Liverpool History and Culture: From the Past to the Present

(105 reviews)

Liverpool audio tour: Liverpool History and Culture: From the Past to the Present

This is a 1.5mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Liverpool

The United Kingdom

$8.99

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About the Tour

The tour will take you on a winding path through Liverpool city centre where you will discover much of its fascinating history and culture.

Described as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world, you’ll start at Liverpool’s magnificent St George’s Hall. From there you enter the city centre to follow the trail of the ancient pool. Here you will learn of the controversial reasons behind the transformation of Liverpool from a tiny fishing village into one of the world’s greatest seaports.

As a consequence of the group's appearances in the famous Cavern Club, your next stop is the vibrant street known as the ‘Birthplace of the Beatles.’ From there it’s onto the oldest part of the city and the Town Hall. During this section of your walk, you will discover some of Liverpool's hidden gems. (One such gem was a long kept Second World War secret). Your ultimate destination is the fabulous World Heritage Waterfront, home to the ‘Three Graces,' the larger than life Beatles' Statue and the famous Mersey Ferry. A river excursion on the ferry is highly recommended!

Liverpool city centre is full of cafes and it's easy to make a pit-stop along the way. If your preference is for beer or wine, there are plenty of bars en route to rest up and take in the surroundings. If you save your appetite for the end of the walk, the Albert Dock is nearby. Here you will find numerous welcoming restaurants, cafes and bars in which to relax. For more information, check out the website

Below are some of the landmarks you'll pass along the way. You might even want to pop into one or two of them, particularly if the weather is not too good.

The Walker Art Gallery
World Museum
The Cavern Club
Town Hall
St Nicholas Church
Museum of Liverpool

With the exception of the Town Hall, which is closed on Sundays, all are open seven days a week

You’ll get answers to some fascinating questions along the way too, including:

Why are more than 100 Frenchmen buried in the city centre’s most beautiful gardens?
Why is Liverpool called Liverpool?
Why is the Cavern Club not the Cavern Club? (You did read that right)
What happened to Liverpool Castle?
Why did Liverpool’s oldest church house prisoners of war?

Tour Producer

Tommy Allen

3 tours

A published Liverpool historian and city tour guide.

A local, I was born less than a half mile from where your tour begins. After leaving school I gained a place at Liverpool University where I graduated with a degree in History (a subject I've always loved)

Workwise, my aim was to become a teacher, although I have to admit not as a schoolteacher, but as a tutor in post-18 studies. After gaining the required teaching qualifications, I went on to teach several subjects including History (of course), Sociology and English at Liverpool Community College.

Ambitious to become an author on Liverpool history, I left the teaching profession in 2015 and since, have published six books on different aspects of Liverpool's history and culture. I also planned to become a city tour guide. An ex-colleague of mine, the owner of one of the city’s tour buses, heard of this and asked me to become part of his team. However, he was disappointed when I told him that I intended to establish myself as an independent tour guide. As an independent, I believe city visitors can gain much more through the personal touch so, for example, I kept group numbers to a maximum of six. Consequently, in 2018, I began working as independent guide.

(Unfortunately, due to health issues, I've had to suspend the tours, but, if you want to, you can check the reviews on Trip Advisor. Search for Tommy's Liverpool Tours)

If you choose to download my Voicemap tour you’ll realise that I am indeed a local with a distinct Liverpool accent (It does give me away). I hope the accent provides you with an authentic story of Liverpool's history and culture..

If you want to know more about my work as a Liverpool historian, Google 'Tommy Allen Liverpool Hisory' and it will provide you with additional information about my books. Enjoy the tour. Best wishes, Tommy

Preview Location

Location 1

St. George's Hall

Hi. My name is Tommy Allen. Welcome to my audio historical and cultural tour of Liverpool city centre. You should be standing in front of St. George's Hall. But before we begin I'd like to tell you a little about myself.

I was born and raised in Liverpool. Until early adul... Read More

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Major Landmarks

Walker Art Gallery
Museum of Liverpool
Cavern Club
World Museum
Liverpool Town Hall
Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady and Saint Nicholas)
Liver Building
Royal Albert Dock Liverpool
Mersey Ferry Terminal
Western Approaches
Liverpool Cenotaph
Church Road
52 Whitechapel

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
St George's Pl, Liverpool L1 1JJ, UK
Total distance

2km
Final location
Pier Head, Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1DG, UK
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

Start: St. George's Hall, St George's Pl, Liverpool L1 1JJ, United Kingdom

The Greco-Roman St. George's Hall is opposite Lime St. railway station and the Empire Theatre about a kilometre east of the Pier Head.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

The Cavern Club, site of the ancient castle, Town Hall, St Nicholas Church and Beatles' Statue

Best time of day

Tours are best during mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

Precautions

Most of the area is pedestrianised, but there are a couple of busy roads to negotiate.

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”