Liverpool | Postcards From Here and There

A Stroll Down Bold Street

Ropewalks is part of the city centre that consists of a series of narrow, parallel streets that run from Renhaw Street to Lydia Ann Street. It is this area that was the heart of rope making in the eighteenth century when Liverpool was developing into a major port for sailing ships and the demand for rope for the ships rigging was enormous. A single ship needed miles of rope if it were to be seaworthy and they were partly manufactured in what were then fields on the edge of the city. As part of the manufacturing process the ropes were laid out to dry and each rope making business had their own narrow strips of land for this purpose. These were later to become the streets of the Ropeworks quarter of the city when development and expansion of the city occurred in the early nineteenth century. Bold Street is one such street.

Bold Street is very similar in length and width to its neighbouring streets in Ropewalks, reflecting its history as a former site of rope making. It runs from the end of Renhaw Street, opposite St Lukes Church, to Hanover Street and it has become one of the city’s premier shopping and entertainment areas, renown for its eclectic mix of independent businesses.

The Havelock Building (130 Bold Street) stands on the corner opposite St. Luke’s Church and when it was built in 1858 it would have been one of the tallest in the city with three floors. It was here in 1864 that Dr Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti was born, his father owning a photography business in the building. Ferranti became a pioneering electrical engineer, designing the first modern power station and the means of supply electrical power to homes. A process that remains unchanged to this day.

News From Nowhere (96 Bold Street) has been a fixture on Bold Street since 1989 although the business itself was founded in the mid seventies at a different location.

News From Nowhere describes itself as Liverpool’s Radical and Community Bookshop and it is certainly a Liverpool institution. Next door, above the entrance to Liver House is a blue plaque commenmorating Jeannie Mole.

Jeannie Mole was a social feminist and trade union organiser who is credited with bringing socialism to the city. She moved to the city in the late 18702 following her second marriage and lived here on Bold Street. She was politically very active encouraged the development of trade unions for women, including those involved in rope making, though the industry was less significant in the city at this time. She was known to to have held many meeting at her home here.

As well as its historical importance this top section of Bold Street is renown for its numerous coffee shops and restaurants. Almost opposite the Havelock Building is Bold Street Coffee (89 Bold Street). Re-opened in late 2018, following a temporary closure, it serves some of the best coffee in the city along with light snacks. A great stopping off point for any city visitor in need of a little refreshment.

There are a number of restaurants close by, two particular favourites are Maray (91 Bold Street) and Mowgli (69 Bold Street). Food here is small plates and the ambience casual and laid back. Both are well worth a visit, Mowgli has no reservation and is walk in only, Maray has reservations but also space set aside for walk ins.

I am particularly fond of Artisane (84 Bold Street). Not only is the coffee excellent but they also have a fantastic range of pastries and breads. Too good to miss.

More or less across the road is Leaf (65-67 Bold Street). This is one for all tea lovers with a huge number on offer including black, white, green, oolong and fruit teas. They also serve good range of food and they have an extensive breakfast menu. For those requiring something a little stronger than tea they also have good range of alcoholic drinks. Leaf now occupies the site of Liverpool’s first vegetarian cafe The Yamen which opened in 1910.

Unfortunately I can never resist a record store. By that I mean a proper, old-fashioned store the deals principally in vinyl records. There is just something pleasing about flicking through the racks, admiring the artwork and hopefully coming across something of interest. Dig Vinyl (80 Bold Street) is such a place and a worthy stopping point for any serious record collector. It is actually situated in the basement and the shop (Soho) on the ground floor is a clothing store so its not exactly obvious, a sigh outside is usually there to help location. I hear that in the near future that they are to relocate to bigger premises on a first floor location close by and still on Bold Street. Music lovers may also be interested in 77 Bold Street which back in the 1980s was the site of Cafe Berlin, the interior of which featured on the cover of local band The Icicle Works album The Small of a Bicycle.

Matta’s International Foods (51 Bold Street) has been on Bold Street since 1984 when it relocated from Toxteth. Another Liverpool institution, it is the place to go for the widest range of produce from around the world available in the city. The staff here are so friendly and helpful. It is easy to see why the business has thrived over the years.

At the junction of Bold Street and Concert Street is the statue entitled Reconciliation by Stephen Broadbent.

One of a series of identical statues with others in Benin on the West Coast of Africa and Richmond on the east coast of America. These three locations represent places in the slave trade triangle. The states represent the building of bridges and overcoming racial disadvantage.

At the bottom of Bold Street as it makes the junction with Bold Street is The Lyceum. Built in 1802 it has been through a number of incarnations including a gentleman club, a library, a cafe and a post office. It was saved from demolition in the early 1970s but sadly the building is currently vacant. It’s Grade II listed and a fitting building to end a stroll down Bold Street

Liverpool’s Bombed Out Church

St Luke’s Church, known locally as The Bombed Out Church, stands on the corner of Leece Street and Berry Street. The tower is easily seen as you walk from the city centre up Bold Street. Few people ever call it by its true name. When I first visited the city it featured in many directions to places given to me by locals, “go past the bombed out church”, “oh that’s near the bombed out church”, but sadly no map referred to it as such! It is much a part of the city as the Mersey Ferry or The Liver Building. It is a Liverpool icon.

