In the words of Sir Nikolaus Pevsner: ‘Liverpool has the most splendid setting of any English city’. Approach the city by ferry across the River Mersey, and it is hard to deny the majesty of its architecture, from the waterfront commercial buildings to the two great cathedrals perched high on the sandstone ridge. In one short journey, you can grasp the achievements of the entrepreneurs, civic leaders and visionaries who built a city that became a world mercantile centre at a time when the British empire was at its climax. Liverpool led the world in building technology, in transport and in culture. From pioneering buildings in cast-iron, the world’s first enclosed dock and the world’s first inter-city railway, to the music of The Beatles, the city has rarely taken a back seat. Queen Victoria was so astonished by the Neo-classical St George’s Hall, that she described it as worthy of ancient Athens. In 2004, Liverpool won the global accolade of World Heritage Site status for its rich inheritance of nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings, as well as its pivotal role in world history. This book gives a valuable and intelligent insight into the history and the buildings that led to its designation, as well as the developments that have helped the city reinvent itself in recent years. It is at once a great introduction to the city and an informed visitors’ guide.
2