WELCOME TO THE STABLE YARD

The Lord Mayor's stable yard in Edge Hill, Liverpool, its name has changed many times over the years, but its main purpose and location have always stayed the same. Back in the 1800s, a Gentleman in Edge Hill called Joseph Williamson owned much of the land bordering Mason Street, Grinfield Street and Smithdown Lane. When he passed away in 1840, the land was still leased in his name. When Williamson's lease expired in 1856/7, long after his death, the land reverted back to the Trustees of the West Derby Waste Lands Commission. Ten years later, the Health Commission purchased the site for the sum of 30 shillings per square yard for the purpose of erecting stables for about 50 horses for the Scavenging Department. Shortly after, the stables, workshop and cottages were built by a local firm William Tomkinson & Sons, famous also for local landmarks including the Lewis's store in Liverpool City Centre. Today, the buildings on the west side of Smithdown Lane stand silently awaiting their fate: the Horse-Keeper's house, cart shed, stalls for the shire horses, a drying room, a cellar, a cookhouse and a huge hayloft are part of the once busy yard. Recent events have led to the sale of the rectangle of land which still houses part of the last remaining Stable Yard in Liverpool and its future looks very uncertain. With talk of demolition, erection of a new set of flats and wiping out nearly 150 years of history and historic underground tunnels, this website has been setup to help save the Stable Yard and try to bring it back to its former glory!

SMITHDOWN LANE

The Old Stableyard

..on Google Earth!

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