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LIVERPOOL.

after the Temple of Ceres at Athens. The Assize Courts, in the Gothic style, were opened in 1864, and cost £80,000. The Infirmary in Piccadilly, a large open space, is a large and handsome structure, in front of which are statues of the Duke of Wellington, Watt, Dalton, and Sir Robert Peel. THE FREE TRADE HALL has places for 5000 people. It stands on the site of the old hall which was famous as the place where free trade was nurtured under the auspices of Richard Cobden and John Bright.

The Cathedral is a fine build. ing, containing chapels which are the burial-places of the Derby and other historic families. The Free Grammar School is very richly endowed. There are three public parks and a Botanical Garden. Many of the large manufacturing establishments are well worth visiting.

ROUTE 38.

LIVERPOOL TO LONDON.

Distance by the London and North Western Railway, 2012 miles. Distance by the Midland Railway, via Derbyshire, 215 miles. Distance by the Great Western Railway, 228 miles.

Fares, 1st class, 29s.; 2nd class, 21s. 9d.; 3rd class, 16s. 9d.

For description of the routes see the following page.

IVERPOOL (Hotels: see "HOTEL LIST" at beginning of this volume.) The second city of the United Kingdom in population and commerce, which it has doubled with tolerable uniformity in about every twenty years during the present century. Few cities have better constructed houses, or wider or handsomer streets, which is due to the expenditure of vast sums on the improvement of the place by the corporation. The property of this body is reputed to be worth £3,000,000 independent of an income of nearly half-amillion derived from the dock estate alone; so that the assertion that £300,000,000 have been spent within the last eightyfive years upon town improvements is not so startling as it, at first sight, appears. Liverpool is a municipal and parliamentary borough returning three members. The trade of the place expanded greatly upon the decay of Chester, through the gradual filling up of the Dee, which made Liverpool the great depot of salt for export. The dock area is estimated at nearly 300 acres. The quay accommodation about

17 miles in length. Birkenhead Dock alone, opened in 1860, covers a space of 120 acres, and cost £3,000,000. The first floating dock in the United Kingdom was opened here in 1718. The principal streets diverge from the point partly occupied by St John's Church and the railway station. The principal public buildings are the Town Hall, of which the chief feature is the grand staircase under the cupola, on the landing of which, stands a colossal statue of George Canning; the Exchange Buildings, which form three sides of the square in which the Town Hall stands, esteemed one of the best specimens of Greek architecture in England, and one of the finest structures of modern times, devoted exclusively to commercial purposes; the Custom House, which is united with the Excise, Post, and other public offices in an Ionic pile called Revenue Buildings, built upon the site of the old dock, which was filled up for the purpose; St George's Hall, of the Corinthian order, ostensibly built for the Assize Courts, but at other times used for public meetings, concerts, &c. There are also several valuable literary establishments, such as the Royal Institution, Brown's Museum and Library; four Theatres, Zoological Gardens, five public Parks, ten Markets, and a great number of charitable and educational institutions. There are more than 50 churches belonging to the Establishment, besides numerous dissenting places of worship. The oldest church is that of St Nicholas, the newest, a church in the Byzantine style, erected by the Greek merchants residing in Liverpool, and consecrated in the beginning of 1870 by the Archbishop of Syra and Tenos, who came to England for the purpose. PRINCES PARK and SEFTON PARK,

both within fifteen minutes' drive from the chief hotels, are well laid out, and compare favourably with any in England. In the neighbourhood of these Parks are the residences of the wealthy citizens. Visitors should not omit to visit this part of the city.

ROUTE TO LONDON BY NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY.

Leaving the Lime-street station, we pass through the long tunnel to Edge Hill. Thence the express trains take the new route, via Runcorn, where the Mersey is crossed by a fine bridge.

CREWE is reached in one hour, and a brief stoppage is made to join the trains from Chester, Manchester, and the North. The extensive machine shops of the Company are here, and all their engines are made here. (See also page 39.)

From Crewe to Stafford the lines of railway have been quadrupled in order to accommodate the heavy traffic. With one or two exceptions, express trains stop at STAFFORD (see also page 133), whence passengers may proceed to Wolverhampton and Birmingham. On leaving Stafford the route is over the Trent Valley line, passing through Lichfield, Tamworth, and Nuneaton to RUGBY (see also page 133). One of the most famous schools in England is here. Passengers wishing to visit Stratford-on-Avon may here take the branch line for Leamington and Kenilworth. The journey from Rugby to London through Blisworth, Bletchley, Leighton, Watford, and Harrow occupies about two hours. At Willesden Junction passengers will find frequent trains to the City, Ken

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