Topic: Old photos of and around Liverpool

[The Gulleysucker]

Technically, they are what used to be known as Gasometers and the gas would be stored within them.

They usually consisted of several telescoping sections sliding up and down and sealed by water and they simplified maintaining a constant gas pressure to the consumers in the area.

I'm not sure there was ever any gas works as such around there, there's no obvious retorts etc and they normally used to be huge coal fed things, I always though the nearest was Garston. I could be wrong but if not, I expect the gas would likely be piped to those Gasometers. I can't find anything yet that explains them.

Obviously with the total overhaul of the gas supply system here in the UK for North Sea Gas, all of these structures gradually fell into disuse.

There's a good view here taken from over Herculaneum , post LOHR dismantling so probably early to mid 60's as the CLC sidings are still there but very empty other than for what looks like rake of 4 wheel tank wagons, though it's difficult to be precise.

[redbyrdz]

Thanks! Yes I knew what they did, just not what they were called... I believe the site of the one in the picture above is still owned by the national grid - there's nothing there now apart fro a ramp and a field full of rubble.

[The Gulleysucker]

The difficulty with some of these old gas works sites is the toxic legacy.

After over a hundred years of use, the ground will be severely contaminated and need to be removed (expensive) if anything is to be built there.

Of course that assumes any developer and planning department are scrupulous....

The other problem is often these Gas Board sites will have had many changes over their history, some undocumented or details lost, and quite possibly there are still some right horror stories of chemical pollution lurking just under the surface.

A Brother in Law of mine used to be an Architect working for British Gas through the 70's and into the 80's and he once told me that at a site being  redeveloped in the Midlands somewhere, an excavator plunged through  the ground into a cavernously huge but totally undocumented creasote/coal tar byproduct pit and it was a real touch and go emergency getting the driver out safely.

[gazzam1963]

I think that's great mate. How big is it and who produced it?

Put a few pics of it on a facebook group  specifically the anfield area where I used to live , people have said it was  between 1903 and 1910 due to some of the changes in the street layout and some streets that were built in 1910 not being on there . It folds into a small handbook but opens up to around a metre square . Was published by smith and sons which became WH smiths it cost 1 shilling in paper and 2 shilling in cloth which is  the one I have .

[The Gulleysucker]

Further to my post here...

The residents have been complaining about the odours since massive underground pits have been uncovered, which they fear are tar pits left over from the process of creating gas from coal burning.

Prior to the discovery of the pits – which they feared were there and had been covered over when the gasworks was decommissioned – they said some of them have suffered irritations around the eyes and have had to keep windows closed in order not to feel sick.

Carpenters director Alan Beer has said it has not been established whether the large trenches are tar pits, but the firm has been battling to try to rid the site of the pungent smell.

The residents have grouped together take legal action against the firm and have instructed Rex Makin & Co. solicitors to fight their corner.

One resident, Thomas Bragger, told the ECHO: “The smell is a sulphur-type smell, and the sludge at the bottom of the pits is worrying us too.”

Fellow resident Moz Afzal added: “They’ve put a big screen around the pit. I think they said they were using some hi-tech kit to get rid of the odour but all I’ve seen is that they’ve put a lot of soil in the pit.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/builders-trench-stench-dingle-gasworks-6985888

[CornerFlag]

Been a star Gulley, I'll get onto them asap.  Appreciated big time!  I'll have to put a list up of the books I have, some brilliant ones about.

[redbyrdz]

Further to my post here...
The residents have been complaining about the odours since massive underground pits have been uncovered, which they fear are tar pits left over from the process of creating gas from coal burning.

Prior to the discovery of the pits – which they feared were there and had been covered over when the gasworks was decommissioned – they said some of them have suffered irritations around the eyes and have had to keep windows closed in order not to feel sick.

Carpenters director Alan Beer has said it has not been established whether the large trenches are tar pits, but the firm has been battling to try to rid the site of the pungent smell.

