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Liverpool, Victoria St., Former General Post Office

Liverpool’s status as Britain’s second port made it an important centre for the postal service. For much of the 19th century the General PostGlossary Term Office was located in the Custom House in Canning Place, until this specially designed building was constructed in Victoria Street between 1894 and 1899. The architect was Henry Tanner, a Principal Architect (Chief Architect from 1898) in the Office of Works, whose other postal buildings include the contemporary General PostGlossary Term Office in Leeds. The Victoria Street building was exceptionally ambitious, originally resembling a Loire chateau with an eventful skyline of shaped gables, chimneys and pavilionGlossary Term roofs. The decoration included sculpture by Edward O. Griffith around the main entrance. Unfortunately, the upper floors were removed following bomb damage in the Second World War, and the interior was gutted after the PostGlossary Term Office moved to new accommodation in the late 20th century. The surviving shellGlossary Term is being converted into a shopping centre.