Every Liverpudlian will have their own story to tell about Church Street. One of the main shopping streets in the city centre, it’s lined with major retailers, peppered with street performers and is a major thoroughfare for revellers enjoying a night out on the town.
We’ve all seen some crazy things on the street, which also links Bold Street to Lord Street.
The street has seen some major changes since its inception back in the 1700s. The very church it was named after was demolished in 1922, it’s been bombed, rebuilt, pedestrianised and usurped by the Liverpool One shopping complex - but it’s still going strong after 300 years.
Here’s the fascinating history of Liverpool’s Church Street in 18 pictures.
1. St Peter’s Church, Church Street (1800)
Church Street is named after St Peter’s Church, which was erected in 1700 and consecrated in 1704 - it is pictured here circa 1800. It was demolished in 1922 and its location is now marked by a bronze Maltese cross in the pavement. Photo: Henry S Young, Harold E Young, Ramsey Muir/Bygone Liverpool/Wikimedia
2. St Peter’s brass cross, Church Street
This brass Maltese cross outside the entrance to Keys Court, on Church Street, marks the site of the former St Peter’s Church. Photo: Rodhullandemu/wikimedia
3. Keys Court, Church Street (2020)
When the new Liverpool One shopping complex was opened in 2008 the Keys Court entrance on Church Street, where St Peter’s Church once stood, became a link between the old and the new. Photo: Rodhullandemu/wikimedia
4. St Peter’s Church, Church Street (1922)
St Peter’s Church is pictured here just before it was demolished in 1922. It was replaced as cathedral of Liverpool by the current Liverpool Cathedral. The demolition would allow for Church Street to be widened. Photo: Henry Peet/wikimedia