Finding out more about Liverpool-born architect Alfred Waterhouse

I’ve blogged previously about Liverpool’s rather brilliant architect Alfred Waterhouse – here’s a link back to one of my previous postings:-

tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2019/03/25/liverpool-alfred-waterhouse-the-citys-very-own-world-famous-architect/

If you’ve read my previous posting you’ll realise that I mention him being from the Liverpool district of Aigburth but that seems to be wrong as he was actually born in Everton. The background note about him below, which I was given on a Heritage Open Day tour of the Waterhouse buildings of Liverpool University last week, is very informative:-

Daughter Jen and I enjoyed, with around a dozen other folks, a 2-hour tour of the University’s Waterhouse buildings, and here’s a few photos I took during the tour – but firstly a map:-

These maps help with an understanding of the university campus buildings Waterhouse worked on.

Victoria Building

Victoria Building interior shot

Liverpool Infirmary’s porte cochère entrance

Liverpool Infirmary rear view

Liverpool Infirmary fact sheet

The Infirmary was laid out mainly with ‘Nightingale wards’ i.e. large rectangular wards with big windows but because of site/land ownership issues Waterhouse designed a couple of circular wards too. This is a view of one of them.

Waterhouse designed ironwork

Sunlight streaming into a refurbished corridor in the Infirmary Building.

I would highly recommend a Heritage Open Day Tour of Liverpool University’s Waterhouse buildings. We really enjoyed our visit, the tour guides are very knowledgeable and the buildings are quite wonderful to see.

Note – Please click on the information sheets (& photos) to enlarge them for reading

The last photo is amongst my Flickr photos at:-

www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/

Rochdale Town Hall drone footage

Liverpool born architect Alfred Waterhouse designed the Tower after the original one was destroyed.

I’ve blogged about this magnificent building previously but having come across some quite excellent drone footage of it on You Tube I just had to share it:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnnzhXFUouw

Quote from You Tube commentary – ‘This Gothic Revival architecture was designed by William Henry Crossland in 1864 and is widely regarded as one of the finest municipal buildings in the UK.’

What’s more the footage is set to one of my all time favourite tunes – Going Home by Mark Knopfler from the sound track for the film Local Hero.

And it you want to read more of my ramblings about this building here’s a link back to my previous posting:-

tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2014/06/07/bootle-town-hallrochdale-town-hall-buildings-of-victorian-civic-pride/

Liverpool and it’s beautiful North Western Hotel

The Liverpool Echo has the article on its website – see link below:-

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/lime-streets-forgotten-hotel-one-18332914

I’ve previously blogged about the architect of the North Western Hotel, Liverpool’s very own Alfred Waterhouse, back in March 2019 – Here’s a link back to that posting:-

tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2019/03/25/liverpool-alfred-waterhouse-the-citys-very-own-world-famous-architect/

Let’s hope that the present refurbishment is finished and that this iconic listed Liverpool building has many more years in front of it.

Liverpool – Alfred Waterhouse – His imposing Royal Seaman’s Orphanage (Newsham Park Hospital)

Sadly one of Liverpool’s most significant historical buildings (listed in 1966) is presently not doing so well. If you use Facebook the link below from the Victorian Society may be of interest as it details the present state of affairs:-

www.facebook.com/thevicsoc/posts/2323380524377359?comment_id=2323688381013240&notif_id=1562955401694127&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic

I’ve blogged about Waterhouse and his Liverpool connections previously and here’s a link back to that posting:-

tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2019/03/25/liverpool-alfred-waterhouse-the-citys-very-own-world-famous-architect/

My thanks to Jen Robertson for the lead to this posting

Liverpool – Alfred Waterhouse, the city’s very own world famous architect

North Western Hotel – Liverpool

I stumbled across Waterhouse almost by chance having photographed a couple of the buildings he had a hand in – Rochdale Town Hall and Nottingham’s Prudential building – little did I realise that this prolific and famed architect was a son of Aigburth, Liverpool. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about him:-

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_and_civic_buildings_by_Alfred_Waterhouse

And here are my shots of Rochdale Town Hall and Nottingham’s Prudential Building (warning the Nottingham shot includes the statue of a very unpopular man in Liverpool!) :-

Waterhouse designed the Tower after the original one was destroyed.

Prudential Building Nottingham designed by Waterhouse

The lead photo is, of course, Liverpool’s own North Western Hotel (now student accommodation) on Lime Street which Waterhouse designed – a quite magnificent building. And there are other buildings of his in Liverpool – The Royal Infirmary, Turner Memorial Home, Part of Newsham Park Hospital, The Prudential Assurance Building and The Victoria Building of Liverpool University.

Although he moved away from Liverpool at an early age I wonder why the City does not celebrate this most successful of architects who is probably best known as the designer in chief of the quite wonderful Natural History Museum in London. Indeed, I have only found one available book about his famous man and that’s with regard to his influences and work in the building the London Museum. Here’s a photo of the book:-

And one final thought. Is there a family connection between Alfred Waterhouse and the former Sykes Waterhouse Estate Agency based in Liverpool?

The lead photo is amongst my Flicker shots at:-

www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/