Category: UK

HEBDEN BRIDGE to KIRKBY STEPHEN – 2023

We say good-bye to Hebden Bridge and make our way to another Bridge – Haydon Bridge via a couple of interesting Market Towns, Kettlewell, Hawes & Kirkby Stephen. A few interesting sights/sites along the way.

As always, click on an image to open it in a new tab/window.

Worth Valley, West Yorkshire, England UKKettlewell Village, Upper Wharfdale, North Yorkshire, England UK

River Wharfe, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire, England UK

Racehorse Hotel & Blue Bell Inn, Middle Lane, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire, England UK

Colour Image <<<<<>>>>>Black & White Image

Kettlewell Beck, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire, England UK

CoColour Image <<<<<>>>>>Black & White Image

River Wharfe, Deepdale, Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire, England UK

Bridge over Gayle Beck, Hawes, North Yorkshire, England UK

The bridge is a Grade II Listed Building

Cascades, Gayle Beck, Hawes, North Yorkshire, England UK

Old Town Signs, Gayle Lane, Hawes, North Yorkshire, England UK

Waterfalls, Aisgill, Mallerstang, Cumbria, England UK

This creeper is growing all over the ruins.

A bit of maintenance to strengthen the foundation.

Pendragon Castle, Mallerstang Dale, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England UKBlack Hill from Pendragon Castle, Mallerstang Dale, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England UK

HEBDEN BRIDGE & HOLMFIRTH – 2023

While we were staying in Hebden Bridge, we took a day trip to visit another West Yorkshire town made famous as being the location of Britain’s longest-running comedy programme and the longest running situation comedy in the world – “The Last of The Summer Wine“. There were 295 episodes and 31 series between 1973 and 2010, counting the pilot, all episodes of the series, specials, and two films. Actor Peter Sallis who played the character “Norman Clegg” was the only one to appear in every single episode.

I have watched all of the episodes and enjoyed the show. That was why I decided to visit Holmfirth on this trip.

** Remember… all images will open in a new window/tab and all are geotagged. **

Residences, 81 Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Overgrown Gate, Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Methodist Church Cemetery, Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Memorial & Plate, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Stone Memorial on Towngate This was erected in 1801 to commemorate the short peace called the Peace of Amiens. There is also a line showing the height of the flood caused by the bursting of the Bilberry Reservoir on Feb 5th, 1842, when 81 lives were lost.

Sid’s Cafe, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

This cafe feature strongly right across the period of the programme

Steps Besides Sid’s Cafée Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Nora Batty, Sid’s Cafe, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

A regular character of the series for many years

Flagstone Steps, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Old Door, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Church Door, Holy Trinity Parish Church, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Shoulder of Mutton, Dunford Road, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

John Booth the Licensee listed in the surviving Brewster Session Record of 1803 is the first known record relating to this inn, but there is opinion that it was established around 1788. The Shoulder of Mutton remains open to this day
and as such it is one of the longest running public houses in Holmfirth, apparently without any change of name in its history.

A ghost story associated with the Shoulder of Mutton dating from 1970 was first made public in 1984. It was then published by the History Press in 2012, in a book, A Review of Haunted Huddersfield, researched and written by Kai Roberts. Roberts listed this as the only pub in Holmfirth that had a ghost story. There had been reports of rattling door handles, sounds of footsteps in empty rooms, flickering lights, relocated furniture and a nasty smell in one room. Even more disturbing, a young child was seen communicating with someone unseen and
another child was mysteriously trapped in a wardrobe. When the pub sign got damaged it was thought it was time to call in a clairvoyant. She identified several ghosts: a little boy wanting a playmate, a mournful woman, a band of uniformed men in a bar and an old lady, dressed in black with a high-collared dress and smoking a clay joss.
In 1947 a tragic accident occurred outside the pub when the Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir was involved in a fatal bus crash. Perhaps the clairvoyant knew of this, as well as being aware of the pub being an inquest site for three bodies in 1852. She also believed a former landlady had been unhappy with alterations made to the pub, and it is known that there was a landlady here between 1880 and 1891. Whatever she claimed to know, she did carry out an exorcism and it seems the ghosts went away.

Last of the Summer Wine Tour Bus, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

It’s well worth the ride.

