St John's Gardens
What's On in St John's Garden
Meet near Central Library on William Brown Street
April
Fri 17
1:00 PM
Discover St John's Gardens
A look at the statues of some of the men who devoted their lives to the people of Liverpool and its green environment
St John'sGardens
June
Sat 6
Lord Mayors Green Pageant
Green and fun-loving people are being invited to take part in this year's all-new Lord Mayor's Pageant - to make the event more eco-friendly than ever. Organisers are hoping to phase out the use of motorised vehicles that traditionally carried much of the procession with a new breed of greener alternatives. This year cycle-power will lead the way with horse-power, rickshaws, electrically-powered and solar powered vehicles making up the parade - and many will rely on their own two-feet! Liverpool city centre will be a sea of green on Saturday June 6, as hundreds take to the streets for a vibrant and colourful parade with a difference.
St John'sGardens
June
Mon 22
1:00 PM
Discover St John's Gardens
Discover this green oasis in the city centre and its statues of famous people who've made a cultural impact on our city
St John'sGardens
August
Thu 6
11:00 AM
Discover St John's Gardens
Discover this green oasis in the city centre and its statues of famous people who've made a cultural impact on our city
St John'sGardens
St John's Garden
St John's Ornamental and Memorial Garden was opened in 1904 and is the only area of public greenspace within the heart of Liverpool's city centre. This makes it an important leisure resource as well as a heritage asset.
St George's Hall, one of the city's most important buildings, is situated on a plateau to the north west of the city centre and St John's Garden occupies the area to the west sloping down towards Old Haymarket and the entrance to the Mersey Tunnel. The garden slopes away from St George's Hall and has formal lawns and planting beds divided by symmetrical paths. The formal layout of the garden encompasses an amphitheatre, terrace and many important statues and memorials. Liverpool has one of the most important collections of public sculptures, much of which is displayed in St John's Gardens.
All the monuments as well as the retaining wall, terrace wall and gate piers are listed in the Register of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
Historical Background
Naturally a plateau of open heath, the development of the area began in the form of windmills, lime kilns and markets. The names of several of the adjacent streets such as Lime Street and Old Haymarket derived from these early uses.
During the mid 18th century Liverpool began its first phase of rapid expansion. In 1767 the area of the garden was enclosed as a general burial ground with a small mortuary chapel. It was in 1775 that the first stones were laid for St John's Church which was designed in the gothic style by the architect Thomas Litoller. Construction of the church was completed in 1784.
In 1854 work began on St George's Hall, designed in Neo-classical style by Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, winner of the architectural competition for the building. St John's Church had been located hard against the west elevation of St George's Hall and was a factor in the more simple design form of this side of the Hall, with its lack of a portico.
St John's Garden, located at the rear of St Georges Hall, takes its name from St John's Church and churchyard which once occupied the site. The cemetery containing approximately 27,000 bodies was closed in 1854. At the end of the 19th century, in order to improve the prospect of St. George's Hall and the adjacent civic buildings, the area was laid out as a terraced garden. The garden now contains a dazzling array of sculptures by some of the best Victorian and Edwardian sculptors.
During the Napoleonic Wars, many french sailors were captured by the Royal Navy, and even more by privateers. They were brought back to Liverpool and incarcerated in Liverpool Gaol near St Nicholas's Church, on the site that is now the Tower Building. At one time more than 4,000 French P.O.Ws were held there, and many occupied their time making a variety of goods and novelties to sell.
After the Peace of Amiens in 1802, 1,100 were liberated from the gaol and returned to their homeland. Many prisoners however, died in the ghastly conditions of the prison and were buried here when it was St James' Churchyard. At the base of the semi-circular retaining wall a plaque in French and English was erected by the French Government. It reads: "To her sons who died in captivity in Liverpool in 1772/1803 and whose bodies lie here in the old cemetery of St John the Baptist. France ever grateful".
