Liverpool's
skyline, as seen from the River Mersey
|
Welcome to England |
|
|
Liverpool
Liverpool's
skyline, as seen from the River Mersey
HistoryIn 1190 it was known as 'liuerpul', meaning a pool or creak with muddy water. Other origins of the name have been suggest including 'elverpool', a reference to the large number of eals in the mersey. The origins of the city are usually dated from August 1207 when Liverpool was proclaimed a borough and a port. Initially it served as a dispatch point for troops sent to Ireland. For four centuries, Liverpool was relatively unimportant. In the middle of the 16th century the population of Liverpool was only around 500, and the area was regarded as subordinate to Chester until the 1650s. A number of battles for the town were waged during the English Civil War, including an eighteen day siege in 1644. Liverpool Castle was built in the 13th century and was removed in 1726. In the 18th century, as trade from the West Indies was added to that of Ireland and Europe, Liverpool began to grow. The first wet dock in Britain was built in Liverpool in 1715. Substantial profits from the slave trade helped the town grow and prosper. Liverpool's Black community dates from this period and grew rapidly, reaching a population of 10,000 within five years. By the beginning of the 19th century, 40% of the world's trade was passing through the docks at Liverpool. Liverpool expanded significantly in the nineteenth century and a number of major buildings were constructed (St. George's Hall, Lime Street Station etc.). Liverpool was granted city status in 1880. During the first part of the twentieth century Liverpool continued to expand, pulling in emmigrants from Europe. Inspired by an old Venetian custom Liverpool was 'married to the sea' in September 1928. Liverpool was also home to a large Welsh population and was sometimes refered to as the Capital of North Wales. In 1884, 1900 and 1929 Eisteddfod was held in Liverpool. It has been claimed, that Adolf Hitler stayed in Upper Stanhope street in Liverpool, with his sister, in the 1910's; although there is little evidence to support this [1] (http://www.btinternet.com/~m.royden/mrlhp/local/hitlerinliverpool/hitlerinliverpool.htm). The population of the city exceeded 850,000 in 1930. During World War II there were eighty air-raids on Merseyside, with an especially concentrated series of raids in May 1941 which interrupted operations at the docks for almost a week. Although only 2,500 people were killed, almost half the homes in the metropolitan area sustained some damage and 11,000 were totally destroyed. Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and the Seaforth Dock, the largest dock project in Britain. However, the city has been suffering since the 1950s with the loss of numerous employers. By 1985 the population had fallen to 460,000. Declines in manufacturing and dock activity struck the city particularly hard. By tradition Liverpool was part of the county of Lancashire, but in 1974, it became part of the newly created metropolitan county of Merseyside. In 1989 96 Liverpool fans died or were severely injured in the Hillsborough disaster at a football game. This had a traumatic effect on people in both cities, and resulted in legally imposed changes in the way in which football fans have been accommodated in football stadiums since. A similar outpouring of grief and shock occurred in 1993 when two year-old James Bulger was killed by two ten year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. The city has emphasized its cultural attractions, winning the accolade of European City of Culture for 2008. Capitalising on the popularity of the 1960s pop group "the Beatles" and other groups of the Merseybeat era, tourism has also become a significant factor in Liverpool's economy.
Maps
Hotels
Liverpool Links
|
|
|