Holmfirth, Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England UK

Taken from inside the tour bus.

River Holme, Town Gate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

The river runs through the centre of the town..

The Elephant and Castle, Hollowgate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshhire, England UK

The original hostelry would have been a coaching inn dating back to the 18th century. Its name is attributed to the recognition of Queen Eleanor of Castile, the wife of King Edward I. The public house bearing the same name remains open today in a building dating from the 1820s.

Old Road Sign, Hollowgate, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

The Wrinkled Stocking, Scarfold, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Now a tearoom, the unit was the home of Nora Batty in the series. Below her unit William “Compo” Simmonite. had his residence.

Historical Plaque for “Compo”, Scarfold, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Former Telephone Box, Cnr Huddersfield Road and Victoria Street, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

St John’s Church, Upperthong Lane, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Grave Stones, St John’s Parish Church, St John’s Church, Upperthong Lane, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

Graves of Bill Owen & Peter Sallis, St John’s Church, Upperthong Lane, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England UK

William John Owen Rowbotham, MBE (Bill Owen) (14 March 1914 – 12 July 1999)was an English actor and songwriter. He was the father of actor Tom Owen. He is best known for portraying Compo Simmonite in the Yorkshire-based BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine for over a quarter of a century.

Peter John Sallis OBE (1 February 1921 – 2 June 2017) was an English actor, known for his work on British television. He was the voice of Wallace in the Academy Award-winning Wallace and Gromit films and played Norman “Cleggy” Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine from its 1973 inception until the final episode in 2010, making him the only actor to appear in all 295 episodes.

After the day at Holmfirth, we returned to finish it off back at Hebden Bridge

Old Packhorse Bridge, Hebden Water, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Park Setting, Old Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hop, Skip & Juice, Old Gate, Old Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Another drink at Old Gate Pub

Old Packhorse Bridge, Hebden Water, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The White Swan, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Right at the end of The Packhorse Bridge

Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Empties, Shoulder of Mutton, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Bridge Mill, St George’s Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

 

HEBDEN BRIDGE 2023 – II

Day 2 in Hebden Bridge and a walk around everywhere we could.

Remember – all images are geotagged and if clicked on will open in a new tab/window.

Hebden Old Bridge, Hebden Water, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Packhorse bridge, c.1510. Has plaques recording repairs of 1600, 1602 and 1657. The parapet repaired in 1845 and raised in 1890.

Three inscribed date plaques: REPAYRED: BY TH E.RIDINGE: BY ORD REPAIRED BY HELP OF ER: OF SESSIONS (B) Y GVST : 1657 RICHARD : NALER Y R.G.R.G. SESSIONS 1602 REPAIRED BY HELP OF JOHN : GREENMOOD SESSIONS 1600

Rochdale Canal, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

“Old Gate” Bar & Restaurant, Old Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Doorway of former Ebenezer Baptist Chapel, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Interior Outlook, Former Ebenezer Baptist Chapel, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Gravestone – Grace Townsend, Ebenezer Baptist Chapel, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Grave Stone, William & Sarah Greay, Ebenezer Baptist Chapel, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The former Ebenezer Baptist Chapel dates to 1777 and is now The Arts Centre

Bricked Up, 42 Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

See a full street view here!

“Barkers Terrace”, Cnr Market Street and Hangingroyd Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Smokestack, Beehive Mills, Hebden End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Cuckoo Steps Mill, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

This is now converted to two residences

Stoney Lane & Cuckoo Steps, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hebble End View B&B, Barkers Terrace, Cnr Market Street & Hangingroyd Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

GR Mailbox, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Goose Walkabout, Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

River Calder, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Rochdale Canal Bridge, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Rochdale Canal, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Fountain Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Former Mill Smokestack, Hebden End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Rochdale Canal, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Black Pit Lock & Bridge No. 17, Rochdale Canal, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The Rochdale Canal runs for 33 miles between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire, UK. In Sowerby Bridge it connects with the Calder and Hebble Navigation. In Manchester it connects with the Ashton and Bridgewater Canals.

The canal was opened between Sowerby Bridge and Todmorden and from Manchester to Rochdale in 1799 and between Todmorden and Rochdale in 1805. Most of the canal was closed in 1952. Restoration work began in late 1980s and by 1996 the canal was opened to navigation once again between Sowerby Bridge and the summit level. The canal was re-opened to navigation along its entire length in July 2002 and forms part of the South Pennine Ring.

