St James Cemetery

St James Cemetery is a burial ground situated below street level behind Liverpool Cathedral, containing over 57,000 graves with numerous stone memorials and architectural features. The site spans several acres and displays a variety of grave styles and protected structures from different periods.

The cemetery was designed in 1826 by John Foster Jr and modeled after Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. It emerged from the need for additional burial space in Liverpool during a period of urban expansion.

The Oratory building on the northern side now houses monumental statues and reflects how Victorian burials were honored with care and permanence. Walking through reveals how people of that era expressed remembrance through elaborate stone carvings and inscriptions.

Access the cemetery through two entrances: a stone path on the north side between the Oratory and cathedral, or through the south entrance near Upper Parliament Street. Plan to walk slowly as the grounds have varying levels and uneven surfaces in places.

The site began as a stone quarry where workers discovered a natural spring in 1773. This spring still flows through the grounds today, adding an unexpected element of life to the memorial landscape.