The neo-classical Mansion House was built in 1828 for Joseph Need Walker, an owner of a local business which manufactured lead shot.In the almost 200 years since, it has had a rich history as a home to other families, a hub for local entertainment and council offices before becoming home to The Reader charity.
This exhibition explores the story of this iconic building and its connection to the history of the city, including the creation of Calderstones Park, connections to the Cunard shipping line, a WWII hero dog and John Lennon.
Our friendly Heritage Volunteers are on hand 10am – 4pm every day, and you can also explore a treasure trove of archive materials including letters, photographs and booklets which bring the history of the house to life.
Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday
Where to find us
Calderstones Park
Liverpool
L18 3JB
Trails & Tales: Explore Calderstones Park with our interactive map
Embark on a journey of discovery and literary delight with Trails & Tales, our new digital park map. Choose between our Literature Trail or Heritage Trail, or create your own adventure by combining the two!
The map can be accessed by using your smartphone or tablet to scan QR codes on wooden posts located around Calderstones Park, which will bring up audio clips, photographs and shared memories of the park from days gone by.
The Heritage Trail takes around two hours to complete and the shorter Literature Trail takes around 50 minutes to complete.
Both trails are completely free to use and have been designed to appeal to audiences of all ages.
You can also explore the park and enjoy this fascinating content from the comfort of your own home – just click the link below to have a go!
Trails & Tales Interactive Park MapCalderstones Park and its links to slavery
The history of Liverpool is inseparable from the transatlantic slave trade. Between 1695 and 1807, 5,300 voyages left the port of Liverpool to participate in the trade, funded by the city’s merchants and ship owners. The profits they made were used to build many of the city’s historic mansions and public buildings. This has led many to wonder if the Mansion House at Calderstones Park has a link to the transatlantic slave trade.
As the current custodians of the Mansion House in Calderstones Park, Liverpool, we believe we have an important role in trying to help people understand the story of the Mansion and in sharing as much about its past as we can find out. By working with the historian, Laurence Westgaph, we have begun the process of researching the links that the building and the surrounding park have to slavery. Although there are still many unknowns, to help answer some of these questions, we’ve set out what we do and what we don’t know here.