River Calder from Rochdale Canal Bridge, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

It is at this point that the Rochdale Canal crosses over the River Calder.

Waymarker, Black Pit Lock, Rochdale Canal, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Water Cascade, River Calder, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Narrow Boats on River Calder with Crossley Mill in the Background, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

War Memorial, New Road Memorial Gardens, New Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Flood Records Marker, Hebden Bridge Picture House, New Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hope Baptist Church, New Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The Railway, New Road. Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Dry Dock at Marina, New Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hebden Bridge Picture House, New Road, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

One of the last remaining council-owned cinemas in Britain. Together with the adjacent shops, it forms a Grade II listed building. Original seating capacity was over 900.

The White Lion, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Reputed to be Hebden Bridge’s oldest building. House originally known as King’s Farm dating from 1657 substantially rebuilt late C19. Known to have been a public house from the mid C18. Dressed stone, stone slate roof. Original house had 2-room front with rear kitchen wing, some material of this date survives to ground floor.

Our place of residence for the few days spent in Hebden Bridge

Cobbled Car Park, White Lion Hotel, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

View from Old Gate Beer Garden, West End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Dining, Old Gate Bar & Restaurant, Old Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hebden Water, West End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hebden Old Bridge, Hebden Water, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

St Georges Square, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Cobbled Crossing, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

HEBDEN BRIDGE – I

After Liverpool we head for a place called Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.

** All images are geotagged and if clicked on, will open into a new window/tab. **

Valley View, Halifax Road, Littleborough, West Yorkshire, England UK

Farm Gate & Wall, Blackstone Edge Road, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire, England UK

Boundary Stone, Blackstone Edge Road, Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

“SB” is thought to refer to either Sowerby or Soyland.

Moor, Blackstone Edge Road, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire, England UK

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St George’s Bridge, St George’s Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

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A cast iron bridge that is Grade II listed – built in 1892.

[Our room]

White Lion, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The pub is Grade II listed and dated to 1657. It is reputedly the oldest building in Hebden Bridge

“Il Mulino” Restaurant Entrance, Bridge Mill, St George’s Square, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The restaurant is located in the old Bridge Mill.

Stone Marker, St George’s Square, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

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The inscription on the stone :- “Hebden Bridge centre of the universe!”

Adorned Gate, Old Lees Yard, St George’s Square, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hebden Old Bridge, Hebden Water, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The bridge is another Grade II listed building having originated as a timber structure in medieval times and stone built in 1510 as a packhorse bridge.

Hebden Water, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

“The Pub”, The Courtyard, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

a.k.a. “The Hebden”

The Vault, Cnr New Road & Crown Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Crown Inn, Cnr Crown & Cheetham Streets, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

As can be seen above the sign, the building was formerly The Civic Hall

Former Bank, Jcn Hope & Albert Streets, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Citroën 2CV ‘Fourgonnette’ Van, Albert Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Gantry Bridge, Carlton Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Oxford House, Albert Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Door Knocker, 5 Albert Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Former Croft Mill, Croft Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Bridge Mill, St George’s Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Also a Grade II listed building dating to 1830

Town Hall, St George’s Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Millennium Clock, St George’s Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

The Millennium Clock was installed into what was then Thompson Solicitors’ building on St George’s Street, Hebden Bridge in 2000 AD. Funds to pay for the clock were paid by public subscription and presented to the town by the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge.

Drinks, White Lion, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Hebden Water, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

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This was just outside our room at the White Lion

Gate Door, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Pub Sign, Shoulder of Mutton, St George’s Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Street Sign, Hangingroyd Lane, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Doorway, Hebble House, Royd Terrace, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Dining Area, White Lion, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

Passage, White Lion, Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England UK

LIVERPOOL 2023 – III

Albert-Salthouse Bridge, Salthouse Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Salthouse Bridge is located on Salthouse Quay at the entrance to Salthouse Dock in Liverpool.

The Salthouse Bridge was formerly a set of dock gates and a swing bridge.
The original bridge was a double carriageway balancing cast iron swing bridge built in 1842 over the passage between Salthouse and Canning Docks in Liverpool.

