Greetings! Welcome to the first blog entry of 2022. My apologies again for the protracted gap. Things always get busier around the festive season but eventually start to settle down around this time. My hope is to continue to update on excursions as often as possible, particularly now that, in a pandemic sense at least, things seem to be returning to something resembling normality (impending World War Three notwithstanding). The first foray out of the new year in some ways resembles the last entry of 2021, in that it involved a trip of a few days to a destination far from home, where pub exploration was squeezed in amongst tourist stops and sight seeing. Just over two weeks ago, Amy and I headed away for my birthday (sobs gently in old). The destination this time was a place that I once visited 16 years ago, whilst perusing university options, and which Amy had never visited despite familial connections on her dad's side. We would be spending 3 days and nights in the fair city of Liverpool.
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside. With a population of 498,042 in 2019, it is the tenth largest English district by population, and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom with a population of 2.24 million. Liverpool is also the core centre for the wider Liverpool City Region. Situated on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, Liverpool historically lay within the ancient hundred of West Derby in the county of Lancashire. It became a borough in 1207, a city in 1880, and a county borough independent of the newly-created Lancashire County Council in 1889. Its growth as a major port was paralleled by the expansion of the city throughout the Industrial Revolution. Along with general cargo, freight, and raw materials such as coal and cotton, merchants were involved in the slave trade. In the 19th century, Liverpool was a major port of departure for English and Irish emigrants to North America. It was also home to both the Cunard and White Star Lines, and was the port of registry of the ocean liners RMS Titanic, RMS Lusitania, RMS Queen Mary, and RMS Olympic.
In 2019, Liverpool was the fifth most visited UK city. It is noted for its culture, architecture, and transport links. The city is closely associated with the arts, especially music; the popularity of the Beatles, widely regarded as the most influential band of all time, led to it becoming a tourist destination. Liverpool has continued to be the home of numerous notable musicians and record labels—musicians from the city have released 56 No. 1 hit singles, more than any other city in the world. The city also has a long-standing reputation for producing countless actors and actresses, artists, athletes, comedians, journalists, novelists, and poets. Liverpool has the second highest number of art galleries, national museums, listed buildings, and listed parks in the UK; only the capital, London, has more. The former Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City includes the Pier Head, Albert Dock, and William Brown Street. In sports, the city is best known for being the home of Premier League football teams Liverpool FC and Everton FC, with matches between the two rivals being known as the Merseyside derby. The annual Grand National horse race takes place at Aintree Racecourse.
Several areas of Liverpool city centre carried World Heritage Site status from 2004 until 2021, and the city's vast collection of parks and open spaces has been described as the "most important in the country" by England's Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. Its status as a port city historically attracted a diverse population from a wide range of cultures, primarily Ireland, Norway, and Wales. It is also home to the oldest black community in the UK and the oldest Chinese community in Europe. Natives of Liverpool (and some longtime residents) are formally referred to as "Liverpudlians" but are more often called "Scousers" in reference to Scouse, a local stew made popular by sailors in the city, which is also the most common name for the local accent and dialect. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007 and was named the 2008 European Capital of Culture, which it shared with the Norwegian city of Stavanger, and its status as the European Capital of Culture has been credited with kickstarting its economic renaissance.
The name comes from the Old English lifer, meaning thick or muddy water, and pōl, meaning a pool or creek, and is first recorded around 1190 as Liuerpul. According to the Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, "The original reference was to a pool or tidal creek now filled up into which two streams drained". The place appearing as Leyrpole, in a legal record of 1418, may also refer to Liverpool. Other origins of the name have been suggested, including "elverpool", a reference to the large number of eels in the Mersey. The adjective "Liverpudlian" was first recorded in 1833.
Although the Old English origin of the name Liverpool is beyond dispute, claims are sometimes made that the name Liverpool is of Welsh origin, but these are without foundation. The Welsh name for Liverpool is Lerpwl, from a former English local form Leerpool. This is a reduction of the form “Leverpool” with the loss of the intervocalic [v] (seen in other English names and words e.g. Daventry (Northamptonshire) > Danetry, never-do-well > ne’er-do-well).
In the nineteenth century, some Welsh publications used the name “Lle’r Pwll” (“(the) place (of) the pool”), a reinterpretation of Lerpwl, probably in the belief that “Lle’r Pwll” was the original form.
Another name, which is widely known even today, is Llynlleifiad, again a nineteenth-century coining. “Llyn” is pool, but “lleifiad” has no obvious meaning. Professor G. Melville Richards (1910‐1973), a pioneer of scientific toponymy in Wales, in “Place Names of North Wales”, does not attempt to explain it beyond noting that “lleifiad” is used as a Welsh equivalent of “Liver”.
A derivative form of a learned borrowing into Welsh (*llaf) of Latin lāma (slough, bog, fen) to give “lleifiad” is possible, but unproven.