Soon after the work commenced on St George's Hall, developments began which led to the demolition of St John's Church and later to the laying out of St John's Garden. In 1865 the churchyard was closed for burials, and then in 1880 Liverpool was established as a separate diocese from Chester and a Cathedral was planned to the West of St George's Hall on the site of St John's Church. It was decided that the Anglican Cathedral should be located at St James' Mount to dominate the Hope Street skyline, avoiding a clash in styles between the two major buildings and providing a great civic space more fully revealing the Western elevation of St George's Hall. In 1897 under the Liverpool Churches Act, St John's was closed.
The garden is claimed to have been designed initially by the sculptor, George Frampton, as a setting for existing and proposed pieces of public sculpture reflecting the City's new found economic, political and cultural status. Frampton's masterplan was thought to have been for an Italian garden, and although not completely carried out, it contributed towards providing Liverpool with a magnificent sculpture garden which is recognised as one of the major groups of outdoor public monuments of the early twentieth century.
The statues in the garden, which was opened on 20th June 1904, were produced by some of the most famous names in Victorian sculpture such as Frampton, Sir Thomas Brock and Pomeroy. The monuments with the garden and the gate piers and terrace wall are now listed reflecting their national historic and architectural importance.
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Access
The garden is accessible at all times.
- Lester Monument
Canon T. Major Lester by George Frampton. Erected 1907
Founder of Liverpool's child charities. Died 1903. - Balfour Monument
Alexander Balfour by Bruce A Joy (Founders of H Young & Co). - Rathbone Monument
William Rathbone by George James Frampton
Founder of the District Nursing Movement and the Liverpool and Wales Universities
Died 1902. - Monument to Kings Liverpool Regiment
Dated 1905 by Sir W Goscombe John
Commemorating the service of the regiment In the South African War. - Gladstone Monument
William Gladstone by Sir Thomas Brock in 1904. - Nugent Monument
Monsignor James Nugent by F W Pomeroy in 1906. - Forwood Monument
Sir Arthur Bower Forwood died 1898. - Terrace Wall, Boundary Wall and Gatepiers
The wall surrounding St John's Garden was built in 1904 by T Shelmerdine. It is a stone wall with a moulded plinth and coping. The iron railings have been removed. The main wall and gatepiers are rusticated with entabulatures and block caps. Intermediate wall piers are battered. The sunken Gent's toilet has the original railings to the back wall. - Plaque with Memorial tree
World Aids Day 1993. - Plaque in French and English, erected by the French Government
"To her sons who died in captivity in Liverpool in 1772/1803 and whose bodies lie here in the old cemetery of St John the Baptist. France ever grateful". - Stone plaque
"The Liverpool Scottish in memory of all who served in the regiment". - Memorial. British Nuclear Test Veterans Association
"Dedicated to the memory of test Veterans who have died since the British tests at Monte Bello, Emnfield, Maralinga, Malden Island, Christmas Island. All we seek is justice"
3rd October 1990. - Korea memorial
"For all those who served and did not return". - Wall mounted plaque with Memoral tree. Merseyside Peace Garden
"In memory of all people whatever their nationality whose lives were blighted by war". - Tree donated by the Crest Hotel Liverpool 2 January 1988
- Commemorative tree and memorial stone
"This oak tree was planted by Major General P.L. de Martin C.B.E. on behalf of the Birkenhead and District Branch of the Cheshire Regiment Association on Sunday 21st April 1996 in tribute to the memory of the Citizens of Liverpool who made the supreme sacrifice whilst serving as members of the 22nd Cheshire Regiment". - Memorial stone
For all victims of persecution this stone was unveiled on the 27 January 2001. - Eighth Army Veterans Association
In memory of all members of the Eighth Army who died in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Austria
El Alamein 23rd October
Sicily 10th July 1943
Italy 3rd September 1943
Austria 8th May 1945
"We will remember them". - Memorial plaque
In memory of Ken Stewart MP
"A True Socialist. A true Son of Liverpool". - Memorial stone. Royal Greenjackets
RFN D Griffiths
CPL W J Smith
CPL TF Lea RMP. - HIROSHIMA NAGASAKI 1945- 1985.
- George Harrison
In memory of George Harrison
Born 25th February 1943 - Died November 2001. - John Lennon
In Memory of John Lennon
Born 9th October 1940
Died 10th December 1980.
In recognition of the high standards attained, the Garden has achieved and sustained Green Flag status from 2003 to 2008.