hidden liverpool

Hidden Liverpool

Liverpool is so much more than its famous waterfront and its two majestic cathedrals. Beyond its more eye-catching features is an array of less well-known attractions and best kept secrets, and any visit to Liverpool should not overlook these many hidden Liverpool gems.

Hidden Liverpool includes some of the finest historic parks, including Sefton Park and Calderstones Park, the strange underground kingdom of the Williamson Tunnels, the bohemian Lark Lane with its mix of funky bars and restaurants, and at the other extreme from its celebrated cathedrals, the city's much-loved bombed-out church.

Some of Liverpool’s genuinely hidden gems are the Williamson Tunnels, a strange underground world of tunnels and caverns that has laid beneath the city since the early 1800s. They were built by Joseph Williamson, a retired tobacco merchant, and their purpose is not known, but VisitLiverpool highly recommends a trip to visit the section that has been cleared and renovated for the public.

Another of Liverpool’s best kept secrets is Lark Lane on the outskirts of Sefton Park. This is a hidden Liverpool spot, much loved by locals, and  not to be missed on any visit to Liverpool. Lark Lane is a village-like, bohemian community of flea markets, farmers markets, tattoo parlours, funky bars and excellent value restaurants.

St Luke's Church – known locally as the bombed-out church -- is another one of Liverpool’s gems. It stands at the end of Bold Street as a monument to survival of the Second World War, having been hit on the evening of Monday, 5th May, 1941, by an incendiary bomb dropped by the Luftwaffe during the seven-day-long Liverpool Blitz. Any visit to Liverpool should include a visit to the bombed-out church which is now a Liverpool landmark and a popular hang-out for visitors and locals alike.

But one of VisitLiverpool’s top hidden gem recommendations is Sefton Park. As Liverpool expanded in the 18^th century, the city’s green areas started to shrink alarmingly. Fortunately the Victorians were determined to maintain park areas for city dwellers, and a competition was launched in 1867 to design a park on the 187-acre area of land that had been bought by the Liverpool Corporation from the Earl of Sefton. The resulting park has a lake with its very own bridge, a cricket ground and pavilion and lots of recreational ground, as well as a delightful iron-framed Palm House which was renovated in 2001 and is now the perfect venue for summer concerts, art exhibitions and weddings.

Calderstones Park is another of Liverpool’s best kept secrets. The park, located in Allerton, is named after the Calder Stones themselves, relics from an ancient burial ground that are said to be older than Stonehenge. The park also has an ancient oak – the Allerton Oak – at its heart, estimated to be 1000 years old.