King John's letters patent of 1207 announced the foundation of the borough of Liverpool. By the middle of the 16th century, the population was still around 500. The original street plan of Liverpool is said to have been designed by King John near the same time it was granted a royal charter, making it a borough. The original seven streets were laid out in an H shape: Bank Street (now Water Street), Castle Street, Chapel Street, Dale Street, Juggler Street (now High Street), Moor Street (now Tithebarn Street) and Whiteacre Street (now Old Hall Street).
In the 17th century there was slow progress in trade and population growth. Battles for control of the town were waged during the English Civil War, including an eighteen-day siege in 1644. In 1699, the same year as its first recorded slave ship, Liverpool Merchant, set sail for Africa, Liverpool was made a parish by Act of Parliament, although arguably the legislation of 1695 that reformed the Liverpool council was of more significance to its subsequent development. Since Roman times, the nearby city of Chester on the River Dee had been the region's principal port on the Irish Sea. However, as the Dee began to silt up, maritime trade from Chester became increasingly difficult and shifted towards Liverpool on the neighbouring River Mersey.
As trade from the West Indies, including sugar, surpassed that of Ireland and Europe, and as the River Dee continued to silt up, Liverpool began to grow with increasing rapidity. The first commercial wet dock was built in Liverpool in 1715. Substantial profits from the slave trade and tobacco helped the town to prosper and rapidly grow, although several prominent local men, including William Rathbone, William Roscoe and Edward Rushton, were at the forefront of the local abolitionist movement.
By the start of the 19th century, a large volume of trade was passing through Liverpool, and the construction of major buildings reflected this wealth. In 1830, Liverpool and Manchester became the first cities to have an intercity rail link, through the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The population continued to rise rapidly, especially during the 1840s when Irish migrants began arriving by the hundreds of thousands as a result of the Great Famine.
In her poem "Liverpool" (1832), which celebrates the city's worldwide commerce, Letitia Elizabeth Landon refers specifically to the Macgregor Laird expedition to the Niger River, at that time in progress.
Britain was a major market for cotton imported from the Deep South of the United States, which fed the textile industry in the country. Given the crucial place cotton held in the city's economy, during the American Civil War Liverpool was, in the words of historian Sven Beckert, "the most pro-Confederate place in the world outside the Confederacy itself."
For periods during the 19th century, the wealth of Liverpool exceeded that of London, and Liverpool's Custom House was the single largest contributor to the British Exchequer. Liverpool was the only British city ever to have its own Whitehall office.
In the early 19th century, Liverpool played a major role in the Antarctic sealing industry, in recognition of which Liverpool Beach in the South Shetland Islands is named after the city.
As early as 1851 the city was described as "the New York of Europe". During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Liverpool was attracting immigrants from across Europe. This resulted in the construction of a diverse array of religious buildings in the city for the new ethnic and religious groups, many of which are still in use today. The Deutsche Kirche Liverpool, Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, Gustav Adolf Church and Princes Road Synagogue were all established in the 1800s to serve Liverpool's growing German, Greek, Nordic and Jewish communities, respectively. One of Liverpool's oldest surviving churches, St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, served the Polish community in its final years as a place of worship.
The postwar period after the Great War was marked by social unrest, as society grappled with the massive war losses of young men, as well as trying to integrate veterans into the economy. Union organising and strikes took place in numerous locations, including police strikes in London among the Metropolitan Police. Numerous colonial soldiers and sailors from Africa and India, who had served with the UK, settled in Liverpool and other port cities. In June 1919 they were subject to attack by whites in racial riots; residents in the port included Swedish immigrants, and both groups had to compete with native people from Liverpool for jobs and housing. In this period, race riots also took place in Cardiff, Newport and Barry, and there had been incidents in Glasgow, South Shields, London, Hull and Salford.
The Housing Act 1919 resulted in mass council housing being built across Liverpool during the 1920s and 1930s. Thousands of families were relocated from the inner-city to new suburban housing estates, based on the belief that this would improve their standard of living, though this is largely subjective. Numerous private homes were also built during this era. During the Great Depression of the early 1930s, unemployment peaked at around 30% in the city.
Liverpool was the site of Britain's first provincial airport, operating from 1930. During the Second World War, the critical strategic importance of Liverpool was recognised by both Hitler and Churchill. The city was heavily bombed by the Germans, suffering a blitz second only to London's. The pivotal Battle of the Atlantic was planned, fought and won from Liverpool.
The Luftwaffe made 80 air raids on Merseyside, killing 2,500 people and causing damage to almost half the homes in the metropolitan area. Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and the Seaforth Dock, the largest dock project in Britain. Much of the immediate reconstruction of the city centre has been deeply unpopular. It was as flawed as much subsequent town planning renewal in the 1950s and 1960s. The historic portions of the city that had survived German bombing suffered extensive destruction during urban renewal. Since 1952 Liverpool has been twinned with Cologne, Germany, a city which also suffered severe aerial bombing during the war.
A significant West Indian black community has existed in the city since the first two decades of the 20th century. Like most British cities and industrialised towns, Liverpool became home to a significant number of Commonwealth immigrants, beginning after World War I with colonial soldiers and sailors who had served in the area. More immigrants arrived after World War II, mostly settling in older inner-city areas such as Toxteth, where housing was less expensive. The black population of Liverpool was recorded at 1.90% in 2011.
