Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Charlotte Hadfield & Max Clements

Ghost signs outside city bars that offer a window into the past

Liverpool city centre has been a hive of activity since shops, bars and restaurants reopened for outdoor hospitality in April.

But those who have headed out to venues on Berry Street may not have cast their eyes upwards for long enough to notice two "ghost signs" sitting opposite each other.

They offer a glimpse of the former uses of both buildings as well as a fascinating insight into the city's past.

The first sign is an antique-looking advertisement on the side of Red Door which appears to be describing some kind of beverage.

It was first spotted on the side of the building in May last year, after the demolition of Bar 53, which was destroyed in a fire.

The bar has since been relocated to Seel Street.

The building was once home to the Black Horse and Rainbow pub (Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here.

It took 10 fire crews to eventually bring the blaze under control on Berry Street, with surrounding buildings remaining closed for days afterwards.

Just days after the fire, demolition crews moved in to knock down the remnants of the building.

Although faded, the words "pints" and "half pints" can be seen on the sign as well as what looks like old pre-decimal money markings.

At the bottom of the sign, the words "supplied in screw stopper bottles" is clearly legible.

The building was once home to the Black Horse and Rainbow pub and later became the Metropolitan and the Lemon Lounge, before opening as Red Door.

Ghost sign at the former Grants superstore on the corner of Seel Street (Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

On the opposite side of the street another ghost sign has also appeared, on the corner of Berry Street and Seel Street.

The sign at number 32 dates back to when the building was home to Grants superstore which sold everything from bedding and homeware to kids clothes.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.