Liverpool, once the second city of the British Empire, has, since the Second World War been in decline. In recent years there has been a massive increase in investment with the centre of the city undergoing regeneration. In 2008 Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture throughout the full twelve months there were numerous events ranging from world class concerts to exciting exhibitions of art. With the European Capital of Culture year over what is there to attract tourists to this vibrant city? Well there are definitely a number of new hotels catering for all tastes with accommodation ranging from economyLiverpool bed and breakfast to world class luxury hotels. In the following article I introduce you to three attractions in the city of Liverpool.
The Tate
Located at Liverpool’s waterfront, as part of the Albert Dock complex, is Tate Liverpool. Since opening in 1988, the Tate, for a short period of time, was the largest gallery of contemporary and modern art in the United Kingdom. The Tate is an extremely popular visitor attraction in Liverpool, catering for in excess of 600,000 visitors through its’ doors every 12 months. The gallery is in one of the 5 converted warehouses. Originally converted by James Stirling, the building was forced undergo further refurbishment in 1988 to create further more gallery space. In 2007 the foyer of the building was refurbished, giving the gallery a more modern appearance having far better proportions in the reception area.
The Albert Dock
Liverpool’s Albert Dock was named after Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, who opened the docks in 1846. The docks were very busy over the years,, but eventually had to close to shipping in 1972. The docks lay quiet and derelict, that is until the 1980’s when they were redeveloped with grants 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 group of Grade I listed buildings in the United Kingdom. The docks are now home to a selection of visitor attractions, including the Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
The Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
Liverpool is renowned 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 was not is possession of a cathedral at that time. Whereupon, after a lot of deliberation, the powers that be decided that a cathedral was required. In 1902, they decided to have an open competition for the design of the cathedral. The winning design was chosen in 1903, and astonishingly, was a proposal by student Giles Gilbert Scott, who had no preceding construction experience. Another architect, George F. Bodley, was assigned to work with Scott, and oversee all designs and construction works. King Edward VII laid the foundation stone in 1904, and in 1910, the first part of the cathedral, the Lady Chapel, was completed.
As well as the 3 tourist attractions examined above Liverpool has a great many more. As well as this there are a huge number more not too far from the city, which are suitable destinations for a day trip. Destinations such as Manchester, are perfect for a day out but you might want to stay there longer to see more of the place. You might also find that our comprehensive listings of Liverpool bed & breakfast are useful during the planning stages of your vacation.