The church was built between 1811 and 1832. Designed by father and son John Foster and John Foster junior in the gothic style, it is built from sandstone. In its early years it was also a concert hall until the building of the nearby Philharmonic Hall in the late 1840s. Around this time it was locally called The Doctors Church as it was the place of worship closest to Rodney Street, the home of many of the cities private doctors.

During these second World War Liverpool was bombed heavily as it was the major port on the west coast and vital for supplies coming across the Atlantic from America. Bombing of the city began in August 1940 and went on until January 1942 though it reached its peak in May 1941. The church was hit by a fire bomb on 6th May 1941 and the much of the building was destroyed, only the walls remained.

In total 4000 people died in the bombings of the Liverpool area and it was decided to leave the church standing as a memorial to them. It is now a managed ruin and in recent years opened for the first time since the bombing. It has hosted events including weddings, markets and even hosted a cinema. The gardens are open to wander around and it is a popular lunchtime spot in the summer for students and local workers.

In December 2014 the installation ‘All Together Now’ by sculptor Andy Edwards was placed in the garden to mark the football match that took place at Christmas 1914 between British and German troops in no mans land between trenches. Although only a temporary exhibit it returned in 2018 to commemorate the end of the first World War.

5 Alternative Reasons to Visit Liverpool

In an earlier post I looked at the 5 Reasons to Visit Liverpool . These were the the things that should be done on a first time trip to the city. If you have more time available you may want to dig a little deeper into the city and explore some of the other reasons that make Liverpool such an excellent destination for a weekend or short break.

Bold Street. Bold Street has had something of a resurgence in recent years and has become a hub for independent retailers, restaurants and cafés. It runs from Hanover Street in the city to join Renshaw Street opposite Liverpool’s Bombed Out Church. At the city end is The Lyceum.

Built in 1802 it has been through a number of incarnations including a gentleman club, a library, a cafe and a post office. It was saved from demolition in the early 1970s but sadly the building is currently vacant.

Heading up from The Lyceum the lower part of the street is a fairly traditional shopping street but one past the junction with Concert Street it reveals its independent heart. Some retailers have been on the street for years, both Mattas and News From Nowhere are Bold Street institutions.

They have been joined by a host of others. Leaf is perfect for tea and the Artisane bakery across the street has lovely coffee, bread and patisserie. If you fancy something a little more substantial then Mowgli and Maray are good options but there are plenty of others.

The Baltic Triangle. An up and coming area just outside the city centre. Home to tech start ups, cafés, restaurants and bars it is very much a happening area. The area is also well known as a centre of street art and I have covered this in a previous post (here) .

For coffee try The Baltic Bakehouse, which also has some amazing sourdough bread, on Bridgewater Street or Baltic Creative on Jamaica Street. If you have an hour or so to spare try a game of Ghetto Golf. Grab a drink at the Baltic Social or Gibberish Tap Room (do check opening times as it does seem to change). If you are there at the weekend try the Baltic Market in the old Cain’s Brewery for some excellent street food.

Street Art. If a visit to the Baltic Triangle has whet your appetite there is plenty more to see and the beauty is it is always changing. There are a lot of pieces in Oldham Place and you can even take a graffiti class at Zap Graffiti on Saturday afternoons.

Church of St Luke. The Bombed Out Church

Located close to the Bombed Out Church on Leece Street why not combine the two combine the two. Entry to the gardens around the church is free. For the more adventurous there is more art to be seen in the streets around London Road .

Craft Beer. The rise in the popularity of craft beer has been as big as that for artisan gin. As a result there are some good options in the city. The Dead Crafty Beer Company on Dale Street has 19 taps which change frequently and they hold regular tap takeovers. Across the road is a beer drinking institution, The Ship and Mitre. A pub for real ale aficionados but also with good selection of craft beers. Heading out of town towards the Baltic Triangle is The Baltic Fleet. In the Triangle itself there is The Baltic Social and Gibberish Taproom.

Natural Wine. Paralleling the growth of the craft beer and gin markets has been the interest in natural/biodynamically produced wines. R & H Fine Wines is a wine merchant hidden away on Queen Street, a small alley off Castle street, close to the Town Hall. They have a great selection of interesting wines from around the world and is well worth searching out. Bunch Wine Bar on Berry Street has an ever changing selection of wines available by the glass or bottle. Hidden away in a small courtyard off Hardman Street is the Buyers Club. There is something for everyone here, eight craft beer taps, natural wines, cocktails and food. Its a relaxing chilled out place to spend an hour or two, especially early evening.