The construction of suburban public housing expanded after the Second World War. Some of the older inner-city areas were redeveloped for new homes.
In the 1960s Liverpool was the centre of the "Merseybeat" sound, which became synonymous with the Beatles and fellow Liverpudlian rock bands. Influenced by American rhythm and blues and rock music, they also in turn strongly affected American music for years and were internationally popular. The Beatles became internationally known in the early 1960s and performed for years together; they were the most commercially successful and musically influential band in popular history. Their co-founder, singer, and composer John Lennon was killed in New York City in 1980. Liverpool airport was renamed after him in 2002, the first British airport to be named in honour of an individual.
Previously part of Lancashire, and a county borough from 1889, Liverpool in 1974 became a metropolitan borough within the newly created metropolitan county of Merseyside.
From the mid-1970s onwards, Liverpool's docks and traditional manufacturing industries declined due to restructuring of shipping and heavy industry, causing massive losses of jobs. The advent of containerisation meant that the city's docks became largely obsolete, and dock workers were thrown out of jobs. By the early 1980s unemployment rates in Liverpool were among the highest in the UK, standing at 17% by January 1982. This was about half the level of unemployment that had affected the city during the Great Depression 50 years previously.
In the later 20th century, Liverpool's economy began to recover. Since the mid-1990s the city has enjoyed growth rates higher than the national average.
At the end of the 20th century, Liverpool was concentrating on regeneration, a process that continues today.
To celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002, the conservation charity Plantlife organised a competition to choose county flowers; the sea-holly was Liverpool's final choice.
Capitalising on the popularity of 1960s rock groups, such as the Beatles, as well as the city's world-class art galleries, museums and landmarks, tourism has also become a significant factor in Liverpool's economy.
In 2004, property developer Grosvenor started the Paradise Project, a £920 m development based on Paradise Street. This produced the most significant changes to Liverpool's city centre since the post-war reconstruction. Renamed 'Liverpool ONE,' the centre opened in May 2008.
In 2007, the city celebrated the 800th anniversary of the founding of the borough of Liverpool, for which a number of events were planned. Liverpool was designated as a joint European Capital of Culture for 2008. The main celebrations, in September 2008, included the erection of La Princesse, a large mechanical spider 20 metres high and weighing 37 tonnes, and represents the "eight legs" of Liverpool: honour, history, music, the Mersey, the ports, governance, sunshine and culture. La Princesse roamed the streets of the city during the festivities, and concluded by entering the Queensway Tunnel.
Spearheaded by the multi-billion-pound Liverpool ONE development, regeneration has continued through to the start of the early 2010s. Some of the most significant redevelopment projects include new buildings in the Commercial District, the King's Dock, Mann Island, the Lime Street Gateway, the Baltic Triangle, the RopeWalks, and the Edge Lane Gateway. All projects could be eclipsed by the Liverpool Waters scheme, which if built will cost in the region of £5.5billion and be one of the largest megaprojects in the UK's history. Liverpool Waters is a mixed-use development planned to contain one of Europe's largest skyscraper clusters. The project received outline planning permission in 2012, despite fierce opposition from such groups as UNESCO, which claimed that it would adversely affect Liverpool's World Heritage status.
In June 2014, Prime Minister David Cameron launched the International Festival for Business in Liverpool, the world's largest business event in 2014, and the largest in the UK since the Festival of Britain in 1951. In July 2021, Liverpool lost its World Heritage status, UNESCO citing the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium and Liverpool Waters projects as not being in keeping with a World Heritage site.
We arrived in this fine city, by train, on a cold and brisk Wednesday afternoon and immediately set about finding our hotel and getting our bearings. Our base for our stay was a Travelodge located a short walk from Lime Street station and adjacent to the Birkenhead tunnel, and also conveniently close to a couple of pubs, which happened completely by accident of course! We checked in, spent an hour or so 'de-training' and getting rid of our travel stress before we decided to head out and begin exploring. Our first evening would be spent finding our way around, visiting a couple of pubs and exploring some of the city's more famous areas. It was certainly time for a pint by now and the pub we could see from the window looked very inviting for our first stop. Our exploration of Liverpool would begin at the Good Beer Guide listed Excelsior.
