The Old Stableyard, Liverpool
Encyclopedia
The Old Stableyard is a brownfield
site located on Smithdown Lane in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool
, England
. It was once one of the main stableyards for Liverpool Corporation, but is now a development site and party redeveloped as the location of The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre.
enthusiast, Richard Reynolds became one of several 'stud' stables owned by the Corporation, Reynolds having persuaded the city fathers that keeping and breeding their own horses was cheaper and more efficient than relying on private contractors.
The Central Stables at one time accommodated upwards of 50 horses, ranging from ponies to the shires for which the City of Liverpool was famous in the early years of the 20th century. The duties of these horses covered everything from transporting mail and Corporation personnel around the city to moving the heaviest of loads.
In 1924 two horses belonging to Liverpool Corporation, 'Vesuvius' and 'Umber', appeared at the British Empire exhibition at Wembley
and from a standing start pulled a load estimated at 50 tons. This record has never been equaled or beaten and the two geldings received a heroes' welcome when they returned to Liverpool.
The Central Stables was home to some of Liverpool's mightiest horses until 1960 when the last of the working horses were 'phased out'. From this time onwards the yard was home to the motorised bin wagons of the Corporation Cleansing department and just a few reminders of the past - the proud horses which were retained to haul the City of Liverpool State Coach
on grand civic occasions. The Central Stables were finally closed in 1993 and put on the market as a prime development opportunity, but they had not seen their last horse - in late April 2000 they were used briefly to house overnighting horses from around Britain for the Millennium
Liverpool May Horse Parade.
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
site located on Smithdown Lane in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was once one of the main stableyards for Liverpool Corporation, but is now a development site and party redeveloped as the location of The Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre.
History
The stableyard came into the possession of Liverpool Corporation in 1858 and in 1867, with the appointment of a veterinary surgeon and shire horseShire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
enthusiast, Richard Reynolds became one of several 'stud' stables owned by the Corporation, Reynolds having persuaded the city fathers that keeping and breeding their own horses was cheaper and more efficient than relying on private contractors.
The Central Stables at one time accommodated upwards of 50 horses, ranging from ponies to the shires for which the City of Liverpool was famous in the early years of the 20th century. The duties of these horses covered everything from transporting mail and Corporation personnel around the city to moving the heaviest of loads.
In 1924 two horses belonging to Liverpool Corporation, 'Vesuvius' and 'Umber', appeared at the British Empire exhibition at Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
and from a standing start pulled a load estimated at 50 tons. This record has never been equaled or beaten and the two geldings received a heroes' welcome when they returned to Liverpool.
The Central Stables was home to some of Liverpool's mightiest horses until 1960 when the last of the working horses were 'phased out'. From this time onwards the yard was home to the motorised bin wagons of the Corporation Cleansing department and just a few reminders of the past - the proud horses which were retained to haul the City of Liverpool State Coach
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
on grand civic occasions. The Central Stables were finally closed in 1993 and put on the market as a prime development opportunity, but they had not seen their last horse - in late April 2000 they were used briefly to house overnighting horses from around Britain for the Millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
Liverpool May Horse Parade.