St Luke’s Church has been offering the public the chance to view what is thought to be the oldest Liver Bird image in Liverpool.
Custodians of the famous bombed-out church at Bold Place opened their doors to the previously out-of-bounds area in celebration of National Heritage month, which took place throughout September.
The image was first discovered on the Church’s stained glass window about a year ago, and immediately was nicknamed the first Liver Bird, as the church was completed in 1831.
Artistic director Ambrose Reynolds said: “The access into the Crypt is normally forbidden to the public as it’s basically in ruins; however we’ve opened it up to the public in honour of heritage month which is really exciting because no one has been in the crypt since it was bombed out.
“We have taken the public right around the church and explained all the history, it’s really fascinating especially because so many people walk past the church every day and don’t know what’s inside.
“We are discovering new things about the church every day.”
The Church is considered one of Liverpool’s most iconic buildings, having been partially destroyed during the Liverpool Blitz in the Second World War.
St Luke’s Church has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors since it was taken over by the arts collective Urban Strawberry Lunch, and has become one of the main attractions amongst both tourists and locals.
Mr Reynolds added: “After we took over we decided to hold yearly exhibitions in honour of the blitz, live music concerts, religious events and most recently we have also begun to show screenings of classic movies.”
Although the tour has been temporarily closed, it is hoped that a window will be made through a wall so that it can be seen more clearly by visitors.