Named after a sailing ship (definitely not our campsite at Download Festival), the pub is adjacent to what were formerly the offices of Higson's Brewery, who swapped another pub with Walkers in order to own this one. The pub sits on a street corner and there are entrances at both sides, which lead into a three room layout with the bar at the centre. The pub is tastefully decorated, with decor that references exploration and sailing. A map is painted onto one of the tables and the lighting is refurbished gas burner lamps (now switched to electric bulbs) on walls and ceilings. The larger main room is split into two smaller areas which features banquette seating and scrubbed tables. To the rear is a split level snug-like space which features a television and dartboard. The bar is three sided with 6 handpulls, split into two banks of three. There were some interesting options available for our first Liverpool pint: Ossett White Rat, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Liverpool Brewing Pale Ale, Salopian Shropshire Gold, Ossett Silver King and Salopian Lemon Dream. I was surprised to see Ossett in this part of the country, but would get used to seeing it throughout the trip, so opted for the Silver King (4.3%) whilst Amy went for White Rat (4%). We took our pints into the snug area and sat at a table underneath the windows whilst we enjoyed the beer and our surroundings. The Silver King is an American style pale ale brewed with Cascade hops. The result is crisp, dry and refreshing with a citrus aroma and a balanced bitterness. It was in great condition and went down a treat. Unfortunately, Amy wasn't keen on the White Rat, which did taste like it was close to the end of the barrel but looked clear enough. Still, it can't be helped. Beer runs out and goes off eventually but we weren't too perturbed. The Excelsior in general had been a welcoming and comfortable place to start out tour, enhanced in no small measure by German Shepherd Kasia, who was very pleased to see us and couldn't wait to say hello!
We now decided to make our way to a legendary area of the city and one that we weren't staying too far from. Mathew Street, home of the legendary Cavern Club and associated in no small part with one of (if not the) most influential bands of all time, the Beatles. As we had a museum visit booked the following day, we thought it made sense to do a bit of recon of the area to make sure we knew where we were going. A few minutes later, having already been absorbed into the atmosphere of the place, we were there.
The Cavern Club itself is a mecca for music fans and we didn't want to miss out. Having paid the entry fee, we spent a not inconsiderable amount of time completely enraptured by the music memorabilia and the feel of music history seeping from every brick. Brian May's guitar from Queen's first ever gig? Seen it and got the photos. Pete Best's signed drum skin? Ditto. Visiting the Cavern Club was the closest I think I've ever come to a religious experience. Whilst there was no real ale available, Maltsmith's IPA was available in keg form which was a plus. Whilst at the Cavern, we were treated to live music from local musicians. The place was very busy, which I assume is a daily thing, so it was standing room only but we did manage to eventually get a table and join in with the rousing singalongs. There was also a nice bit of serendipity when we found out that the date of our visit, February 9th, as well as being my birthday, marked the anniversary of the Beatles first performance at the Cavern in 1961. Interestingly, this isn't the original incarnation of the Cavern Club. The original entrance, and rooms above, was previously a few doors down Mathew Street but were demolished to make room for the ventilation shaft for an underground railway that, ironically, was never built. The original entrance now acts as an emergency exit and now effectively exists behind a brick wall at the back of the building. If the stories are to be believed, something otherworldly is here too. A ghost was reported to have haunted the venue when it first opened as a jazz club in the 1950s and there have been reports of a strange green glow accompanied by the apparent apparition of a pink-haired girl in 60s era clothing and Doc Martens. Who she is and why she appears is a mystery.
We stayed at the Cavern a while longer before deciding that we should find somewhere to eat. Emerging into what was now darkness, we headed along to explore the Albert Dock area, where I had earmarked a place I wanted to try for food. We would explore the area more thoroughly in daylight the following day so enjoyed an excellent meal at Smugglers Cove, a pirate themed restaurant specialising in rum cocktails and amazing food. I tried traditional scouse for the first time and loved it and Amy ordered a cocktail that came out on fire. Food in our bellies, we decided we had time to squeeze in a couple more pubs before the night was done. Heading away from the dock, and the wind, we made our way past the main shopping area and to an area called Campbell's Square, where we found our next location: Bridewell.
Dating from around 1850, this Grade II listed building takes its name and its appearance from the fact that it was formerly a local police lockup or 'bridewell'. To the front, an enclosed courtyard seating space that was formerly the entrance to the jail, gives way to a short flight of steps up to the main door. The entrance area contains the bar with a small seating area of tables and sofas immediately opposite, where there is also a television. This would have previously been the area where prisoners were checked in. The old cells are still in situ and now all used as seating areas, with the original doors still in place although thankfully left open. The cells have had heating and lighting added, but still retain the original high windows, and run off of a central corridor which runs to the rear, where the last two cells have made way for the toilets. The pub is Good Beer Guide listed which boded very well, as did the presence of 5 handpulls on the bar. Our options here were Bragdy Conwy Welsh Pale, Kirkstall Pale Ale, Purple Moose Glaslyn and Titanic Plum Porter, with the 5th handpull given over to Lilley's Rhubarb Cider. I opted for the Glaslyn (4.2%) from Porthmadog based Purple Moose. This is a refreshing amber ale, light and malty with hop aromas, good mouthfeel and a slightly, chewy finish. Amy opted for a soft drink as we were both feeling quite full from dinner. Something about consuming delicious beer in an old prison cell added to the whole experience and we really liked the time we spent here. I would certainly recommend it if you're in the area, or even if you're not.
We were flagging slightly by this stage, due largely to a combination of hearty food and a considerable amount of walking, so resolved to head back to the hotel. On the way, I wanted to make one more stop off, this time at a venue considered the most haunted pub in Liverpool. As it was on our main route back, we made the effort to stop by The Slaughterhouse.