Big Red Things, Atlantic Pavilion, Salthouse Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Exhibition Hall. Merseyside Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Fire Escape, International Slavery Museum, Royal Albert Dock, Hartley’s Quay, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Gower Street Facade, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Historical Marker Plate (Jesse Hartley), Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Madre Mexican Restaurant, Anchor Courtyard, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Musicians, Revolution Bar & Restaurant, Atlantic Pavilion, Salthouse Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Newspaper Exhibit, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Night at Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Planter Barrel, Smuggler’s Cove, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Rat on a Rope, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Royal Albert Dock at Night, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Ship’s Bell, Britannic III, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Long Shot, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Wheel of Liverpoool, Keel Wharf, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Turncoat Bar & Distillery, Edward Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Window View, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

 

LIVERPOOL 2023 – II

Continuing in Liverpool and making use of the tourist buses.

Window of Our Room, Premier Inn, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Fab 4 Store, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Bollard, Salthouse Dock, Gower Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Tour Buses, Salthouse Dock, Gower Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Salthouse Dock, Gower Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Building, Jcn Paradise, Price, Liver Streets & Cleveland Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

“Liverpool Resurgent”, 40 Ranelagh Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Liverpool Resurgent is an artwork by Jacob Epstein, mounted above the main entrance to the former Lewis’s department store building in Ranelagh Street, Liverpool. It comprises a large bronze statue and three relief panels.

The current Lewis’s Building was constructed for Lewis’s in 1947 to replace  the building that had been destroyed by bombing in the Second World War.

The main 18 feet (5.5 m) high bronze statue stands on the portico above the entrance. It depicts a naked man standing on a plinth shaped like the prow of a ship projecting from the façade of the building, with left arm stretched out and right arm raised as if calling or signalling. It symbolises Liverpool’s resurgence following the war, but it is nicknamed locally as either “Nobby Lewis” or “Dickie Lewis”.

The work was unveiled on 20 November 1956 to celebrate the centenary of Lewis’s and the completion of its reconstruction works. The statue became known as a meeting place.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Oxford Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Catholic Cathedral

Anglican Cathedral, Cathedral Gate, St James Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Residences, Upper Parliament Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Princes Road Synagogue, Princes Road, Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Princes Road Synagogue came into existence when the Jewish community in Liverpool in the late 1860s decided to build a new synagogue, reflecting the status and wealth of the community. The Toxteth area was rapidly expanding as Liverpool’s magnates built opulent mansions. The synagogue stands in a cluster of houses of worship designed to advertise the wealth and status of the local captains of industry, a group that was remarkably ethnically diverse by the standards of Victorian England; immediately adjacent to the synagogue on Princes Road are the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, the Church of England’s parish of St Margaret of Antioch, and the Welsh Presbyterian Church.

Construction on the synagogue was completed in 1874.

Merseyside Deaf Centre and Social Club, Park Way, Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Merseyside Centre for the Deaf, was initially built as a chapel for the Merseyside deaf community, this once grand gothic structure is in a terrible state.

Street Sign, Penny Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Beatles Graffiti, Penny Lane, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Penny Lane, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

These images should require no description!

Penny Lane by The Beatles – Video Clip

Spire Hospital, Penny Lane, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Dovedale Towers, Penny Lane, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

See a Google Street View

John Lennon & Paul MacCartney played here as The Quarrymen in 1957. Freddie Mercury, (prior to Queen) lived upstairs for a while.

The Penny Lane Wine Bar, Penny Lane, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Church of St Barnabas, Cnr Penny Lane & Allerton Road, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Penny Lane Hotel, Jcn Penny Lane & Smithdown Place, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Gates, “Strawberry Field”, Beaconsfield Road, Woolton, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Strawberry Fields by The Beatles – Video Clip

John Lennon’s Childhood Home, Menlove Avenue, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

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Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

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Dingle Tunnel, Grafton Street, Riverside, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Opened 1896 closed 1956

Google Street View

Canning Dock, Salthouse Quay, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Royal Liver Building, The Strand, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Royal Liver Building, Canada Boulevarde, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Opened in 1911, the building was the purpose-built home of the Royal Liver Assurance group, which had been set up in the city in 1850 to provide locals with assistance related to losing a wage-earning relative. One of the first buildings in the world to be built using reinforced concrete, the Royal Liver Building stands at 98.2 m (322 ft) tall to the top of the spires, 103.7 m (340 ft) to the top of the birds and 50.9 m (167 ft) to the main roof.

