Granby Four Streets
Granby Four Streets
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Granby Four Streets

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Granby Four Streets

The Granby Four Streets is an area in Toxteth, Liverpool, England, comprising four streets at the tip of a triangle near the Grade II* listed Princes Park. The streets, designed by Welsh architect Richard Owens and built by Welsh workers during the late 19th century are Beaconsfield Street, Cairns Street, Jermyn Street and Ducie Street. A fifth street, Granby Street, connects the four streets together and mostly contains commercial units.

The Granby Streets area is among the oldest multicultural neighbourhoods in the country, due to immigration following Britain's post-war period. During the 1960s, the area was designated a "twilight area", resulting in many residents moving out and properties being taken over by landlords with little interest in maintaining the houses. Housing charity Shelter worked in the area during the 1970s, investing money into refurbishing houses in what was one of the earliest examples of community neighbourhood regeneration.

Following the 1981 Toxteth riots, the area entered further decline during the late 20th century which saw many streets abandoned and demolished, except for the southernmost four streets which escaped demolition and have since undergone various regeneration schemes of refurbishment starting from 2011. The streets formed part of an initiative by Liverpool City Council in 2013, who sold some of the derelict houses for £1 each on condition that inhabitants would spend their own money to renovate them to an acceptable habitable condition.

The Granby Four Streets market was established around 2007, featuring street stalls from local residents and people in the wider community, running on a monthly basis. In December 2015, London-based urban designers Assemble, who had worked in the area as designers and architects since 2012, won a £25,000 Turner Prize for their community project artwork in the Granby Four Streets, the first time the award had been won by a group or collective.

The majority of properties on the streets have now been renovated and are inhabited, except for Ducie Street which as of 2022, was subject to a redevelopment proposal including a new build of apartments on vacant land.

The Granby Four Streets comprise Beaconsfield Street, Cairns Street, Jermyn Street and Ducie Street and are linked via Granby Street. They are situated close to Liverpool City Centre and to the immediate north of the Princes Park, which is less than 15 minutes walking distance to Liverpool Cathedral, clearly visible throughout the area.

Granby Street was constructed as the central commercial high street, with additional living accommodation provided in flats above shops, while retail premises line the street.

Built in the 1870s, each street features its own unique architectural design, while sizes vary from two-up two-down houses, to double-fronted homes with between 6 and 8 bedrooms. Beaconsfield Street houses have bay windows with two separate first floor windows, on Cairns Street first floor windows are singular, Jermyn Street houses have pointed door arches and dormer windows and in Ducie Street, houses were built double-fronted with dormer windows on the now demolished south side. Houses within the streets also differ between each other since refurbishment, such as in Cairns Street, where some homes have additional rear rooms or an open plan on the ground floor. Houses in the westernmost part of Beaconsfield Street were built with a mansard roof and dormer window to the front, representing a significant change in the character of such houses since the mid-1860s.

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