Falkner Square is a square in Canning on the border of

Liverpool city centre Liverpool city centre is the commercial, cultural, financial and historical centre of Liverpool, England. The inner city districts of Vauxhall, Everton, Edge Hill, Kensington and Toxteth mark the border with Liverpool city centre which consi ...

and

Toxteth Toxteth is an inner-city area of Liverpool in the historic county of Lancashire and the ceremonial county of Merseyside. Toxteth is located to the south of Liverpool city centre, bordered by Aigburth, Canning, Dingle, and Edge Hill. The area ...

. Falkner Square Gardens occupy the centre of the square. The Square was completed in 1830 and in 1835 the central area was acquired as a park, one of the first areas so acquired by the council.Liverpool City Council Page

History

Falkner Square is named after Edward Falkner, soldier and Sheriff of Lancashire, who mustered 1000 men in a single hour for the defence of Liverpool in 1797 when a French invasion threatened. He wanted it called Wellington Square. It dates from 1835 and was one of the city's first open public spaces. However, at the time it was unpopular and considered too far out of town, especially as regards to the long uphill hike for horse-drawn vehicles. The townspeople nicknamed it Falkner's Folly, on account of the land being formerly known as Moss Lake Fields. Following construction, many of the houses remained vacant as prospective buyers were concerned the houses may subside due to being built on

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...

y ground; in response, Falkner drained part of the land and redirected the creek, and in due course the area become popular. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the public garden was utilised as a location for air-raid shelters, though it was fully reinstated after the war and now forms part of the Georgian Quarter. Today, the area is maintained by Liverpool City Council, who have restored cobbles and original period street furniture. In 1993, on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic a

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

was installed to commemorate black and Commonwealth seamen who served during World War 2.

References

Citations Sources * {{coord, 53.3982, -2.9629, region:GB_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki, display=inline,title Parks and commons in Liverpool Squares in Liverpool 1830 establishments in England