The Royal Liver Building is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city of Liverpool with its two fabled Liver Birds, which watch over the city and the sea. Legend has it that if the two birds were to fly away, the city would cease to exist.

George’s Dock Building, Brunswick Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Art Deco style Grade II Listed Building from the 1930s and is the most ambitious of the six buildings built to provide ventilation for the 2.1 mile long road tunnel under the River Mersey.

Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady and Saint Nicholas), Cnr George’s Dock Gates & Chapel Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Dates from 1811 but a known place of worship back to 1250.

Over the years, as new churches were built, the “Old Church” continued to serve a congregation. Members repeatedly warned officials that the spire was unsafe. On Sunday 11 February 1810, as the bells rang and people were gathering for the morning service, the spire crashed into the nave below, killing 25 people. Twenty-one were under 15 years old, and most were girls from Moorfields Charity School. The original ring of six bells, dating from 1636 to 1724, was destroyed in the disaster.

During World War II, the bells were removed for safety, but they were never rehung. Following a German air raid on 21 December 1940, the main body of the church was destroyed by fire, leaving only the parish rooms, vestries and the 19th century tower. Rebuilding did not begin until March 1949, and the completed church, dedicated to ‘Our Lady and St Nicholas’, was consecrated on 18 October 1952

Century Buildings, Cnr North John & Cook Streets, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Queen Victoria Monument, Derby Square, Lord Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The foundation stone was laid on 11 October 1902 by Field Marshal Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. The monument was unveiled on 27 September 1906. It is a Grade II Listed structure,

Temple Court, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Wellington’s Column, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The foundation stone was laid on 1 May 1861 by the Mayor of Liverpool. There were further delays during construction of the monument due to subsidence. Although it was inaugurated on 16 May 1863 in a ceremony attended by the Mayor and Sir William Brown, it was still not complete. Reliefs depicting Wellington’s victories and the charge at the Battle of Waterloo were still to be added and it was finally completed towards the end of 1865. These delays resulted in its being “a very late example of a column-monument for Britain”

Ornate Lamp, St George’s Hall, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Doorway, Victoria Gallery & Museum, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Bombed Out Church, St Luke’s, Leece Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Bombed during the Liverpool Blitz of 1941 it has never been rebuilt and stands today as a memorial to those who died in the war.

Red Door (Cocktail Bar), Berry Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Wedding House, Great George Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Wall Mural, The Wedding House, Great George Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Night View, Britannia Vaults, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Outside Premier Inn, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Historical Information Plate, Britannia Pavillion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

LIVERPOOL 2023 – I

We’re leaving Wales and driving to our next stopover, Liverpool in Merseyside and will spend a few days there.

Conwy Bay, Llys Helig Drive, Gogarth, Denbighshire, Wales UK

Wapping Dock, Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Keel Wharf, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Hydraulic Tower, Wapping Dock, Queen’s Wharf, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Wheel of Liverpool, Keel Wharf, Dukes Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Views From Wheel of Liverpool, Duke’s Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

See each image individually:-

View 1:    View 2:    View 3:    View 4:

Kings Parade Bridge, Keel Wharf, Duke’s Dock, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Duke’s Dock, Kings Parade, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Opening in 1773, Duke’s Dock was built privately for the Duke of Bridgewater as a Liverpool-based facility for traffic using the Bridgewater Canal from Manchester.

Holiday Inn, Gower Street, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Pan Am Restaurant & Bar, Britannia Pavilion Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Smuggler’s Cove, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Narrow Boat Moored at Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Barge Moored in Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool. Merseyside, England UK

Smugglers Cove Bar, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Warehouse Machinery, Courtyard Britannia Vaults, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Ruben’s, The Colonnades, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Royal Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool, England. Designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, it was officially opened on 30 July 1846 by Prince Albert., and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world.

Today the Royal Albert Dock is a major tourist attraction in the city and the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom, outside London. The docking complex and warehouses also comprise the largest single collection of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in the UK.

The Premier Inn was the last undeveloped space on the dock opening in 2003.

