The Three Graces are the three Edwardian buildings on the Pier Head waterfront in Liverpool: the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. They went up in 1903–1917 on the site of the old George's Dock, when Liverpool was one of the world's busiest ports. The two copper Liver Birds on top of the Royal Liver Building have become the symbol of the city.
The Three Graces at a glance
- Where: Pier Head, on the River Mersey waterfront, a short walk from the Royal Albert Dock.
- Built: Port of Liverpool Building 1903–1907; Royal Liver Building 1908–1911; Cunard Building 1914–1917.
- By: Arnold Thornely with Briggs and Wolstenholme (Port of Liverpool Building); Walter Aubrey Thomas (Royal Liver Building); William Edward Willink and Philip Coldwell Thicknesse, with Arthur J. Davis as consultant (Cunard Building).
- What they are today: offices, with the Royal Liver Building listed Grade I and the other two Grade II*; the waterfront in front of them is a public promenade.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes on the waterfront; longer with a Royal Liver Building tour.
Three buildings for a booming port
By the late 19th century George's Dock, opened in 1771 as Liverpool's third dock, was too small and shallow for modern ships, so its site was cleared for building. First came the domed Port of Liverpool Building (1903–1907), the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, which ran the port. Next to it rose the Royal Liver Building (1908–1911), built for the Royal Liver Friendly Society, an insurance society. It was an early example of reinforced concrete construction, and at 98 metres it towered over the rest of the waterfront.
The Cunard Building (1914–1917) completed the trio. It was the headquarters of the Cunard Line, whose liners carried passengers and emigrants across the Atlantic, until the company moved its operations to Southampton and New York in the 1960s; its design borrows heavily from the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. The name 'Three Graces' is much younger, in use since at least the late 1990s. In 2004 the waterfront became part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City World Heritage Site, a status UNESCO withdrew in 2021.
What to look for
- The Liver Birds: two copper birds, each about 5.5 metres tall, designed by Carl Bernard Bartels, on top of the clock towers of the Royal Liver Building. One faces the river, the other looks over the city.
- The clocks: the faces are 7.6 metres across, larger than those of Big Ben's clock in London. They have no numerals, only marks for the hours, and were started on 22 June 1911, the day George V was crowned.
- The dome of the Port of Liverpool Building and the smaller domes at its corners, which make it the easiest of the three to pick out from the river.
- The Cunard Building's carvings: figures including Britannia and Neptune, signs of the zodiac and the coats of arms of Britain's allies in the First World War.
- The Cunard war memorial: a Doric column topped by a bronze figure by Henry Alfred Pegram, unveiled in 1921 on the river side of the building, honouring Cunard staff who died in both world wars.
- The Beatles statue: four larger-than-life bronze Beatles striding along the waterfront in front of the buildings, by the sculptor Andy Edwards, unveiled in 2015.
The legend of the Liver Birds
A popular legend says that if the Liver Birds ever fly away, Liverpool will cease to exist. Another story claims that the bird facing the river is watching for sailors coming home, while the one facing the city is checking whether the pubs are open. The pair are often nicknamed Bella and Bertie, though the names are not official. The Liver Bird has been Liverpool's emblem for centuries; it probably goes back to the eagle on the medieval town seal, which gradually turned into today's cormorant-like bird with seaweed in its beak.
Tips for your visit
- The buildings face west, so late afternoon and sunset are best for photos. To see all three together, look back from a Mersey Ferry or from Seacombe across the river.
- Tours of the Royal Liver Building's clock tower have run since 2019 and take you up close to the clocks and the birds. Check availability before you go.
- Combine the Three Graces with the Museum of Liverpool and the Royal Albert Dock: all are within a few minutes' walk along the waterfront.
Nearby
- Museum of Liverpool: the modern white building at Pier Head, opened in 2011, telling the story of the city and its people.
- Royal Albert Dock: the 1846 warehouse complex just to the south, home to the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum.
- Mersey Ferries: river cruises from the Pier Head landing stage, with the best views of the Three Graces.
- Titanic Memorial: the granite memorial on the promenade to the ship's engineers, who stayed at their posts when the Titanic sank in 1912.
See Liverpool with World City Trail
Our Liverpool scavenger hunt turns the city centre into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 58 minutes of walking. Among the places it includes are the World Museum and St George's Hall. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Liverpool.
Play the Liverpool scavenger hunt →
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Facts checked in October 2026.