The residents have grouped together take legal action against the firm and have instructed Rex Makin & Co. solicitors to fight their corner.

One resident, Thomas Bragger, told the ECHO: “The smell is a sulphur-type smell, and the sludge at the bottom of the pits is worrying us too.”

Fellow resident Moz Afzal added: “They’ve put a big screen around the pit. I think they said they were using some hi-tech kit to get rid of the odour but all I’ve seen is that they’ve put a lot of soil in the pit.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/builders-trench-stench-dingle-gasworks-6985888

Interesting that. AFAIK the new apartments they are talking about are pretty much on top of where the tracks go under Caryl Street, just across Grafton Street from the big gasometer. There are two smaller steel structures visible in the old photo. Caryl Grove, where the resident from the Echo article is stood, is where the large terrace and the single chimney is visible in the centre of the picture.

[The Gulleysucker]

Something I only found out today is that site to the right of that large Gasometer was a foundry.

More details in this thread on the ever excellent Yo! here.

Incidentally, for anyone that's interested, the 28 days later lads did a visit to Herculaneum, details here.

[The Gulleysucker]

And another for you.

The one you have labelled as Waterloo Goods (attached at the end) isn't strictly that, it's a picture taken a bit further from there.

It's a view from almost exactly here in Chadwick street taken from under the now demolished Exchange approach viaduct and looking through the arches and across Great Howard street down onto Oil street.

Through the left hand arch is just visible the site of Waterloo Goods, Oil Street ran down the side of it.

Much of the Waterloo Goods retaining wall is still visible there today.

Back at the original photo location here, if you spin 90 degrees to the right in streetview, you can see the non-demolished remnant  end of the old viaduct over in the car park.

If you look on your map that you put up, the one titled Map (Great Howard St), you can see an RC church marked that was here. That was St Augustines, a place I mentioned being dragged to as a kid by my Mum back in the very early 60's.

I remember immediately behind St Augustines, tightly between the Church and the Viaduct was a railway line set in the road, you can see the way the pavement stops in order to have given it clearance here - looking towards Exchange direction and here - looking North

I bet if you took a metal detector along you'd find the rails are probably still buried under that tarmac.

[redbyrdz]

Something I only found out today is that site to the right of that large Gasometer was a foundry.

More details in this thread on the ever excellent Yo! here.

Incidentally, for anyone that's interested, the 28 days later lads did a visit to Herculaneum, details here.

Thanks! Will deffo have a look, sounds interesting.

[Timeless Melody]

[CornerFlag]

Dunno if these count but thought they'd bring back a few memories for some.  Got them a few years ago, still got them safely tucked away.

[Pistolero]

[the 92A]

Technically, they are what used to be known as Gasometers...

Top right hand side of that picture my old block of flats can be seen Leighton View on the corner of Grafton Street and Park Street

[Pistolero]

Liverpool 1969

[The Gulleysucker]

Liverpool 1969

Great photo that, not seen it before.
It took me a few moments to get my bearings on it and the lower left corner caught my eye, I've cropped and attached the section.
That's the remains of Park Lane, the first goods station on the original Liverpool Manchester railway. It was connected to Edge Hill by the Wapping Tunnel, you can make out the portals under Jamaica Street.
Modern Streetview of them about here.

[redbyrdz]

Not sure if that works...but if you use streetview and stand on Kings Dock St, looking towards Jamaica St, the tunnel entrance is still there.

[jimbo196843]

Liverpool 1969

my grandma lived in the high rise flats on Sheil Road and you got great views of the city from her balcony

[Pistolero]

Great photo that, not seen it before.
It took me a few moments to get my bearings on it and the lower left corner caught my eye, I've cropped and attached the section.
That's the remains of Park Lane, the first goods station on the original Liverpool Manchester railway. It was connected to Edge Hill by the Wapping Tunnel, you can make out the portals under Jamaica Street.

well spotted G....took me a while to figure out what was where....once i worked out where Parliament Street started, it all fell into place......great picture - again one of those where you wish you could access a time-machine for a day and take wander around the streets/docks/pubs!