The One O’Clock Gun, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The Beatles Story Exhibition, Britannia Vaults, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Old Anchor, Courtyard Brittania Vaults, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Colonnade to The Tate, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Sculpture, The Tate, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Hartley Quay Bridge, The Pier Head, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

‘Liverpool Mountain’, Mermaid’s Corner, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool. Merseyside, England UK

Piermaster’s House, Albert Dock, Kings Parade, Pier Head – Seacombe, Hartley’s Quay, Liverpool. Merseyside, England UK

A Grade II Listed Building constructed for the Piermaster & his family in 1852

Canning Half Tide Dock, Hartley’s Bridge, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Rail Buffers, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Merseyside Maritime Museum, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Catering Vehicles, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

See each image individually:-

Vehicle 1:     Vehicle 2:

The Pump House, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

A Grade II Listed building dates from 1870s. Now an upmarket pub.

HMS Conway Anchor, Hartley’s Quay, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Conway Anchor at Caernarfon, Wales

First launched as the HMS Nile in 1839, it was renamed HMS Conway in 1875. The ship was brought to Bangor in 1941 and then to Plas Newydd, just north of Caernarfon, in 1949. The ship was wrecked in the Menai Strait in 1953, and this, one of 2 anchors, with the other to be seen at the above link at Victoria Dock in Caernarfon.

Internal Passageway, Premier Inn, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

Our Room, Premier Inn, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, England UK

The view from the window is directly down into the dock.

WALES 2023 – III

Still in Caernarfon and wandering around the town and castle walls.

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Through a Rain Spattered Window, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Pen Deitsh – Castle Ditch

Harbour Offices, Cei Llechi, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Cei Llechi – Slate Quay

Caernarfon from Black Tower, Caernarfon Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Castle Exit, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Carnarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Drinks in Bar Bach, Tyn y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The Bar, Bar Bach, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Bar Bach, Tafarn Lleiaf Cymru, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Tafarn Lleiaf Cymru – The Smallest Pub in Wales

Historic Plaques, Porth Mawr, Stry y Porth Mawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

See Location Here! – plaques can be seen on the left in the tunnel.

Top:

Site of The Exchequer and Chancery of the Principality of North Wales Founded 1284.

Bottom:

This tower was raised twenty eight feet and a half and the clock was improved and filled up with transparent dials in the year of our Lord 1833.
The most Honourable the MARQUESS OF ANGLESEA, MAYOR
WILLIAM ROBERTS ESQ. Deputy Mayor.
DAVID ROWLANDS, GRIFFITH CAVIES – Bailiffs

Former Lloyds Bank Building, Stryd y Porth Mawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

11 Stryd y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

Rhydalun House, Stryd y Porth Mawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

Street Sign, Stryd Twll yn y Wal, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Stryd Twll yn y Wal – Hole in the Wall Street

Tŷ Dre Town House, Stryd Fawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Our room on the top floor!

Cofeb Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf, Stryd y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (Llywelyn Our Last Leader) was killed in battle in 1282. His death led directly to the establishment of the bastide town of Caernarfon. Commissioned by Gwynedd County Council to commemorate 700th anniversary of Llywelyn’s death in 1282.

Cofeb Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf – in Memory of Llywelyn Our Last Leader

Stryd Y Jel, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Shirehall Street

Morgan Lloyd, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Sgwâr y Castell – Castle Square

A Grade II Listed Building

Sir Hugh Owen, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Statue, David Lloyd George, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

In 1890 Lloyd George narrowly won a Parliamentary by-election for Caernarvon Boroughs, the boroughs of Caernarfon, Bangor, Conwy, Criccieth, Nefyn and Pwllheli. He held the seat as a Liberal until two months before his death in 1945. The town’s former Liberal Club is a short distance north of here.

He held key Government posts: President of the Board of Trade (1905-1908); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1908-1915); Minister of Munitions (1915-1916); and Prime Minister (1916-1922).

He was a controversial figure, particularly for his stances on the Boer War, Palestine and Irish independence. Although mostly supporting votes for women, his fluctuating stance made him an enemy of the suffragette movement and his meetings were often disrupted. His personal life was sometimes a source of gossip but he is primarily remembered as the initiator of the welfare state and as Britain’s leader in the First World War.

