Everton Lock-Up
Georgian lock-up on Everton Brow, featured on Everton F.C. crest.
Everton Lock-Up, also called Prince Rupert's Tower or Prince Rupert's Castle, is a village lock-up on Everton Brow in Everton, Liverpool. Built in the 18th century, it is one of two surviving Georgian lock-ups in Liverpool—the other being in Wavertree. The structure is best known as the central feature of the Everton F.C. crest.
Opened in 1787, the Grade II-listed building originally served as an overnight holding cell for local drunks and criminals taken by parish constables. Prisoners were later brought before a local justice of the peace for trial, with punishments typically involving community service like clearing ditches, unblocking drains, or removing rubbish.
The Friends of Everton Park have included the lock-up in their Everton Park Heritage Trail, with information boards placed nearby.
Despite its nickname "Prince Rupert's Tower," the building was erected nearly 150 years after Prince Rupert’s Royalist Army camped in the area before the siege of Liverpool in 1644, during the First English Civil War. Historically, Everton Brow was where Prince Rupert prepared to attack the Parliamentarian garrison holding Liverpool Castle. As commander of Charles I’s Royalist cavalry, he is said to have looked down at the castle and dismissed it as "a crow’s nest that any party of schoolboys could take!" The castle fell after a week of heavy fighting, costing 1,500 of his men.
A depiction of the lock-up has appeared on the Everton F.C. crest since 1938. In 2003, a plaque was added to the building noting its sporting significance. In May 1997, the club contributed £15,000 toward its renovation, and in February 2014, the lock-up was permanently illuminated blue.
Quick Facts
- Ren Cost
- £15,000
- Location
- Everton
- Address
- Brow Side Gardens, Liverpool, L3
- Owner
- Liverpool City Council
- Inauguration Date
- 1787
- Renovation Date
- 1997
- Diameter
- 8m
- Floor Count
- 1
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The lock-up was opened in 1787 as an overnight holding place for local drunks and criminals taken by parish constables. Prisoners would later be brought before a local justice of the peace for trial, with punishments typically involving community service such as clearing ditches, unblocking drains, or removing rubbish. Despite its nickname Prince Rupert's Tower, the building was erected almost 150 years after the Royalist Army commanded by Prince Rupert camped in the area before the siege of Liverpool in 1644 during the First English Civil War. Historically, Everton Brow is where Prince Rupert made preparations to attack the Parliamentarian garrison holding Liverpool Castle. As commander of the Royalist cavalry of Charles I, he is said to have looked down at the castle and dismissed it with the words: "It is a crow’s nest that any party of schoolboys could take!" The castle eventually fell after a week of heavy fighting and the loss of 1,500 of his men.
Reader's Guide
Everton Lock-Up holds significance both as a surviving example of Georgian village lock-ups and for its enduring association with Everton F.C. A depiction of the lock-up has appeared on the club's crest since 1938. In 2003, a plaque was added to the building stating the importance of its sporting association. The club contributed £15,000 in May 1997 for renovating the structure, and in February 2014 the lock-up was permanently illuminated blue. The Friends of Everton Park have included the lock-up in their Everton Park Heritage Trail, with information boards displayed near the building. Its legacy bridges local history and modern football culture, making it a recognizable landmark in Liverpool.
Did You Know?
- The building was opened in 1787 and is Grade II listed.
- Prince Rupert's Tower nickname refers to the Royalist commander who camped nearby in 1644, nearly 150 years before the lock-up was built.
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