[Only Me]

Liverpool 1969

Cheers for that mate - what a fantastic photo. All of my childhood hangouts captured on one pic.

All our local tennys are on there; St James Gardens, Prince Albert Gardens and Kent Gardens.

Great view of the bowling green on Nelson St on the way up to Chinatown, and of the Yuet Ben, which looks like its hardly changed at all.

Can see some of the old ales houses-the Clock, The Lord De Tabley, and the Baltic Fleet.

Jerry's wrecks at the bottom of the Cathedral Hills is visible - great place to find a nice smooth car bonnet to use as a sled and hurtle down the cathedral Hills when it was snowing.

Great memories indeed.

A 3 year old Only Me is very likely sitting at home in St James Gardens at the very moment the plane that took the photo flew past.

Edit: having now made that my desktop background, even more details come into view [sorry to go, but that pic brings back so many memories].

St Vinnys church, where we all got christened/married, the blackie, the Davy Lewis building, our old school on Norfolk St, the Guinness bottling plant. Fantastic.

[Pistolero]

[the 92A]

Some More aerial views here http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/liverpool-merseyside-air---enjoy-8463807

[Pistolero]

[eAyeAddio]

Around the corner from Granby St in 1965......

[Pistolero]

Around the corner from Granby St in 1965......

Pochettino's arle fella was a Scouser..who knew?   

[Pistolero]

Garden festival ground work..1983

[gazzam1963]

Garden festival ground work..1983

Whereabouts is that ...aigburth or dingle ?

Edit : answered my own question , had a look on google maps the road on the right is south hill street

[Tsar Kastik]

You mean on the left? 

Glad you posted, I had the Turner Care home as the Liverpool Cricket Club!!

[John C]

Garden festival ground work..1983

Superb pic, as soon as that festival ended they should have prepared that land to be a gold course (methane permitting )

It's been a shameful waste of land for so long.

[Pistolero]

Whereabouts is that ...aigburth or dingle ?

best way to get your bearings - the end of Grafton street is at the left of the pic (with the arle Herculaneum dock lockups underneath)....Cockburn street is above that..and then Mill St

[gazzam1963]

You mean on the left? 

Glad you posted, I had the Turner Care home as the Liverpool Cricket Club!!

Yeas meant the road on the left , used google maps and the bottom left right angles on the waterfront are still there and used that as my bearings , worked on that site as well . Over thirty years ago and some of it still isn't developed

[bigbear]

This one is of Toxteth & Harrington Docks with the CLC goods yard prominent.
In the middle right on the left hand side edge you can just make out the LOHR girder bridge leading off into the tunnel.
To the right of this picture would be Herculaneum.

My childhood there. When I am passing through I sometimes drive down Malwood Street onto Grafton Street and the difference is amazing. It's like a different world.

[CornerFlag]

Superb pic, as soon as that festival ended they should have prepared that land to be a gold course (methane permitting )

Reckon that idea may have been panned... 

[Only Me]

Bloody hell where'd you get that pic mate?

Grenville St playground that-known locally as "The swings".

One of our fave childhood haunts.

If the camera panned right, you'd see a massive tunnel vent right in the middle of the playground -location marked up here on your other pic:

[The Gulleysucker]

....you'd see a massive tunnel vent right in the middle of the playground -location marked up here on your other pic:

It's still there....Satellite view

[Pistolero]

50's view of the top end of William Brown Street, leading into Islington - interesting, attractive corner of the city, until it was decided that Islington should be converted into some roads...

[OLDIE]

Awesome

[John C]

Awesome

Indeed, and I'm yet to read an article by someone who's back bedroom endeared those times

[Pistolero]

Libpool fans in London for the 1965 Cup final...

[Pistolero]

1860's Georges Dock....busy no?