Old Customs Old Legends
Posted: 10 Jul 2014 12:40
Another article courtesy of the Liverpool Echo and Derek Whale
Old Customs Old Legends
In spite of its constant soot-blackened appearance, Liverpool’s Custom House, which dominated Canning Place, was one of the city’s most impressive buildings. But its offices were rather too large and gloomy for comfort and its cellars were an incredible maze.
It was built on the site of the Old Dock that Thomas Steers created by impounding the original “pool” and which was opened in 1715 as the first commercial tidal dock in the country.
This was Liverpool’s fifth Custom House. The first formed part of the old Town Hall, then called the Common Hall, which had a thatched roof until 1567.
When a new Town Hall was built about 1670, the Custom House was located for a brief spell in Morr Street near the Castle. Then a building at the foot of Water Street was used for this purpose.
There it remained until 1720, when a new Custom House was built on the quayside of Steers’ famous dock.
This building (occupying the site of the now demolished Sailors’ Home) was quite pretentious for its day and served for many years until it became inadequate to cope with the port’s booming trade.
So, in 1825, the Old Dock was filled in. The huge Custom House pictured here was built on the site which became known as Canning Place, after George Canning M.P., who had fought hard to obtain the sanction to build the Custom House.
At a special ceremony on August 12th, 1828, items including coins of the realm and a parchment with details about the building, were concealed under an engraved brass plate in the foundation stone at the north-east corner.
There was also a legend that a model of the Old Dock, containing a ship was buried below the floor directly under the great glass cupola.
For many years the building housed not only the Customs but also the Inland Revenue and the Head Post Office.
Air raids in the last war sealed the fate of the Custom House.
Although the building still remained habitable, further bombing on three successive nights in the infamous May Blitz of 1941 destroyed its interior.
During demolition of the Custom House in 1947, prolonged searches were made to locate its foundation stone without success. The Old Dock model was not found either.
If these “treasurers” were ever dug out the finds were certainly never made public. Little was recovered from the site except ancient clay pipes and loads of seashells.
Old Customs Old Legends
In spite of its constant soot-blackened appearance, Liverpool’s Custom House, which dominated Canning Place, was one of the city’s most impressive buildings. But its offices were rather too large and gloomy for comfort and its cellars were an incredible maze.
It was built on the site of the Old Dock that Thomas Steers created by impounding the original “pool” and which was opened in 1715 as the first commercial tidal dock in the country.
This was Liverpool’s fifth Custom House. The first formed part of the old Town Hall, then called the Common Hall, which had a thatched roof until 1567.
When a new Town Hall was built about 1670, the Custom House was located for a brief spell in Morr Street near the Castle. Then a building at the foot of Water Street was used for this purpose.
There it remained until 1720, when a new Custom House was built on the quayside of Steers’ famous dock.
This building (occupying the site of the now demolished Sailors’ Home) was quite pretentious for its day and served for many years until it became inadequate to cope with the port’s booming trade.
So, in 1825, the Old Dock was filled in. The huge Custom House pictured here was built on the site which became known as Canning Place, after George Canning M.P., who had fought hard to obtain the sanction to build the Custom House.
At a special ceremony on August 12th, 1828, items including coins of the realm and a parchment with details about the building, were concealed under an engraved brass plate in the foundation stone at the north-east corner.
There was also a legend that a model of the Old Dock, containing a ship was buried below the floor directly under the great glass cupola.
For many years the building housed not only the Customs but also the Inland Revenue and the Head Post Office.
Air raids in the last war sealed the fate of the Custom House.
Although the building still remained habitable, further bombing on three successive nights in the infamous May Blitz of 1941 destroyed its interior.
During demolition of the Custom House in 1947, prolonged searches were made to locate its foundation stone without success. The Old Dock model was not found either.
If these “treasurers” were ever dug out the finds were certainly never made public. Little was recovered from the site except ancient clay pipes and loads of seashells.