Botanic Garden and Wavertree Park

Image: © Sue Adair Taken: 15 Aug 2005

Liverpool's Botanical Collection was brought to the city from all over the world through its maritime trade. The collection was established nearly 200 years ago and was the first in the North of England. A group of Liverpool botanists led by William Roscoe decided to form a private botanic garden on land near Mount Pleasant which was then on the outskirts of the City. In the 1830's the garden was relocated to this 11 acre walled garden in Wavertree. When the project ran into financial problems in 1841, Liverpool Corporation took over and opened the gardens to the public in 1846. The Botanic Garden has been declining since 1964 after the city opened gardens in Calderstones, the glasshouses having been destroyed by German bombers, but steps have been taken to return this unique Victorian garden to its former glory. The walled garden is an historically significant site with one of its key features curved scrolled flower beds based on St George's Hall tiling. This extremely rare example of a Victorian walled garden is being earmarked for funding by Kensington Regeneration. The photograph shows the walled garden from Wavertree Park which was laid out in 1856 after Liverpool Corporation purchased the site of Wavertree Hall in 1843.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0