He died at Llanystumdwy on 26 March 1945 and is buried beside the River Dwyfor. His daughter Megan was Wales’ first female MP. His son Gwilym was Minister for Food and Power in the Second World War and later Home Secretary.

Dedication Plaque, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Wynedd, Wales UK

This stone records the generous deed of a local subject Sir Charles Garden Assheton-Smith Baronet of Vaynol who gave three houses to be demolished in order that some thousands of his countrymen might witness the investiture of The Prince of Wales 13th July 1911. He also gave the ground whereon they stood to The Crown to be forever open to the public and free from building.

See image further down showing the location of the plaque.

Boats on Afon Seiont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Afon Seiont – Zion River

Pont yr Aber, Afon Seiont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Windows, Eagle Tower, Castle Walls, Caernarfon Castle, Bryn y Castelll, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Grade II Listed Building, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

This building is on the edge of the square where the David Lloyd George Statue is located

Eagle Tower to Queen’s Tower, Caernarfon Castle, Bryn y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Queen’s Gate, Caernarfon Castle, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Caernarfon Castle, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Caernarfon Castle, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Doorway, Maes Glas, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

y Castell, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The Castle Hotel

Building Façade, Paternoster Buildings, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Grade II Listed Building

Castle Square Presbyterian Church, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Grade II Listed Building built in 1883

Blind Justice, Old Courthouse, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Old Town Walls Entrance, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Bridge to Castle Entrance, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon,Gwynedd, Wales UK

Castle Doorway, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Eagle Tower, Castle Walls, Caernarfon Castle, Bryn y Castelll, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Town Walls, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Drinks at Dinner Time, Y Goran (The Crown), Cnr Stryd Fawr & Stryd Y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

WALES 2023 – II

This post is on the visit to Caernarfon Castle.

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Caernarfon Castle is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The first fortification on the site was a motte-and-bailey castle built in the late 11th century, which King Edward I of England began to replace with the current stone structure in 1283 finishing in 1330. The castle and town established by Edward acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale.

Caernarfon Castle is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages.

This fortress-palace on the banks of the River Seiont is grouped with Edward I’s other castles at Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech as a World Heritage Site. But for sheer scale and architectural drama Caernarfon stands alone.

Here Edward and his military architect Master James of St George erected a castle, town walls and a quay all at the same time. This gigantic building project eventually took 47 years and cost a staggering £25,000. [£25.5 Million today]

The castle was born out of bitter war with Welsh princes. So of course its immense curtain walls and daunting King’s Gate were designed to withstand assault. But the polygonal towers, eagle statues and multi-coloured masonry sent a more subtle message.

There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon’s Roman past—nearby is the Roman fort of Segontium—and the castle’s walls are reminiscent of the Walls of Constantinople. They also recalled the Welsh myth of Macsen Wledig, who dreamed of a great fort at the mouth of a river – ‘the fairest that man ever saw’.

Although the castle appears mostly complete from the outside, the interior buildings no longer survive and many parts of the structure were never finished. In 1294 the town and castle were sacked and captured by Madog ap Llywelyn during his rebellion against the English, but were recaptured the following year. The castle was unsuccessfully besieged during the Glyndŵr Rising of 1400–1415. When the Tudor dynasty ascended to the English throne in 1485, tensions between the Welsh and English began to diminish and castles were considered less important. As a result, Caernarfon Castle was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.

Despite its dilapidated condition, during the English Civil War Caernarfon Castle was held by Royalists and besieged three times by Parliamentarian forces. This was the last time the castle was used in war. The castle was neglected until the 19th century when the state funded repairs. The castle was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1911 and again in 1969. The castle is managed by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service. It is part of the World Heritage Site “Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd”.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caernarfon_Castle

Front Entrance, Caernarfon Castle, Castle Ditch, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

 

WALES 2023 – I

After spending the night in the wonderful Market Town of Hay-on-Wye, our next destination is for a few nights in Caernarfon on the shores of the Menai Strait. The drive through Snowdonia is full of scenery.

