LIVERPOOL | Western Approaches / Liverpool War Museum

Inspired by the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, we travelled by train to England in March. Combining ESC host city Liverpool with the industrial heritage of Manchester. Manchester to Liverpool was also the first steam railway line ever. A perfect pretext to travel to The North.

Having time left, we decided to visit the Western Approaches or Liverpool War Museum.

The Western Approaches Museum chronics the work of Western Approaches Command around Atlantic convoys, combating the U-boat menace and the Battle of the Atlantic. Set in the restored former World War II command centre responsible for coordinating the effort, the museum consists of re-opened rooms housing artefacts from when the command centre was in active use.

The museum includes a tour that covers the Central Operations room, cypher room, a 1940s street scene, NAAFI canteen and community classroom facility. It also contains the original Gaumont Kalee Dragon projector which Winston Churchill used to watch secret war footage.

Since September 2017, the museum has been run by a social enterprise group, Big Heritage.

Since taking over, Big Heritage has undertaken a restoration of the site, unearthing artefacts and parts of the facility that had been closed off since the 1960s.

The museum now hosts a special exhibition entitles ‘The Arctic Convoys – A Shared History‘ and an exhibition dedicated to the women of the WRNS (or Women’s Royal Naval Service.

Entry price to the museum includes 12 months of unlimited returns and there are concessions available. Children under the age of 16 are free. Regular holiday activities and events are available and are normally included in the admission cost.

Included in the ticket price is a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit.

So?

This museum is not free. It advertises you need 1.5 hours and that’s a fair assessment. At first sight, it looks a bit tacky, but the exhibitions are interesting.