Liverpool’s Hidden Gem Awaits Rediscovery Workshops for the Outdoor Blind

Liverpool has great buildings. Think of the Liver Building and Dale Street. The Georgian Quarter also shows elegance. Some buildings are famous and easy to spot; others hide on side streets, away from main roads.

One such place is on Cornwallis Street, which connects Duke Street and St James Street, running by Nelson Street as well. Near Duke Street stands a boarded-up building that dates back to the 1800s.

The inscription reads “Liverpool Workshops for the Outdoor Blind.” It is yellow brick with red accents, featuring pointed arches over the windows, many of which are now boarded up.

The workshops were built from 1870 to 1873, providing employment for blind people; Joseph Sharples wrote about it in a guide, noting that George Tunstall Redmayne designed it.

The building had rooms for crafts like basket, brush, and matting making. It also held lectures and social events. Bomb damage during the war changed the upper part.

The top part still shows war damage. Old photos display a slanted top level, resembling a church with Gothic arches; rebuilding used different colored bricks, resulting in a blocky top, unlike the old roof.

In 1869, “The Architect” wrote about the laying of the workshop’s foundation stone, which was shaped like a horseshoe, with the front facing Cornwallis Street.

The front had a showroom and offices inside, and a staircase led to upper floors. Cream bricks and red stone formed the exterior in a simple Pointed Gothic style.

“Building News” gave more details in 1873, highlighting that the workshop aided blind people by offering work and trade skills. Women received general lessons, and workers enjoyed lectures and socials; the building’s current use is not known.