- Start at the entrance to the Atlantic Hotel.
Coming out of the Atlantic Hotel, cross the road to the other side of Chapel Street and turn right towards the waterfront. At the junction with the main road turn left and walk along Strand Street.
- Walk along the waterfront.
At the junction with Water Street use the pedestrian crossing to cross the road towards the Royal Liver Building. It, together with the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building to the left are known as The Three Graces. They stand on the former St George’s Dock, which was infilled in the early 20th Century when it became too small for the ships then using Liverpool. The Pier Head as the site is known is part of Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Site
| Who are the main users/tenants of the buildings today? How much space is in each building? Is there any vacant space available to lot? Before leaving Liverpool establish what are typical rents for office space. |
- Walk along Canada Blvd
At the end of Water Street turn left and walk along Canada Blvd towards the Museum of Liverpool at Mann Island. As you cross Mann Island look to your left up towards Strand Street. At the junction with James Street you will see another famous building – Albion House. It was once known as White Star House as it was the home of the shipping line that owned the Titanic. It was from the balcony of this building it was announced that the Titanic had sunk.
On Mann Island walk past the Museum of Liverpool towards the Albert Dock. Continue onto Kings Parade and follow the path over the footbridge. The Liverpool branch of the Tate Art Gallery marks the start of the converted Albert Dock. The warehouses along the dock are now all converted to a mix of residential and commercial uses.
- The Albert Dock
The Albert Dock was opened in 1846. It was the first structure in Britain to be built of iron, brick and stone. As there was no wood in the construction it was regarded as fire-proof and a safe space to store valuable cargo. The design was advanced for its time as it allowed ships to be loaded and unloaded directly from or to the warehouses. Liverpool was bombed a lot during WW2 and the Dock suffered damage. It gradually fell into disuse after the War and became a symbol of the City’s decline. It has the greatest collection of Grade 1 listed Buildings anywhere in the UK. After many failed initiatives it was finally restored, with central government help, in the 1980s.
Follow the buildings around three sides of the Dock. The path turns right around the end of the building where it opens onto Salthouse Quay. Turn left onto the Quay. Follow the Quay to the dock entrance on Strand Street. At the traffic lights cross Strand Street onto Thomas Steer Way, heading for the John Lewis store. This is part of the Liverpool One shopping centre.
- Liverpool One
Liverpool One opened in 2008 and was developed by the Duke of Westminster’s Grosvenor Group. It comprises 200 shops, 500 apartments, 3 hotels, 25 restaurants, a cinema and 3 office buildings. It is the largest open air shopping centre in the UK. To the left and opposite John Lewis are some steps. Go up the steps. Look at the Leisure Terrace area and also the access to the upper levels of the shopping centre. Go back down the steps, walk into the Centre and turn left into St John Street. This is the lower level of the Shopping Centre.
Stay on St Johns Street, going up the steps at the end then where it meets Lord Street. Turn left and walk up Lord Street.
| How is Liverpool One different from typical city centre shopping centres built in the 1970s and 1980s? How well do you think the retailing works on multiple levels? How does this compare with Westgate in Oxford? Is there much vacant space? How well integrated do you think Liverpool One is with the traditional retail area? Are there any vacancies? |
- Castle Street to the Town Hall and Oriel Chambers
| At the top of Lord Street, on the left is this statute. Who is it of? |
Turn right into Castle Street. Walk to the end of the street. The domed building there is the Liverpool Town Hall. It is a Grade 1 Listed building and considered to be one of the finest surviving 18th Century town halls.
Turn left into Water Street then walk about 100 metres. On the right, at the junction with Covent Garden is Oriel Chambers. This is another Grade 1 listed building. Built in 1864 it was the first metal framed, glass curtain wall building in the world. It has approximately 4,000 m2 of space across 5 floors. It’s design influenced a number of early skyscrapers in the United States.
Oriel Chambers is particularly special, but you will have seen that Liverpool has numerous fine old buildings. Many of these were built during its heyday in the 19th Century when it was a major port reliant on the cotton trade (much of it imported from the slave plantations in the United States).
| Who are the main tenants of Oriel Chambers today? Would it be described as “Prime” office space? |
- The Met Quarter
After looking at Oriel Chambers turn around and return along Castle Street. Turn left into Cook Street. Keep straight on Cook Street. At the junction with North John Street, it becomes Victoria Street. Keep straight at the junction with Stanley Street. A few yards further on the right is the entrance to the Everyman Cinema and the Met Quarter.
Go into this building. Walk right through the scheme to the entrance at the other end.
The investors in this scheme, which was completed before Liverpool One was developed, lost a lot of money on their investment.
| Why do you think this was? What do you think of it? Does it work as a destination? How is it located relative to the prime retail area? |
The Met Quarter exits onto Whitechapel which is another traditional shopping street.
Turn left, walk a few yards then turn right into Richmond Street. Walk towards the Radio City Tower.
- St John’s and Clayton Square shopping centres
Richmond Street opens into Williamson Square.
Walk straight through the Square into Houghton Street.
Look inside the St Johns Shopping Centre.
Come out of St Johns and continue walking along Houghton Street to Clayton Square Shopping Centre. Look inside Clayton Square.
| How does the retail offering in St Johns and Clayton Square compare with Liverpool One? Is the tenant mix different? What type of stores operate in them? Do you think they have benefitted from the extra footfall brought to the City by Liverpool One? |
- Church Street and LUSH
Come out of Clayton Square the same way as you went in and turn left along Parker Street.
Ahead you will see the Primark store.
Turn right into Church Street.
Just past Primark on the corner with Church Alley, is LUSH.
Look around LUSH. It is on 4 floors. This is their biggest branch.
| What do you think of the retail concept here? How does the customer service and experience compare with other stores? |
- Ropewalks
Turn around and head back up Church Street.
At the junction with Ranelagh Street cross over into Bold Street.
Bold Street is part of an area known as The Ropewalks.
It is the centre of independent retailing in Liverpool.
Walk the full length of Bold Street and look at the retail mix along this street.
At the end of Bold Street, opposite the bombed out (in WW2) St Luke’s Church, cross Berry Street into Leece Street (passing to the left of the church).
Keep walking straight past Rodney St (with beautiful Georgian residences now mostly used by doctors and other professionals) then past Pilgrim St until the junction with Hope Street.
Turn left at Hope Street. On the left is your destination
- Philharmonic Dining Rooms
It is one of only eleven Grade 1 Listed pubs in the country. It has a stunning interior.
Also looking along Hope St. you can see the
Metropolitan Cathedral (Catholic) in one direction and
Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican) in the other
Both cathedrals are well worth looking at if you have time after refreshing yourself in the Philharmonic.
END OF TOUR
School of the Built Environment Oxford Brookes 