Located on Fenwick Street, the pub's unusual name comes from local tales associated with a previous landlord, who was also a butcher. This is a venue on two levels. The first floor is a standard pub, with a comedy club occupying the basement space. The main entrance leads to small corridor that leads to two staircases, allowing access to both areas. A confession: I knew going in that real ale was not available here but, as I'm a sucker for a good ghost story, I wanted to experience the atmosphere of the place. The first floor bar area features exposed beams, white washed walls and wooden floors and furniture. Actual sawdust used to cover the floor at one stage in its history. One long bar takes up the entirety of the wall opposite the entrance staircase. There are tales of shadowy figures fleetingly spotted in the bar area, with the majority of the activity taking place in the downstairs comedy club with apparitions regularly spotted and poltergeist activity, particularly movement and smashing of glasses, accompanied by objects randomly disappearing. It's an odd place and there is certainly a strange air to the atmosphere. Despite the lack of ale, I managed to find a decent drink in the form of a not unpleasant pint of Guinness. Our first night in Liverpool had been a moderate success. What would the following days bring?
Our second day dawned colder and much windier than the previous day and with more than a hint of rain in the air. We had a couple of things planned for the early part of the day so, following breakfast at a local independent cafe, we retraced our steps from the day before and visited the Beatles Museum on Mathew Street, followed by a stroll back down to the riverside to explore the dock area more fully as well as visit the Maritime Museum. Both museums were excellent so, having battled biting cold and ferocious gusts of wind, it was certainly time for a beer. Luckily for us, the Royal Albert Dock is equipped for such eventualities. Located almost at the end of one of the docks is The Pumphouse.
The pumphouse building itself was built in 1874 and featured the first steam driven hydraulic system in the city. Converted into a pub in 1984 and boasting a listed pump tower, the premises is now operated by Greene King. Internally, there are 3 levels with a main bar area downstairs, stairs leading to an upper section that overlooks the dockside through long windows and a further area above with alcove seating and a corridor/mezzanine space that leads to the toilets. Despite being part of the Greene King estate, there is clearly some flexibility in terms of real ale as 8 of the 10 hand pumps were in use when we dropped in out of the wind. Whilst 4 of these were doubled up Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale, the rest were occupied by guest beers from local breweries, specifically Big Bog Padi, Liverpool Pale Ale, Big Bog Hinkypunk and Rock the Boat (Sittin' On) the Dock. I'd never had a Big Bog beer before so thought I'd give the Hinkypunk a go. At 4.1%, this is a golden ale with citrus aromas, a slight sweetness and a satisfying bitter finish. Big Bog started life in Wales but moved to a custom-built brewhouse in Speke in 2016. The beer is excellent so things clearly worked out alright! Amy ordered a cider and we went and sat on a round table upstairs near to the mezzanine space whilst we got our breath back. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the beer and pub in general. The decoration is nautically themed and features ropes, winches and other associated paraphernalia. It's always nice to see a pub run by a big pubco that allows local beers and breweries, or guest beers in general, to get more of a look in.
It was time for a bit more exploring now and, after a quick perusal of the nearby shopping centre, we embarked on a trek to see Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. It's mightily impressive and I genuinely hadn't realised the scale of it, despite it being clearly visible as it looms over the city from the highest point. Time for an occasional series called Cathedral Facts: Liverpool Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the UK and the 5th largest in the world. It boasts the highest and heaviest peal of bells in the world and also has the highest gothic arches in the world and all of it was designed by the same man that designed the red telephone box. It was definitely worth the walk to see the whole thing up close! After so much walking already today, we felt that more sitting down was required to round the day out. Luckily enough, we happened to be a short walk away from several highly regarded drinking venues, including some bonafide Liverpool institutions. Retracing our steps slightly from the cathedral mount, we crossed the road and headed down onto Roscoe Street. A short walk away, on the left, was our next stop. Time to turn our attention to The Grapes.
Known as the 'little Grapes' to avoid confusion with The Grapes on Mathew Street, this former Mellors Brewery pub dates back to 1804 and still features the original Mellors Brewery sign. Inside is a two room layout featuring a larger room behind the bar with pew-style seating. The bar itself sits in the smaller lounger style space which can be accessed through a door on either side of the pub. A refurbishment in 2016 added an extension to the rear which has increased the size and there is also a partly sheltered patio space above the extension, accessed via a staircase. The relatively small bar is well served by 9 handpulls, 8 of which were in use during our visit. Our options for beer were Rock the Boat Liverpool Light, Marble Manchester Bitter, Neptune Galene, Neptune Triton, Chapter Fossil Dinner, Cwrw Lal Pothole Porter and Rock the Boat Amber Sub. The final hand pump was reserved for a cider, in this case Seacider's Medium Dry. I went for the Galene, a 4.3% session IPA from Maghull based Neptune. The beer is unfined so pours naturally hazy, which I'm fine with, and is brewed with Azacca, Amarillo and Citra to give a fruity, tropical flavour. Amy ordered a cider and we sat on a low bench near the bar, once again recovering from the walk and weather. The Grapes is a cosy, street-corner local and there were a few people already in there when we arrived but it was by no means full. There is a classic charm about this place with relatively untouched features, local photos and bric-a-brac as well as a book case proffering leaflets about local events. The beer is excellent which is reflected in the pub's inclusion in the Good Beer Guide.
