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Liverpool then vs now: 16 comparison pictures showing how much the city has changed in 120 years

Dominic Raynor
·7-min read
Officially opened in 1836, Liverpool Lime Street Station is considered to be the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world. Designed by John Cunningham, Arthur Holme and John Foster Jr for Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the station proved so popular it become necessary to expand it within just six years of its opening. The station has been changing ever since and Liverpool City Council have recently completed the latest revamp of the Lime Street area. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images and christopherwhite/stock.adobe)

Liverpool is a city that is forever evolving.

From the original seven streets laid out by King John in 1207 it developed into one of the most important merchant ports in the world.

In 2008, Liverpool was named European Capital of Culture and a new wave rejuvenation washed over the city. Empty dockland warehouses were converted into sought-after waterfront apartments and Liverpool ONE brought a freshness to the shopping district.

Custom House was built on the site of the historic Old Dock in 1839. It housed a post office, dock office, and offices for Customs and Excise. It operated up to World War II when it was partly destroyed during the Liverpool Blitz and was demolished in 1948. The Hilton Hotel now stands on the site at the edge of Liverpool ONE shopping complex. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Google Street View)

- The seven original streets of Liverpool that shaped the city

- 10 of the oldest pubs in Liverpool still standing today

- 12 of the oldest buildings in Liverpool still standing today

And there are more grand plans afoot, with the city set to get its own New York-style Central Park as part of a project that will see over 2,300 homes built in the central docks near Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Built in 1771 as Liverpool’s third dock, it became too small and too shallow for the big commercial ships of the 19th century and served as the landing area for passenger ships, and still does, from the Mersey Ferry to the Queen Mary II cruise liner pictured above. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Jason Wells/stock.adobe)
Built in 1771 as Liverpool’s third dock, it became too small and too shallow for the big commercial ships of the 19th century and served as the landing area for passenger ships, and still does, from the Mersey Ferry to the Queen Mary II cruise liner pictured above. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Jason Wells/stock.adobe)

The city has seen enormous change over the last century and it continues apace. These images help us look back at an era when the city seems unrecognisable and compare it, side by side, to what it has become.

Opened in 1911, as the home of the Royal Liver Assurance group, the Grade I-listed Royal Liver Building has become Liverpool’s most iconic landmark. At 7.6 metres in diameter the clock faces on the famous waterfront building are bigger than those on the Elizabeth Tower in London that houses the famous Big Ben bell. Clockmakers Gent & Co of Leicester used them as massive dining tables for 40 dignitaries before the grand opening of their Liver Bird timepieces. (Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images & Adam/stock.adobe)
Despite being only 300 metres long, Lord Street has always been one of the main streets in central Liverpool - from way back in 1900, when this picture was taken, to modern day. It leads from the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts and Castle Streets restaurants to the shopping district and Liverpool ONE. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Google Street View)
Chapel Street is one of Liverpool’s original seven roads and Liverpool Parish Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas stands at the foot of it. In 1362 the population of Liverpool had grown to about 1,000 and a large chapel was constructed - the forerunner of the current building. The Remains of the medieval church can still be seen in the foundations of the 19th century tower. The grounds of the church now hosts the ever-changing art installations on The Liverpool Plinth and, of course, the annual Liverpool Pancake Race. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images & David Bond/Wirestock Creators/stock.adobe)
The street takes its name from St Peter’s Church, which was demolished in 1922. Once lined with horse and carriages and trams, it is now pedestrianised as one of the main shopping streets in the city. It is home to the likes of Primark and TK Maxx. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Google Street View)
The street takes its name from St Peter’s Church, which was demolished in 1922. Once lined with horse and carriages and trams, it is now pedestrianised as one of the main shopping streets in the city. It is home to the likes of Primark and TK Maxx. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Google Street View)
Liverpool Castle, the stronghold from which this street got its name, was built by the 4th Earl of Derby in 1232 to protect King John’s new port town of Liuerpul. It stood in what is now called Derby Square, but was demolished in 1720. The Grade I-listed Liverpool Town Hall building now stands at the opposite end of a street lined with historic Victorian buildings. Castle Street was once a site for medieval fairs and craftsmen and is now a bustling food quarter with a European alfresco feel. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Google Street View)
Originally known as Shaw’s Brow, the street was later named after William Brown, a local MP and philanthropist, who in 1860 donated the land to build a library and museum. It now makes up the bulk of the ‘Cultural Quarter’ as it houses the World Museum, Liverpool Central Library, Walker Art Gallery and the Picton Reading Room.
Originally known as Shaw’s Brow, the street was later named after William Brown, a local MP and philanthropist, who in 1860 donated the land to build a library and museum. It now makes up the bulk of the ‘Cultural Quarter’ as it houses the World Museum, Liverpool Central Library, Walker Art Gallery and the Picton Reading Room.
At the time of its opening in 1934, the Queensway Tunnel was the longest road tunnel in the world. When people refer to the ‘Mersey Tunnel’ this is the one they mean, rather than the newer Kingsway Tunnel, which was opened in 1971. The tunnel is 3.24 kilometres long and has recently been used in a number of films, including the Death Eater chase in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Fast & Furious 6. (Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images & Google Street View)
The Grade I-listed St Georges Hall was built in 1854 - in part to impress visitors to the city embarking at Liverpool Lime Street. Containing concert halls and law courts, Charles Dickens, who was once sworn in as a special constable in Liverpool, often performed his books there. It still regularly hosts events, including the Eurovision 2023 launch party. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images for The National Lottery)
James Street railway station opened as the original Liverpool terminus of the Mersey Railway Tunnel in 1886 and is one of the oldest deep-level underground stations in the world. In 1941, during the Liverpool Blitz, the Luftwaffe bombed and damaged the building. A revamped ground-level building was constructed in the 1960s and the station was rebuilt again in the 1970s. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Google Street View)
Established in 1877 on William Brown Street, the Walker Art Gallery now houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. Designed by Liverpool architects Cornelius Sherlock and H. H. Vale, it is named after its founding benefactor, Sir Andrew Barclay Walker, a former mayor of the city. (Photo: J. Burke/Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Google Street View)
After the Duke of Wellington’s death in 1852, many cities erected monuments in his honour and Liverpool was no different. The 15ft statue is said to be made of guns salvaged from the battlefield and weighs five tons. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images and Google Street View)
After the Duke of Wellington’s death in 1852, many cities erected monuments in his honour and Liverpool was no different. The 15ft statue is said to be made of guns salvaged from the battlefield and weighs five tons. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images and Google Street View)
The 330 room North Western Hotel was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and opened in 1871 to serve Lime Street rail station. The hotel closed in 1933 and went through a number of uses, including office space and student accommodation. It re-opened as the Radisson RED Liverpool Hotel after a £30m revamp in 2022. (Photo: London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Rodhullandemu/Wikimedia)
A view across the River Mersey towards Liverpool in 1650 and the city’s present day skyline. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images & SakhanPhotography/stock.adobe)
A view across the River Mersey towards Liverpool in 1650 and the city’s present day skyline. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images & SakhanPhotography/stock.adobe)