Liverpool, once the British Empire’s second city, has, since World War Two been in decline. In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in investment with the city centre seeing regeneration. Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture for 2008 all through the year there were numerous events ranging from world class concerts to unique art exhibitions. Now the dust has settled what is there to attract tourists to this wonderful city? Well there are many new Liverpool hotels meeting the requirements of all tastes. In the following article I introduce the reader to three visitor attractions in Liverpool.
Tate Liverpool
Stood on the waterfront in Liverpool, as part of the Albert Dock complex, is Tate Liverpool. Since opening in 1988, the Tate, for a short time, was the largest gallery of contemporary and modern art in the United Kingdom, besides London. The Tate is a very popular tourist attraction in Liverpool, with in excess of 600,000 visitors through its’ doors every year. The gallery is in one of the 5 converted warehouses orignally converted by James Stirling. However, the building had to undergo further refurbishment in1988 to create more gallery space. In 2007 the foyer was redesigned, giving the gallery a more modern appearance and better proportions in the reception area.
Albert Dock
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, whom the docks were named after, opened the docks in 1846. Over the years the docks were very busy, but eventually had to close to shipping in 1972. For many years the docks lay derelict and quiet, until the 1980′s when they were redeveloped with funding from the Merseyside Development Corporation. The dock consisted of five warehouse buildings, all of which are Grade I listed, making the Albert Dock complex the largest set of Grade I listed building in the United Kingdom. The docks are now home to a number of visitor attractions, including the Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
Liverpool is celebrated for having two cathedrals: the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral. When John Charles Rye was appointed Bishop of Liverpool in 1880, ironically Liverpool did not have a cathedral at that time. Whereupon, after a lot of deliberation, the powers that be agreed that a cathedral was essential. In 1902, they decided to hold an open competition for the design of the cathedral. The winning proposal was chosen in 1903, and astonishingly, was a design by student Giles Gilbert Scott, who had no former construction experience. Another architect, George F. Bodley, was appointed to work with Scott, and oversee all construction works and designs. King Edward VII laid the foundation stone in 1904, and in 1910, the first part of the cathedral, the Lady Chapel, was finished.
As well as the 3 visitor attractions mentioned above Liverpool has a great many more. Besides this there are many, many more not too far away from the city, perfect for a day visit. If you are planning to spend time in Liverpool you may wish to take a look at our web site which has a comprehensive list of Liverpool bed & breakfast as well as a selection of apartments in Liverpool.
Tags: city break, destinations, England, Liverpool, travel, UK, United Kingdom, vacation, vacations
