Tucked away off Dale Street in Liverpool city centre you’ll find 10 Hockenhall Alley.
The Grade II listed building is one of the oldest surviving workers' dwellings in the city dating back to the late 18th century.
It believed to have been built between 1765 and 1785 when the alley was laid out off Dale Street, one of the seven streets of medieval Liverpool.
With just one room to each floor, the pint-sized house offers an insight into what inner-city living conditions were like for some of the poorest members of society at that time.
10 Hockenhall alley was originally known as Molyneaux Weint and was once part of a small row of houses.
The exact date the other houses in the row were demolished is unknown but it’s thought to have been some time around the 1880s.
The name ‘Hockenhall’ was taken from the name of an old Cheshire family, and the building was later used as a pharmacy, followed by a clock repairer - John Nelson’s workshop.
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Another row of similar dwellings further along the alley was also demolished some 50 years ago.
Today the building, which sits sandwiched between the Princes building and Cheapside warehouse, has fallen into a state of disrepair.
Photos taken inside it as part of a heritage assessment in 2015, show some of the building's original features that have survived, including a small ground floor fireplace and narrow winder stair with a rope handrail.
Locals have raised concerns about future plans for the building, with many saying they would like to see it restored for people to visit and learn about its fascinating history.
It's unclear who the current owners of 10 Hockenhall Alley are.
In 2015 the ECHO reported that plans had been submitted to Liverpool Council to convert Cheapside Warehouse into a hostel, with the adjacent 10 Hockenhall Alley expected to become its reception.
However, later that year it was reported that new planning permission may be sought for the site to become residential apartments.
The most recent planning application for 10 Hockenhall Alley was submitted by Stratton Properties Limited in 2019, for a conversion which was subsequently rejected.
A spokesperson for Liverpool Council told the ECHO it is “actively pursuing” this "to establish who the owners are and get them engaged in a conversation to ensure the building’s future is secure".
