In Part 1 I detailed some of the more unusual and less well known sights in the centre of the city around the original seven streets. In this post we venture a little further afield but still in and around the city centre and very walkable from place to place.
Lime Street Station. Many visitors to the city arrive at its main railway station but few are aware of art to be found on the station steps and glass panels. “Liverpool to Liverpool – Chronicles of an Aimless Journey” by Simon Faithfull was commissioned as part of the Liverpool Biennial in 2010 and consists of 181 drawings with have been etched into the paving and glass panels. They are not easy to see from a distance but it is well worth a wander to see how many you can spot.
A short walk along Lime Street brings you to the old Lewis’s Department Store. Although it closed for business in 2007 locals still arrange to meet there. Above the main entrance on Ranleagh Street is a statue and three relief panels by the renowned sculptor Jacob Epstein. Its official title is Liverpool Resurgent and represents the rebuilding of the city following the damage sustained in the second world war. The statue of a naked man on the prow of a ship is known locally as Dickie Lewis and has become a celebrated landmark. It has been a popular meeting place for courting couples since it was installed in 1956.
From Lewis’s head up Mount Pleasant unto you reach Rodney Street and the old Scottish Presbyterian Church of Saint Andrew. In the adjacent churchyard is the Tomb of William MacKenzie. Constructed in the shape of a pyramid it is perhaps the most unusual tomb in the city. Local folklore suggests that William, who died in 1851, was a keen gambler and left instructions that he was to be entombed above ground sitting at a card table. Sadly this seems very unlikely as the tomb itself wasn’t constructed until 17 years after he was buried. It does however make for a nice story.
Close by is Oldham Place where the walls are covered in brightly painted murals. If you have an interest in street art it is well worth a visit. Do also take in the yard at the bottom of the street.
Heading back down into the Liverpool One shopping area there is an American Eagle on the former US Consulate building in Paradise Street. The consulate opened in 1790 when Liverpool was a major trading port for ships from the United States. The eagle was easily recognised by American sailors, many of whom could not read or write. As trade declined following the second world war the consulate closed but the eagle remained. Originally carved from pine it required frequent maintenance and renovation so was eventually removed, restored and put on display in the Museum of Liverpool. The bird on Paradise Street today is a fibreglass replica but is no less striking.
Old Dock. The Old Dock was the first wet dock in Liverpool built in the early part of the eighteenth century by Thomas Steers. As Liverpool grew as a port the dock became too small and was eventually closed in 1826. The site was filled in and redeveloped and finally ended up as a multi storey car park which was finally demolished as part of the Liverpool One development in 2001. The dock was unearthed and a viewing window created which is located just outside the John Lewis department store.
Lusitania Propeller. The Lusitania was a passenger liner owned by Cunard which regularly sailed between Liverpool and New York. She was sunk by a torpedo from German U-boat in May 1915 just off the southern coast of Ireland as she was returning to Liverpool. The propellor on display in the Royal Albert Dock was salvaged from the wreck in 1982 and is one of four that were on the ship.
