Opened in 1911 as the new headquarters of Royal Liver Assurance, this was one of the first buildings in the world to use reinforced concrete. It is one of the famous “Three Graces” on Liverpool’s waterfront, the other two being the Cunard Building and the Port Of Liverpool Building.

A concert at the pier head, surrounded by ugly fencing, meant that I was unable to get a good shot of the famous three buildings today.

In 2011, the Royal Liver merged with Royal London, and the building ceased to be its headquarters. It was sold in 2017 and became offices for a number of tenants. At last, in 2019 I believe, a visitor attraction was opened in the west tower and today, having checked the weather forecast I finally got round to visiting. The fascinating tour includes views from the tenth and fifteenth floors:

The clock, with three faces on the western tower and one on the eastern, was made by Gent of Leicester:

The Liver Birds, Bella and Bertie, have become the symbol of the city, although the use of a bird dates back to centuries before these two were designed by sculptor Carl Bartels.

Here’s a view of Bella from an unusual angle:

The tour concluded with a visit to the boardroom on the ninth floor:

All in all, a very enjoyable and interesting tour with a friendly and informative guide. Highly recommended!

If you’re planning a visit, note that the boardroom is still used as a conference room and so is only available for certain tours; make sure you choose the correct option when booking. I was surprised how quiet this attraction is; I checked the forecast in the morning and then went on line at 11:30 and was able to book a tour for the same afternoon.