Our next stop was an absolute must and a place that any lover of good beer should add to their list and make the effort to get to when in Liverpool. Leaving the Grapes, we turned left and continued down Roscoe Street, crossing the main road to where it continues on the other side. It wouldn't have been a trip to Liverpool without a visit to the Roscoe Head.
One of the legendary 'Famous Five' pubs to have appeared in every edition of the Good Beer Guide, the Roscoe Head is named after locally born abolitionist William Roscoe and has been run by members of the same family for over 30 years. The pub made headlines in recent years as the current landlord fought a lengthy legal battle against both Punch Taverns and New River Retail to prevent the pub being sold. After 5 years, the battle was finally one and Carol became the official owner of the lease, meaning the pub is at long last safe from development and will continue to prosper. This is not a large pub but is immensely popular. Even on a Thursday afternoon, the pub was full. The interior features a multi roomed layout around a small central bar. A lounge is to the right of the entrance with a smaller vault opposite. Another room is located to the rear and there is a small corridor with access to the toilets. The small bar features 6 handpulls, 5 of which were operational when we stopped in. Our options here were Timothy Taylor Landlord, Tetley Bitter, Ossett White Rat, Thornbridge Lord Marples and Brass Castle Starlight. I swung for the White Rat (4%) this time around and it was in perfect condition. White Rat is a very pale ale hopped with Cascade, Colombus and Amarillo hops for an intensely aromatic and resinous finish. We managed to squeeze ourselves into the vault and find two stools on which to perch at the bar. It's really good news and, no doubt, a massive relief to the local community, that the future of the Roscoe Head has been secured. The success of Carol's campaign proves that pub closures are not inevitable and communities really can step in and save their beloved locals. Long may the Roscoe Head success continue!
As painful as it was to leave the Roscoe, another landmark Liverpool pub stood not too far away. Whereas the Roscoe Head is noted for its excellent beer, our next destination is renowned for its decor. Continuing down Roscoe Street, we made our way over to Hope Street and the magnificent Philharmonic Dining Rooms.
Now part of the Nicholson's estate, this Grade I listed building was designed for Robert Cain and built between 1898 and 1900. Stone-built and with a slate roof the overall layout is a mixture of two and three storeys with both an attic and a cellar. It was previously a gentleman's club and the feel from those days is still in the retained features, including stained glass windows, wood panelling and stucco ceilings. This is the only Grade I listed pub in Liverpool and one of only a handful in the country. The ornate interior carries across all 5 floors with the ground floor decorated like a traditional music hall to reflect the proximity of the Philharmonic Hall (situated opposite and from where the venue takes its name). The ground floor is split into a number of areas with the bar immediately behind the entrance. There are twin lounges opposite, named after the composers Brahms and Liszt respectively and a large drinking and dining space beyond which features marble statues on the ceiling, copper panels, mosaics and designs in mahogany and glass. The main entrance is fronted by art deco gates. Of particular interest and fascination are the gents toilets which are constructed from rose coloured marble. Female visitors are welcome to visit the gents to see for themselves! But what of the beer? 10 handpulls are mounted on the horseshoe shaped bar with 8 of these in use during our visit. With this being a Nicholson's pub, the beers featured come from their core and guest portfolio. The choices were Sharp's Doom Bar, Nicholson's Pale Ale, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Dark Star Hophead, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Wainwright, Titanic Plum Porter and Fuller's London Pride. I went for the London Pride, Amy went with cider and we carried our pints through to the seating area, which was also very busy, seemingly with post-work groups, although we were able to find a table under one of the ornate windows, next to a plaque commemorating a performance by a young Paul McCartney. We'd already made the decision to eat here as we're big fans of Nicholson's pies so we promptly ordered food and took a moment to absorb the sheer feat of architecture in which we found ourselves. The beer was in great condition and it was certainly easy to see why this place is a tourist attraction, even for the non pubgoer.
Following the delicious pies and beer, we made a plan to visit one more pub before making our way back towards the hotel and potentially find another pub in which we could watch the Liverpool v Leicester game later that evening. Our next location would see us taking a short trip over the road to a place that could not have been further down the spectrum from the opulence of the Philharmonic. Next up the Pen Factory.
This Good Beer Guide listed basement bistro style bar is next door to the Everyman Theatre and in the shadow of the Catholic Cathedral, known colloquially as 'Paddy's Wigwam'. Opened in 2015, the layout is open-plan with a wood burning stove as well as a small rear garden. Accessed down stairs from the street outside, the interior is large and modern with exposed ceiling ductwork and low tables and chairs throughout. The bar is a cafe-style long white rectangle along one side of the room. As well as a wide range of spirits, hot drinks and cakes, there are also 6 handpulls. At the time of our visit, one of these hosted Lilley's Cheeky Pig cider with the other 5 providing beers, in the shape of Titanic Plum Porter, Titanic Steerage, Kirkstall Pale, Mallinsons Ella and Oakham Citra. Regular readers of this blog will know of my fondness for Citra so my decision was made on the spot. Amy selected a can of Tiny Rebel's Clwb Tropica from the fridge behind the bar and we took a seat at a table a short distance away. It's refreshing to see more modern venues stepping up to the mark by not just offering real ale but taking the time and effort to look after it properly. The Citra was spot on.
