St Luke
Liverpool, Merseyside
The last bomb site in Liverpool, St Luke’s is testament to the brave people who lived and died during the May Blitz of 1941.
Lying close to the River Mersey near the Royal Liver Building, the so called Sailors Church was originally two medieval chapels, one dedicated to Our Lady of the Quay and one to St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.
Liverpool, Merseyside
Its distinctive lantern spire, added in 1746 as a landmark for shipping, can easily be spotted from the river. The spire collapsed in 1810, killing 25 people, and was rebuilt in 1815.
The history of Liverpool Parish Church is inseparably linked with the Mersey. Before the tall buildings of the 20th century, the parish church was the first and last thing sailors saw as their ships approached or departed the city. In fact, until the building of George's Dock (opened 1771), the seaward wall of the churchyard was the waterfront and the river reached the churchyard wall at high tide.
A wooden crucifix on the 'east' wall of the church has become known as the Dockers' Cross. As they came into work on the railway line that ran close to the churchyard, the men would see the crucifix and cross themselves.
Nearby is the Blitz Memorial to civilians who lost their lives during the Blitz, which targeted the docks and their vital part in Britain's war effort. The church suffered too, being hit by incendiary bombs in 1940 it burned to the ground leaving only the tower standing. Work started on the new church in 1949, and it was consecrated in 1952.
Liverpool, Merseyside
The last bomb site in Liverpool, St Luke’s is testament to the brave people who lived and died during the May Blitz of 1941.
Seacombe, Merseyside
Liverpool, Merseyside
The Cathedral has a fascinating history that stretches back over a century and a half. We’d love to share it with you.