Foot of Bold Street · Liverpool Central
The Lyceum, Bold Street
Before Bold Street was built up, its line was a ropewalk where rope for sailing ships was laid out and twisted. At its foot, Thomas Harrison's Lyceum opened on 17 December 1802 as a newsroom and the home of England's first subscription library.
- Architect
- Thomas Harrison
- Built
- 1800–1802
- Heritage
- Grade II* listed
- First use
- Newsroom and subscription library
Bold Street began as a ropewalk: rope for the port’s sailing ships was laid out along its length, which is why the surrounding district is still called the Ropewalks. The street was laid out for housing around 1780 and named after Jonas Bold, a merchant who became Mayor of Liverpool in 1802.
At its foot stands the Lyceum, designed by Thomas Harrison of Chester and built between 1800 and 1802 at a cost of £11,000. It opened on 17 December 1802 with a newsroom and a circular, domed room for the Liverpool Library, founded in 1758 and described as England’s first subscription library. The library remained until 1942; the newsroom became the Lyceum Gentlemen’s Club, which left in 1952.
The building later housed a post office and a bank branch. It is Grade II* listed. Next to it, Liverpool Central station’s original high-level terminus, opened in 1874, closed in 1972 and was demolished in 1973.
- 1700s
The line of Bold Street is a ropewalk for the port's rope makers.
- c.1780
Bold Street is laid out for housing.
- 1802
The Lyceum opens on 17 December.
- 1874
Liverpool Central's high-level station opens on 2 March.
- 1942
The Liverpool Library leaves the Lyceum.
- 1973
Central's high-level station is demolished.
How much history this place holds
The Old Town Time Meter
Old Town Time Meter
79/100
Landmark
- Time on this spot246 years, since 1780 (Bold Street laid out on the ropewalk)33/40
- Age of the present building224 years, built 180220/20
- Layers of history6 documented chapters15/15
- Heritage protectionGrade II* listed11/15
Part of the historic district of Bold Street · district meter 66/100, Landmark
An index of the documented time and history held by this place, part of Old Town Liverpool's Quantum Energy Mapping. How it is measured.
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Tours that start nearby
- Bus tours · Sightseeing from £15 per adult City Explorer Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour City Explorer Liverpool (Maghull Coaches) Times, prices & meeting point
- Beatles · Bus tours from £20 per adult Beatles Explorer Bus Tour City Explorer Liverpool (Maghull Coaches) Times, prices & meeting point
- River cruises · Sightseeing from £14 per adult Mersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise Mersey Ferries Times, prices & meeting point
Around The Lyceum, Bold Street
Sources: Wikipedia: The Lyceum, Liverpool; Wikipedia: Ropewalks, Liverpool; Wikipedia: Liverpool Central railway station; Food Standards Agency food hygiene rating data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 16 October 2026.