Another Liverpool warehouse, this time a little narrow one spanning the alleys of Cheapside and Hockenhall. Although a listed building (https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101392636-warehouse-central-ward#.WmUtzpOFiQ4), it’s due to be converted into luxury apartments, so I went to see what was left early one morning.
In the basement we have a messy little office, maybe last used in the early 90’s, and a metal-bashing shop with lathe, drills, welding stuff, a bending/shaping press and other bits and pieces.
This is a fireproof warehouse so the ceiling of the basement is arched brickwork supported by cast iron columns and the stone stairs have metal doors and door frames.
Ground floor mostly empty, with the ceiling now wood, with thick beams.
On the first floor another squalid little office and a mostly empty space.
The light in the window is not the sun coming up, but a street light outside.
Second floor another empty storage space, with a lower ceiling.
The loft….
..with the original hoist machinery.
The hoist nearest the door (above left and bottom right) had an electric motor with a series of pulleys and lines, one going via a roof truss. However I really ought to have done more homework before exploring this place. Not only did I forget to check if the electric motor was in fact original (1884 seems quite early), but I hadn’t realised that this is a double ended warehouse and missed the other hoist at the far end completely. Its the sloping object you can see at the end of the room. Luckily the Liverpool Echo did a good piece on this place in 2015 and I’ve included their picture of the sloping hoist (top right, http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/look-inside-historic-listed-liverpool-8896268).
Since the building is listed these old hoists will presumably end up as ‘features’ in someone’s loft apartment. Finally a view from the rear. There is also another tiny warehouse behind the scaffolding - it’s mentioned in the Echo article above - but there was no obvious access at the time.
In the basement we have a messy little office, maybe last used in the early 90’s, and a metal-bashing shop with lathe, drills, welding stuff, a bending/shaping press and other bits and pieces.
This is a fireproof warehouse so the ceiling of the basement is arched brickwork supported by cast iron columns and the stone stairs have metal doors and door frames.
Ground floor mostly empty, with the ceiling now wood, with thick beams.
On the first floor another squalid little office and a mostly empty space.
The light in the window is not the sun coming up, but a street light outside.
Second floor another empty storage space, with a lower ceiling.
The loft….
..with the original hoist machinery.
The hoist nearest the door (above left and bottom right) had an electric motor with a series of pulleys and lines, one going via a roof truss. However I really ought to have done more homework before exploring this place. Not only did I forget to check if the electric motor was in fact original (1884 seems quite early), but I hadn’t realised that this is a double ended warehouse and missed the other hoist at the far end completely. Its the sloping object you can see at the end of the room. Luckily the Liverpool Echo did a good piece on this place in 2015 and I’ve included their picture of the sloping hoist (top right, http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/look-inside-historic-listed-liverpool-8896268).
Since the building is listed these old hoists will presumably end up as ‘features’ in someone’s loft apartment. Finally a view from the rear. There is also another tiny warehouse behind the scaffolding - it’s mentioned in the Echo article above - but there was no obvious access at the time.
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