It’s time for our Monday walk, and we’re setting off from outside the Anglican Cathedral. It is huge, in fact it is the largest Anglican Cathedral in the world. That size, together with its position on St James’ Mount, makes it hard to miss.

It’s an impressive building, but we’re not going to investigate that just now; we are taking a nearby footpath (off bottom left from the photo above).

So, come dawdle with me.

Wondering where we’re going? The next image will give you an idea.

Yes, our route takes us downhill, with the Cathedral on one side and the Oratory on the other.

We descend pretty much beneath the Cathedral, along a path lined with recycled headstones.

The area we are heading to used to be a quarry, the place that provided the core materials for building much of Liverpool. In 1825, however, the quarrying ceased and the area was converted into the city cemetery.

There are several famous people buried down here, including
· Sergeant Arthur Herbert Lindsay Richardson, Victoria Cross holder;
· Catherine “Kitty” Wilson, founder of the first public wash house in 1842 after local cholera outbreaks;
· John Foster Jnr, local architect responsible for the cemetery, Oratory and other key buildings in the city;
· William Huskisson, a Member of Parliament, known better for his death than his life. He was the first person in the world to be killed by a steam passenger engine, in 1830.

It seems strange that the cemetery is so much lower than the cathedral, but what doesn’t come to mind immediately is that the cemetery was in existence long before the cathedral. In fact, it was never the graveyard of the cathedral. The cathedral is quite a new addition to the city, with the foundation stone laid by Edward VII in 1904, and the proximity of the two is really just chance.

The area is no longer an active graveyard. That ended in 1936 and the area is now a Grade I Historic Park, designated by Historic England. It is a peaceful green spot in a busy city, and just the place for a quiet stroll, especially popular with dog walkers.

I can’t dawdle for long, though, I’m afraid, as I have a ferry (across the mersey) to catch, so let’s clamber back to ground level.

I’ll leave you here to explore the Cathedral and the Greek-styled Oratory.

See you somewhere next week!

Copyright Debbie Smyth, 9 September 2019

Posted as part of Jo’s Monday Walks