Railings, Plinth Walls, Gates, Piers And Steps At Church Of St Luke

392/56/150 BERRY STREET 27-AUG-02 RAILINGS, PLINTH WALLS, GATES, PIERS AND STEPS AT CHURCH OF ST LUKE (Formerly listed as: BERRY STREET CHURCH OF ST LUKE WITH RAILINGS, PLINTH WALLS, GATES, PIERS AND STEPS)

GV II*

Railings, plinth walls, gates, piers and steps on Leece Street, Bold Place and Roscoe Street, returning to flanking steps fronting St. Luke's Church on Berry Street. Ashlar sandstone and cast iron. 1829-1833, to designs by John Foster junior. PLAN: Rectangular enclosure on sloping site formed by cast iron railings set on ramped plinth walls with corner and intermediate piers and gateposts, and incorporating gateways with cast iron gates and flights of ashlar stone steps with cast-iron handrails and balusters. EXTERIOR: The railings and associated walls, piers and gates enclose a rectangular garden to the east of Berry Street which embraces the majority of the present church structure. There are 2 entrances to the north and south sides, one to the centre of the enclosure railings which give access to level ground within, and one to the eastern ends, at low points of the sloping site, which give access to the enclosed area by means of flights of stone steps with plain cast-iron handrails and balusters. The original cast iron railings have decorative heads and twin mid-rails, and are cusped below the top rail. They extend from the central doorways eastwards, and along the eastern end. There are replacement C20 spear-headed railings to the west of the central doorways which return to the gateways to either side of the church. The octagonal piers have panelled facets and crocketed spire heads. HISTORY: When first completed, the church had a solid masonry enclosure wall, pierced by pointed arched doorways. The walling was replaced by the present enclosure, designed by John Foster junior as part of his adaptation of his father's original designs.

St. Luke's Church together with the surrounding enclosure walling, railings, steps, piers and gates (q.v.) which define its setting were designed to serve as the church of the Corporation of Liverpool by John Foster of Liverpool and later by his son John Foster junior. Despite severe damage during World War II, the church and its railed enclosure remain an outstandingly rich example of early C19 ecclesiastical Perpendicular Gothic architecture, and an architectural, historical and historic townscape ensemble of monumental significance at the heart of the city of Liverpool.

Listing NGR: SJ3531789861