Liverpool was originally founded by King John in 1207 and consisted of just seven medieval streets. It is now one of the UK’s most iconic cities, with a rich and vibrant history and culture.
While six of those original streets still exist today, the city has become famous for many other roads and thoroughfares - from areas made world famous by the Beatles to popular shopping locations. However, many don’t hold their original names, which were scrapped many moons ago.
There’s an array of reasons why a street name changes, from logistical reasons, expansion of the city, the rise and fall of historic landowners and a host of other causes. There is the potential for further changes too, with a number of Liverpool’s street names linked to key figures in the slave trade.
A special bronze plaque was unveiled on William Brown Street in April 2022 explaining the history behind the name and its origins with slavery. It was one of ten streets named on a list submitted by Laurence Westgaph, a historian and founder of Liverpool Black History Research Group, under consideration for similar treatment, including Falkner Street, Bold Street, Parr Street and Colquitt Street.
But here, we take a journey to explore ten of Liverpool’s most iconic streets which no longer bear their original names and find out why (and when) there names were changed.
1. Molyneux Lane (now Lord Street)
One of Liverpool's most popular shopping streets, Lord Street was originally known as Lord Molyneux Street and Molyneux Lane, after the lord who constructed it. Now known as Lord Street, many of its original buildings were bombed in the Blitz. | The Print Collector/Getty Images Photo: The Print Collector/Getty Images
2. Pluckington Alley (now Mathew Street)
The iconic Mathew Street was originally named Mathew Pluckington Street, after a famous merchant and land owner. It began life as a dirt track linking the city to the docks in the 1700s and was called Pluckington Alley for a time. | Image: Raymond Orton - stock.adobe.com
3. Common Shore or Shoreditch (now Paradise Street)
Paradise Street was constructed in the 1720s and originally known as Common Shore or Shoreditch. It is believed to have been renamed Paradise Street in the late 1730s. | Emma Dukes Photo: Emma Dukes
4. Moor Street (now Tithebarn Street)
Originally named after the Moor (or Moore) family when it was laid out as part of King John’s original plans for Liverpool in 1207, Moor Street was renamed Tithebarn Street in 1523 after Sir William Molyneux built a barn to collect tithes (10% of local farmers’ produce) from the surrounding area. The building fell into disrepair as the country industrialised and by 1820 most of the old barn had gone. The street was widened as Liverpool’s population grew. | Google Street View