A MEMORIAL garden that took shape at the edge of Liverpool’s busiest shopping district on the outskirts of Liverpool ONE a few years ago was revisited recently by Hardscape’s photographer whilst taking images for a different project and was amazed to discover how good the artscape memorial replica had weathered and fared, nestled within part of the former St Thomas’s Church graveyard.
Among those buried there is one of Liverpool’s most famous sons, Joseph Williamson, popularly known as the “Mole of Edge Hill.” Williamson was laid to rest in the Tate family vault at the church, which was demolished in 1905.
The centrepiece of the garden, produced and supplied by Hardscape, is a carved Egerton red sandstone replica of the Liver Bird which once adorned the Sailors’ Home in nearby Canning Place The original red sandstone carving stood over the entrance to the old Sailors’ Home.
The idea for the memorial garden came about during the development of Liverpool ONE. Estates director Chris Bliss said: “When Grosvenor was developing Liverpool ONE, it became apparent that a triangle of land had local historical significance. The developer worked with the landscape architects to create a memorial garden on the land, which now sits on the outskirts of Liverpool ONE and can be used as an area for quiet reflection.”