Sefton Park & Palm House

Completed in 1896, the Palm House was a gift to the City by Henry Yates Thompson. It was designed by an Edinburgh firm, MacKenzie & Moncur who had branches in Glasgow and London. Their main works were in Balcarres Street, Edinburgh.

The Palm House was designed in the tradition of Paxton's glass houses and was stocked originally with a magnificent collection of exotic plants. There were 9 marble statues on display inside together with a marble bench. On plinths around the outside there were a further 8 bronze/marble statues by Chavailiaud (1858-1921) of famous explorers and naturalists.

At the beginning of World War 2 the Palm House had been camouflaged in case the glass reflected the moonlight and act as a guide for warplanes. Matt oil paint was used on the outside of the building - grey paths were painted over the dome, and the rest was coloured green to blend with the surrounding parkland.

In the blitz of May 1941 a bomb fell nearby and shattered the Palm House glass. It was reglazed in 1950 (cost: £6,163) and continued to be enjoyed by the people of Liverpool. However, a period of decline and deterioration culminated in its closure in the l980's on grounds of safety.

In June 1992, a public meeting was held highlighting the dereliction and calling for restoration. A petition of 5,000 names was presented to the City Council by what had become the "Save the Palm House" campaign. For the first time ever this cause generated cross-party support from the Council for the refurbishment proposal.

A fund raising campaign was established, with a "sponsor a pane" programme generating over £35,000. This led directly to the conversion of Save the Palm House into a registered charity (Friends of Sefton Park Palm House), later Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust.