliths which once stood in a greenhouse, but now have a new home in Calderstones Park. These are the remains of a Neolithic burial chamber which once stood on the edge of the Harthill estate. The Harthill Estate later became Calderstones Park. Before […]
January 14, 2016 / November 11, 2022 by Martin Greaney | 4 Comments on 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 and railway in a nutshell. The tunnel itself, Wapping Tunnel, is partly bored through the local natural sandstone, with brick lining above, mirroring the architecture […]
January 9, 2016 / March 5, 2024 by Martin Greaney | 2 Comments on Robin Hood’s Stone
Robin Hood’s Stone (or the Robin Hood Stone) is a Neolithic or Bronze Age standing stone currently to be found within a set of railings on the corner of Booker Avenue and Archerfield Road. It originally stood to the north east in the middle of a field known as Stone Hey, but was moved when […]
Archaeology
December 15, 2015 / March 5, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
In the woods above Woolton lie mysterious remains, amounting to little more than some dry stone walls, in a location reputed to have once held so much more. Camp Hill is a name which suggests a settlement, if only temporary, with perhaps a military usage, and for years it has been assumed that the site […]
November 26, 2015 / December 2, 2022 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
In the Victorian period Liverpool was Britain’s second greatest port. So there are hundreds of remnants of Liverpool’s trading golden age dotted around the landscape. We’re all familiar with the scores of warehouses, docks and the odd road bridge seen around town. But there are also tiny details which have survived and which give clues […]
November 10, 2015 / November 11, 2022 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Liverpool has always been a trading port, and so it’s no surprise that features have come and gone in the landscape which sought to make this as easy and safe as possible. Everton Beacon was one such feature, and took advantage of the natural rise in the ground to the north of Liverpool’s centre. All […]
November 4, 2015 / February 16, 2024 by Martin Greaney | 3 Comments on Springfield Park, Prescot Road entrance
Knotty Ash Village, and Springfield Park, are part of a historic area. They’re on the edge of West Derby and also on the main route between Liverpool and Prescot, and then on to Manchester. The old mail coaches would have flown past in their day, and the tram routes have left their mark in turn. […]
October 30, 2015 / November 14, 2022 by Martin Greaney | 1 Comment on Hartley Quay Dock Railway
The dock railway was built in Liverpool to solve a challenge which other cities did not face. With dock expansion, ships were docking further and further from the central business district. Places like Manchester and Bristol stood astride their rivers, and twice the mileage of docks fit in each mile of river than in Liverpool. […]
October 28, 2015 / February 16, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Liverpool is (like so many other places) full of the remains of hidden paths and landscape clues. Blessig’s Style is one such path in West Derby, once the home of ambassadors and merchants. I was reminded of a certain footpath by a short video posted in the Facebook group West Derby Society back in 2014. […]
October 19, 2015 / November 11, 2022 by Martin Greaney | 2 Comments on Sanctuary Stone, Castle Street
All sorts of stories are associated with the Sanctuary Stone. Its name conjures up anything from slave-related scenes to cheeky apple snatching medieval urchins. You might never see the same story told twice. The Sanctuary Stone sits on Castle Street in the centre of Liverpool. Of greater certainty is that it marked one of the […]
October 19, 2015 / March 10, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
A memoir which manages to recall the utopia of youth without flinching from the hard times of 20th century Liverpool.
October 12, 2015 / March 10, 2024 by Martin Greaney | 4 Comments on Who’d be a Scouser?
Where does the word Scouser come from, and is it, or has it always been, a badge of honour?
October 11, 2015 / November 11, 2022 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Liverpool, as a city, is master of reinventing itself. It re-uses parts of its landscape when priorities (and economics) change. The Pier Head area in general has seen many, many changes. The filling of the Pool, and the creation of the first wet dock, is perhaps the most significant. The road sign declaring George’s Dock […]
Maps and mapping
March 2, 2015 / March 10, 2024 by Martin Greaney | Leave a Comment
Exploring Liverpool's history from a unique vantage point: Google Earth's 3D visualisations introduced in 2015.