There was one other pub I hand in mind for the end of the evening and it just so happened to also be showing the football. Wending our way back towards our accommodation, we ventured over to Old Post Office Place and the conveniently named Old Post Office.
No prizes for guessing where this pub gets its name! Situated opposite a school, the Old Post Office has a roughly square footprint with a central front door and another entrance on one corner. The bar is large and central and serves an area of seating, in the form of both high and low tables and chairs, spread around it. There is further seating through an archway to one side, which also leads to the gents toilets, with the ladies around the opposite side. The front area is slightly split level with a small set of steps leading from one area to another. Two handpulls sit on one side of the bar offering, on this occasion Wychwood Hobgoblin Ruby and Hobgoblin Gold. A number of TVs are located throughout the space, which is handy for the football. At first glance, this seems an odd place to visit given the sheer number of pubs in Liverpool that would be showing the football. However, this particular place has a gruesome story attached to an upstairs room. Legend states that something 'unspeakable' resides in one of the rooms above the pub, which is consequently kept permanently locked. What exactly 'it' is, nobody knows for sure but the story goes that one man who tried to peer through the keyhole into the room beyond was so terrified that he went irreversibly insane. As a direct result of this, as well as the door being permanently locked, the keyhole has been sealed up. What, if any, truth there is to this tale, it's certainly compelling. As was the football, which saw Liverpool deservedly run out 2-0 winners and ended our second evening on a high.
Day 3 in Liverpool was noticeably less windy and slightly warmer, with the sun deciding to make an appearance. This all boded very well for our first activity of the day: a tour of Anfield stadium. This was, without doubt, one of the non-pub highlights of the entire trip and was, by turns, educational, exciting and emotional. Following our taxi journey back to the hotel, we took a few minutes to collect our thoughts, drop off some purchases and come up with a plan for the day. We had a ghost walk booked for the evening so in the meantime decided that we may as well tick off a few more pubs. We began close to the hotel. Making our way down nearby Dale Street, we arrived at our first stop of the day. Day 3's drinking began at the Good Beer Guide listed Thomas Rigby's.
A Grade II listed building, the pub is named after a local wine and spirits merchant and operated by Isle of Mann based brewery Okell's. Inside is a multi-roomed layout with snug like areas opposite a timber bar that takes up the majority of one wall. The seating is traditional scrubbed wood tables and chairs. A staircase opposite the bar leads down to the toilets. The bar features 6 handpulls which, during our visit, were offering the following: Okell's Bitter, Rock the Boat Fab Four, Kirkstall Three Swords, Ossett White Rat, Ossett Butterley and Rock the Boat Yellow Submarine. I couldn't resist a Beatles-themed beer so went with the Fab Four (4.4%, because of course it is), a dry hopped IPA from Crosby based Rock the Boat. Brewed with Admiral, Flyer, Target and Cascade hops, it's a great example of the style. Very sessionable and fruity but with a good bitterness and clean finish. We found a table under a small TV in a snug like area and our timing turned out to be impeccable as the pub started to fill with workers on their Friday lunch break. Our Friday had certainly started well!
As well as serving great beer, Thomas Rigby's has a courtyard to the rear for outside drinking with the added bonus that this is shared with another pub that sits directly behind. Being in such close proximity, it would have been positively rude not to visit the Lady of Mann.
The sister pub to Thomas Rigby's, the Lady of Mann shares the same ownership and the same staff and is named after the eponymous ferry. This is a more open plan pub than its sibling, with exposed beams and woodwork that lend the venue a rustic feel. The bar is small and tucked to one side and there are TVs in each of the small areas. 3 handpulls sit on the bar with 2 of them available during our stay. The choices were between Okell's Bitter and Ossett White Rat and, trying not to repeat beers if possible, I went for the Okell's. We were served by the same member of staff who had served us in the pub next door which led to a brief sense of deja vu as we made our way to a table tucked to one side of the larger half of the pub. Okell's Bitter was a beer I'd never tried but I'm glad I broke my duck. This is a 3.7% traditional bitter with malty and fruity aromas in the initial whiff and hops and caramel flavours in the middle. The bitterness falls off at the end which leads to a rounded finish. Perhaps because it's a little bit tucked away, this pub wasn't as busy as it's sister but was comfortable and welcoming none the less.
The next stop on the list was also but a short walk from our previous locale. Returning to the main road, we followed it until we reached a side street called Hackins Hey, whereupon stands Ye Hole in ye Wall.
