Falkner Square

Beautifully kept and strangely majestic. This little hidden patch of heaven is always quiet and is a welcome contrast from the hustle and bustle of the bars and urban areas it is so close to.
Always expecting rose girls to come round on bikes singing Who Will Buy, Oliver Twist style.

I lived for two years at no. 25a in the 60s. Our house parties, yes, and others on the square, were amazing. My room had a ceiling about 20 feet high– and I remember a friend’s– maybe 27 — had a sort of ballroom glass dome on his! I passed by there recently for old time’s sake. I was surprised and delighted how little it had changed. Everything just looked a bit cleaner! A timeless magical place –full of happy memories for many Liverpool people.

Smack bang right by the beautiful Georgian Quarter of Liverpool is Falkner Square, and what a beautiful place this is, not just for the fantastic architecture, but for this lush square in the centre of it all.
This is a great place to chill out in the sun and read a book or have a beer with friends, or to take the dog for a walk, or to jog through.
The Georgian Quarter is two minutes away and here are some great little cafes and restaurants to relax in.
I would personally recommend walking to the Quarter or Host. the Quarter has a fantastic little deli and serves great food all day and night. It has a great bohemian atmosphere but without the pretention of similar places. Also try Host, situated next door to the Quarter. There is a decent pub nearby too, called Peter Kavanahs, very friendly and good beer!

Always quiet, always peaceful and really beautiful despite being situated smack central in crazy ville.
Once, before the rapid gentrification of the area now know as The Georgian quater — it’s still Toxteth you know! — around here you caould find some legendary house parties that I am sure still go on but are less frequent and reknowned.
The square itself is an idyll in which you would hardly know that you are so close to the incessant traffic of Upper Parly, the Women’s Hospital or the refuge shelters and mental care homes that fill most of the town house surrounding the tranquil green.
Apparently underneath the square run tunnels made by the rich residents during WW2 so they could evacuate their homes during the airraids and find safety in the square — so I have been told.

If you’re one of those insufferable so-​and-​sos who revel in knowing about something before everybody else then get infuriated when it becomes as popular as you initially wanted it to be, you’ll love the small green luxury of Falkner Square. Don’t just go and sunbathe in Abercromby Square like a bunch of sheeple. That’s so blasé.
This small Georgian Square was once the privilege of the key-​owning dwellers of the townhouses surrounding it before World War II came along and swathed it in air raid shelters. Now its another feather in the cap for Liverpool, proving its Georgian quarter is nicer than just about everywhere else. End of.

Falkner Square is an area of great historic value and interest, as it was one of the earliest public open spaces within the city. Acquired in 1835, it still retains its original elegance and similarity to many London squares.
During the eighteenth century Liverpool commemorated its notable old families, such as the Claytons and Williamsons, in squares bearing their names. Falkner Square was named after Edward Falkner of Fairfield.
Born around 1760, Edward Falkner had a great yearning for adventure and excitement. Following his rise through the ranks during his military career, in 1788 he was appointed at a remarkably young age as Sheriff of Lancashire, and was admired and respected by those he controlled.
In 1797 England was rumored to be under threat of invasion by the French. Falkner reacted quickly. It is said that within 24 hours he mustered a fighting force of 1,000 men ready to invade France and repel the threatened invasion. When news reached the shores of France, the french leaders were amazed that such a force could be assembled in so short a time, and the threat was withdrawn.
In later years Falkner and his family decided to invest in land and property. Land was purchased outside the city centre and around 1830 Falkner Square was completed.
Although the houses were of a handsome design many stood empty for years. The square was located too far out of town and up a not inconsiderable incline when the mode of transport was horse and carriage. It soon became known as ‘Falkners Folly’
In later years however, the whole area became fashionable and Falkner Square stood as tribute to one of Liverpool’s swashbuckling heroes.
The garden fell into disrepair during the Second World War when it was a site for air raid shelters. During the 1950s steps were taken to restore the pre-​war look, retaining original architecture and maturing plane trees, and the shelter which forms the focal point of the garden.
Falkner Square remained a private ‘Key Garden’ for some years, with right of entry confined to residents of the square. Now however, the garden is freely accessible to all and provides a precious ‘Green Lung’ in the midst of this area. Close by is the site of Liverpool’s first Botanic Garden founded by William Roscoe in 1802. Roscoe has been described as Liverpool’s greatest citizen and the founder of Liverpool culture. It is fitting that the square should reflect the botanical aspirations of Roscoe and the 280 members of Liverpool’s Botanic Garden, which remained on this site until 1831. (Now located at Calderstones Park)
The garden borders contain ornamental grasses, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees of interest, and are being developed to include plants representitive of the collections which would have been exhibited in the nearby original Botanic Gardens. The planting is intended to provide colour, scent and year round interest for visitors to the garden.
THis beautiful place is tooked away from main tourist routes but well worth a visit to see some real history.