The Pier Head forms the core of Liverpool's waterfront on the River Mersey. The site contains three prominent Edwardian structures built on the former George's Dock, which was filled in between 1899 and 1900.
Photo: Unsplash / Neil Cooper. The Royal Liver Building stands on the northern edge of the Pier Head.
The Royal Liver Building, designed by W. Aubrey Thomas, opened in 1911 as the headquarters of the Royal Liver Friendly Society. It is one of the earliest domestic examples of multi-story reinforced concrete construction, standing 322 feet high to the top of its twin clock towers.
Two copper Liver Birds, sculpted by Carl Bernard Bartels, stand on the towers. The clocks, measuring 25 feet in diameter, are larger than those on the Elizabeth Tower in Westminster. By tradition the birds are named Bella and Bertie: Bella faces the sea, watching for sailors to return safely, while Bertie faces inland over the city. Local legend holds that if the pair ever flew away, Liverpool would cease to exist.
The Cunard Building, designed by Willink and Thicknesse, was completed in 1916. The structure served as the headquarters of the Cunard Steamship Company until 1967. The architectural details combine Italian Renaissance and Greek Revival styles, featuring carved stone shields representing the Allied nations of the First World War.
The Port of Liverpool Building, designed by Sir Arnold Thornely, was completed in 1907 as the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. The Edwardian Baroque structure features a central dome rising 220 feet above the ground, cladding of Portland stone, and an interior decorated with marble and mosaic panels.
The Pier Head serves as the departure terminal for the Mersey Ferry, which operates services to Birkenhead and Seacombe. The terminal building also contains the terminal office and ticket counters.
Together the three buildings anchored Liverpool's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — "Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City" — from 2004. That status was removed in 2021, when UNESCO ruled that new waterfront development had eroded the site's character. Liverpool became only the third place ever struck off the list, after Germany's Dresden Elbe Valley and Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary.
Built to run a maritime empire, the three now hold offices, restaurants, and — inside the Royal Liver Building — a visitor tour up to the tower for a view along the river. The Mersey Ferry still leaves from the landing stage in front of them, which remains the best spot to see all three lined up together.
