Liverpool
Rich History.
We chose Liverpool for its unique culture linked to its grand history, and we were not disappointed. The Waterfront and Cultural Quarter are partly what draws the cruise liners in, no doubt. Around there are some wonderfully preserved pubs.
The cultural quarter and Waterfront are within walking distance of each with an opportunity to admire the stunning buildings in between with their rich history.
The Anglican Cathedral
The Anglican cathedral took about 70 years in the twentieth century to build, which, while being an epic story to digest as I stand inside its epic proportions, lacks the Gothic detail of the other top cathedrals in the country. It also lacks their history, such as in the stained glass windows of York Minster, and their stories, like Gloucester Cathedral. It is new, and also a display of the wealth of the Church of England in Liverpool. As I wander around, there are many corners of the cathedral; there is one balcony that offers a stunning view – this is the largest cathedral in Britain and the eighth largest in the world, so it takes some walking to find it. The cathedral, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, was also designed the classic British red telephone box.
Liverpool
The Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral
The Catholic Cathedral is a modern wonder (built after WWII) from the working classes in Liverpool. As I walk around it, what it lacks in size it makes up for in its unusual style. The unusual conical shape earned it, its name “paddy’s wigwam.” Interestingly, this was not the first attempt to build a cathedral on the site, but the fourth. Had Sir Edwin Lutyens had his way, he would have built the second largest church in the world. Only the massive Crypt was finished before funds ran out after WWII.
The Walker Art Gallery
This was my first visit to the Gallery and I will make another. On this occasion I joined a guided tour which introduced me to some of the fine paintings. There are more that deserves a second visit. A guided tour should introduce you to the story behind paintings that brings them alive and the guide made them accessible to an art novice like myself. It houses one of the best collections of historic art outside London. It’s famous for its Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces, like Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Dante’s Dream, and the King Henry VIII pose by the House of Holbein.
Radio City Tower
After the radio station left, Radio City Tower was sadly closed with no timeframe to re-open. Which is a shame as, at 138 meters tall, it offers stunning views of Liverpool and beyond. It was designed to sway up to a few feet in high winds to prevent the shaft from cracking.
The Historic Waterfront
As well as the Royal Albert Dock, the waterfront shows off three dramatic buildings – the Cunard Building, the Liver Building and the Port of Liverpool Building.
The Museum of Liverpool. A controversy surrounding the historic waterfront is the change in the aspect with modernist buildings and how that is affecting its World Heritage status. The museum looks like a shipwreck, which works surprisingly well with a cavernous feel to it, all the better for it. Clad in Jura limestone, its geometric angles work well with the displays. At the end of the visit we were presented with a panoramic view of the city skyline.
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