Reputedly the oldest pub in Liverpool, Ye Hole in ye Wall dates to at least 1726 and boasts two unusual claims to fame. The pub is built on top of an old Quaker graveyard with bodies still in situ, meaning that the beer cellar has been located on the first floor, above the bar. Secondly, this was one of the last pubs in the city to allow women to enter, with female customers not permitted until 1977. This is reflected by the lack of a ladies toilet on the ground floor. Ladies wishing to use the facilities must climb a staircase behind the bar into the rooms above. The decor is primarily wood panelling and stained glass with space inside being at a premium, hence the pub's name. In one corner is an old fashioned telephone booth with a studded leather door; another reminder of the old days before mobile or public phones. An old bell-box is located behind the bar and the bell pushes still work although these are rarely switched on due to potential overuse. There is a small lounge area opposite the bar with a small number of tables and chairs scattered throughout, and a narrow entrance corridor. 6 hand pumps sit pride of place on the bar, offering a wide variety of beers. The beer was previously dispensed via gravity fed pipes from a keg style dispenser but wear and tear on the pipes meant hand pulls were installed instead. On offer at the time of our visit were: Lancaster Lancaster Red, Lancaster Glacier, Parkway Cheeky Monkey, Stockport Crown Bitter, Beartown Creme Bearlee and Beartown Best Bitter. I was unfamiliar with Parkway Brewing Co., who, it turns out are based in Somerset, so I gave their (Who's a) Cheeky Monkey? a go. It turned out to be a great choice. This is a 4% session golden beer, brewed with Challenger and Bobek hops. It's very very drinkable and went down very well indeed! This pub is best described as a hidden gem, not just for its beer quality but in general for its atmosphere, its history and its decor. In case you were wondering if Liverpool's oldest pub, built over a graveyard, has any ghosts, if the tales are true then it certainly does. A figure in a cowl, who is often mistaken for one of the regulars, has been seen on multiple occasions. Whether the figure is linked to the bodies buried beneath remains to be seen. A second apparition is that of a Spanish soldier, allegedly stabbed to death in the pub for refusing to take money. Perhaps it's no surprise that spirits stalk the floors of a pub of such an age.
We still had considerable time to kill before we needed to be back on Hope Street for the ghost walk and we weren't hungry yet, so a return trip to the Cavern Club was a must! After all, we don't know when we'll back so it made sense to say goodbye to the place, even if the return visit was slightly tarnished by a group of young girls from Essex requesting Valerie from the onstage performer and one of them saying it was written by Amy Winehouse. Kids these days!
Following an hour or two in the music soaked walls of the Cavern, we were finally getting hungry so decided it would make sense to make our way over to where we would need to be later and get food in one of the pubs in the area. A few minutes walking brought us to what would be our final pub of the trip: the Fly in the Loaf.
Another pub owned by Okell's, the building started life as Kirkland's Bakery. The name of the pub is taken from the old bakery's slogan 'no flies in the loaf'. The original 1920s windows remain in place at the front of the building. When the bakery closed, the building became Kirkland's Wine Bar before several years of closure. Reopened as a pub in 2004, it underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2014, which resulted in the current layout, with a spacious interior and light and airy frontage and it is now in the Good Beer Guide. Inside, raised window areas provide views of the Anglican cathedral and there is a wood panelled area to the rear. High and low tables and chairs provide seating throughout. The bar includes 6 handpulls, 5 of which were in use whilst we were there. The options available were Ossett Voodoo, Roosters YPA, Ossett White Rat, Wadworth Dirty Rucker and Okell's Bitter. I went for the YPA (Yorkshire Pale Ale), a 4% session pale from Harrogate-based Rooster's, whilst Amy went for cider. We took our drinks to a high table next to a pillar opposite the bar and debated food whilst enjoying our drinks. The YPA was great. This beer is pale, aromatic and summery with delicate peach and berry fruit flavours. The food wasn't too bad although they were operating a limited menu so we ordered some side plates to share between us.
And that, ultimately, would be that. With our drinks drained, all that remained was to meet our ghost tour guide (as in a guide for the ghost tour, not a guide that was a ghost) outside the Philharmonic Dining Rooms and embark on a 90 minute tour of the gruesome sites and stories of the Hope Street area, culminating in a night time visit to a vast necropolis in an old quarry, overlooked by the gothic arches of Liverpool Cathedral. Metal as fuck.
Liverpool had been fantastic! It had long been on our list to visit as tourists and long been on my own personal list as a beer tourist. Getting the chance to see what a small number of the city's hundreds of pubs have to offer was a treat and getting to visit legendary venues like Roscoe Head, the Philharmonic and, obviously, the Cavern Club, made the whole experience even better. Liverpool is renowned for 3 main things: trade, music and football. Add beer to the list. We will definitely be returning in the future. There are pubs we never got to and things we never got to do. It took us long enough to go and it was completely worth it. The less said about the train journey home though, the better.
I hope to bring even more blogs this year as I've got some trips lined up in the coming months, featuring returns to favourite destinations and some brand new ones. It feels good to be back, and it feels even better to be able to feel positive about doing this more often. I hope you've enjoyed this blog's first visit to Merseyside. I know I have.
