Liverpool Capital of Culture Tour - The Nelson Memorial

This week I‘ve been out and about seeing the sights in and around Liverpool city centre

Now, if you take a stroll to Castle Street, you can’t help but see Liverpool’s Town Hall but, if you go to the rear of the Town Hall, you’ll see the city’s oldest monument, the Nelson Memorial

I must admit I was slightly shocked to see this, only because it was first unveiled in 1813, yet it looks brand new!

On further research, I discovered the monument has recently gone through a restoration programme as part of the bicentenary of Nelson’s death and was unveiled again in October 2005, and that’s why it looks as good as new

Nelson, born in 1758 was killed while leading the English navy to victory against French Napoleonic forces at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805

The memorial was designed by Matthew Coates Wyatt 1777-1862 and sculpted by Sir Richard Westmacott 1775-1856

It was funded by donations from the public, including a large donation from anti-slavery campaigner William Roscoe 1753-1831

The Memorial was, of course, dedicated to Nelson, but it also stood as a reminder to the traders of Liverpool, of the freedom that Nelson had helped give them, and gave his life for, a freedom that meant that they could once again trade internationally in relative safety and peace

However, it is also thought that the sculpture provided a symbol of the suffering experienced by prisoners of war and slavery, bearing in mind that Liverpool was actually ‘home’ to 4000 prisoners of war during the Napoleonic wars

The four sad and dejected men sitting at the bottom of the monument depict Nelson’s four great victories at Cape St Vincent, the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar

You’ll find the Grade II listed Nelson Memorial in Exchange Flags, which is directly behind the Town Hall, in Castle Street

Incidentally, on returning from the Napoleonic War, many Liverpool men found themselves out of work, but where employed on a sort of ‘job creation scheme’ by The Mole of Edge Hill

So there’s another in a series of articles I am planning to share with you in reference to the 2008 European Capital of Culture, the city of Liverpool here in the United Kingdom

I’m hoping this will be a useful travel guide for visitors to the city, without giving too much away because I don’t want to spoil any surprises for you!

Whilst you’re in this area of the city you may also like to visit:

The Albert Dock
St John’s Beacon
The LiverpoolMuseum
St George’s Hall
Cavern Walks

Can’t wait to see you la!

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