Speke Hall

Entrance and front of house

Tudor manor house of a Catholic family. This house is eight miles from Liverpool and sits on the edge of the Mercy River.

Inside courtyard

It was built around a court yard which is unusual and had a moat (now drained) where fish were kept.

Moat

                       Built in the 1500's it is a well preserved example of the houses of the time.

 

Great Hall

Hall circling court yard

Being the home of a Catholic family it had it's priest hole used during Henry VIII and Cromwell's times.

Rear of house rose garden on left.

Liverpool – Named after the imaginary Liver bird and the pool in which it was found. There are many images of this bird throughout the city. 

Liver Bird

Two birds on top of Liver building

Built on the Mercy River, ferries still take passengers across the river.

Mercy River and ferry at dock on right shore - Liverpool side

Heavily bombed during WWII, this city has reinvented itself. Once the main port of Britain for both products and people, it now uses fewer dock but handles as much tonnage with container ships.  Some cruise lines use the port but South Hampton has replace it as the main sailing port of Britain. 

Modern Liverpool museum (white building) Victorian buildings in distance

The docks have been redone and are the site for many museums. The Maritime, Slavery, Liverpool, and Beatles museums are found here.

Christ the King Cathedral

Liverpool is unusual as it has two Cathedrals. One is the only Roman Catholic Cathedral in the UK.  The building of this cathedral was begun in 1930’s, but was stopped because of the war. When it was finished a different ultra-modern design was used.

 

It is named Christ the King, so outside as well as within it uses a crown as a major feature of its circular design.  The stained glass is impressive as are the chapels that circle the main sanctuary.

Main Sanctuary

 

Crown over Altar and dome of stained glass

The Anglican Cathedral about a half mile from the Catholic Cathedral is of a more classic design.

Anglican Cathedral 

View toward main altar

view from foot of main altar toward rear of church.

Built in the 20^th century the stained glass windows have modern images.  One has the American Capitol building in the background.

Bottom right pane of window has US capitol in background.

The man who designed the cathedral also designed the famous red telephone booths.

 

As a Beatles fan, the museum dedicated to them was fun with pictures I hadn’t seen and added details of their rise to fame. John even enjoyed it.  

Picture of John Lennon at first performance a church fair.

                             We also visited the Cavern where they first played.

 

An unusual grave in the city.  A gambler is said to have lost his soul in a bet with the devil.  The devil agreed to wait to claim it until his body was laid to rest in the earth.  To save his soul, he had his body positioned at a table, playing cards, in this pyramid thus never resting in the earth.

Pyramid grave