Clywedog Reservoir, Llanidloes, Powys, Wales UK

Bridge over Afon Croessor, Llanfrothen, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Riverside Vegetation, Afon Croessor, Llanfrothen, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Roadside Marker, Aberglaslyn Pass, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

See street view here:-

Afon Glaslyn, Aberglaslyn Pass, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Road, Aberglaslyn Pass, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Gallt y Wenallt, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

We arrive at Caernarfon and wander about.

Brewer’s Sign, Ind Coope & Allsopp, The Black Boy Inn, Stryd Pedwar a Chwech, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

An old metal plate inside the Black Boy Inn. A brewer dating back to 1740s. In 1935 Samuel Allsopp & Sons merged with Ind Coope Ltd to form Ind Coope and Allsopp Ltd. The Allsopp name was dropped in 1959 and in 1971 Ind Coope was incorporated into Allied Breweries.

Y Bachgen Du (Black Boy Inn), Stryd Pedwar a Chwech, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

One theory suggests that a boy was brought into Caernarfon on a ship, who later became known as ‘Jack Black’ in many local stories, and another suggests that the inn’s name simply refers to a navigational buoy which could be seen in the harbour.

The Black Boy Inn (or just Black Boy) is a hotel and public house in the Royal Town of Caernarfon in Gwynedd, Wales which is thought to date back to 1522, making it one of the oldest surviving inns in North Wales. It is within the medieval walls of Caernarfon, a few hundred yards from Caernarfon Castle.

Prior to 1828, the pub was known as the ‘Black Boy’. Though still referred to by its traditional name, it was officially altered to the ‘King’s Arms’ and, later, the ‘Fleur de Lys’, until a change of ownership led to the restoration of the old name and the creation of the “Black Boy Inn” as it is today. The Inn signs each show a ‘black buoy’ on one side and a ‘black boy’ on the other.

Old Town Walls, Stryd Pedwar a Chwech. Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Caernarfon’s town walls are a medieval defensive structure around the townn North Wales. The walls were constructed between 1283 and 1292 after the foundation of Caernarfon by Edward I, alongside the adjacent castle. The walls are 734 m (2,408 ft) long and include eight towers and two medieval gatehouses. The project was completed using large numbers of labourers brought in from England; the cost of building the walls came to around £3,500, a large sum for the period. The walls were significantly damaged during the rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn in 1294, and had to be repaired at considerable expense. Political changes in the 16th century reduced the need to maintain such defences around the town. Today the walls form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

View to the Castle, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Sign, The Market Hall, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The market building which opens onto Palace Street and Hole in the Wall Street was designed by local architect John Lloyd and built in 1832 as a corn market. The large cellars were used to store wine in Victorian times. The large cellars were a bonded warehouse, where imported goods were stored without customs payments being paid. Duties would be paid when the goods were distributed.

Four Alls, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Armour Suite, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The Palace Vaults, Pen Deitsh (Castle Ditch), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Masonic Hall & Cyngor Gwynedd (Council), Stryd y Castell (Castle Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Originally an English Methodist Chapel on Castle Street, built in 1877 to replace the 1832 chapel on Pool Street. The chapel is built in the Gothic style of the gable entry type with a tower. By 1995 the chapel builing was in use as a Masonic Hall.

The Crown, Stryd y Farchnad (Market Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Granary Tower, Castle Walls, Pen Deitch (Castle Ditch), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Castle Entrance, Pen Deitch (Castle Ditch), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Derelict Tower of Old Town Walls, Lon Yr Eglwys, Penygroes, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Old Library Entrance, Stryd y Castell (Castle Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The plate to the right of the arch reads:-

Llyfrgell Sirol Gyntaf Cymru
sefydlwyd yma 1918

The First County Library of Wales
founded here 1918

“Cartref”, 23 Stryd y Farchnad (Market Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

This is in use as a guest house.

See street view here:

HMS Conway Anchor, Victoria Dock, Sowth o Ffrans, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Anchor from the HMS Conway at Victoria Dock, Caernarfon. First launched as the HMS Nile in 1839, it was renamed HMS Conway in 1875. The ship was brought to Bangor in 1941 and then to Plas Newydd, just north of Caernarfon, in 1949. The ship was wrecked in the Menai Strait in 1953, and this, one of 2 anchors, is displayed at Victoria Dock in Caernarfon.

Victoria Dock, Sowth o Ffrans, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Next up is the castle.