The Lady Lever Art Gallery owes its existence to the fortune amassed by the 1st Lord Leverhulme from his soap and detergents business, better known to us as Lever Bros. Lord Leverhulme actually began purchasing art in the late 19th century to advertise his 'Sunlight' soap brand, and from this commercial beginning he developed a substantial collection of British 18th and 19th century art, an extensive collection of ceramics (including Classical items as well as early Wedgwood), tapestries and antique furniture. The gallery itself was built in 1922 in memory of Leverhulme's wife. Set in the lovely surroundings of Port Sunlight village - itself an example of enlightened philanthropy, as it was built to provide high quality housing for Leverhulme's workers - the gallery is small, but the quality of the exhibits is high. The paintings include items by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Stubbs, Turner and Constable, and a substantial number of pre-Raphaelite works, with pictures by Leighton, Millais, Burne-Jones, Rossetti and Holman-Hunt. The ceramics include an outstanding collection of Wedgwood, high quality items of Chinese porcelain from the Ming, Qing and Kangxi periods, and Roman and Greek sculptures and vases. Other collections include some late mediaeval tapestries and English furniture from the 16th-19th centuries, considered the definitive period of fine English cabinet-making. The gallery has a small cafe and surprisingly good provision for children, including an 'artbase' trolley containing lots of materials for dressing up and drawing, and a selection of children's work sheets and gallery trails. The site is a short walk from Bebington railway station on the Merseyrail network (14 minutes from Liverpool Central, trains every 15 minutes), and has ample car parking on site. It makes for a delightful afternoon excursion from Liverpool, and admission is free. read more

The Lady Lever Art Gallery is famous for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings but also has other outstanding collections. It is named after Lever's wife, and is based in Port Sunlight on the Wirral. Interesting fact: Lever built Port Sunlight village to house his workers. It houses a great collection of paintings as well as furniture, Chinese collections, tapestries, sculpture, Wedgwood and classical antiquities in a beautiful building. There are several rooms, centred around the main hall. The paintings on display include pieces by Reynolds, Gainsborough, Stubbs, Turner, Millais, Rossetti, Holman Hunt and Waterhouse. The gallery also includes a restaurant where the cakes are delicious and soup looks lovely. read more

Lady Lever Art Gallery - from website - Art Galleries Near Me - Wirral, XMS

The Lady Lever Art Gallery is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful collections of fine and decorative arts in the UK; this includes British 18th and 19th century painting and furniture, Wedgwood and Chinese porcelain displays situated in picturesque Port Sunlight Village. There is a gorgeous café and shop where you can enjoy a well-earned break and buy memorabilia of your trip. This type of place would generally suit the art history type by no surprise. However, if you're not serious about the whole meaning of the place, it is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's certainly a terrific place to spend a good few hours with friends and family for a relaxing day out. read more

Lady Lever Art Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - Wirral, XMS

William Hesketh Lever established the gallery to enrich the cultural and educational aspects of the lives of his workforce and the public at large. The Lady Lever Art Gallery was opened in 1922 by Princess Beatrice (youngest daughter of Queen Victoria). It is probably the best surviving example of late Victorian and Edwardian taste and remains the only major public urban gallery built by its founder to house the collection he had assembled for it. Exhibition and events information http://www.ladyleverartgallery.org.uk set in a wonderfull village of Port Sunlight, its not just a gallery its a way of life ! read more

See all

I couldn't help but come back to Port Sunlight, it's such a lovely village with such a whimsical name. Port Sunlight! Can't other villages and towns in England take note? I grew up in a place called Parbold, near a town called Wigan, and I've been known to frequent Putney Bridge in London. My father taught in a school near Croxteth and my mother grew up in Kirkby. I was born in Ormskirk and went to a school in Croston. My college was in Leyland, and I now live in Salford. I can't find a flipping interesting name amongst that lot. (Parbold translates as Pear Orchard apparently. Call it fricking Pear Orchard then, that's a gorgeous name! Fools.) Ahem, getting back to the point of the matter. This gallery began at the hands of William Hesketh Lever as a means of educating his workforce and introducing them to culture, then it was opened in 1922 by Queen Victoria's youngest daughter. The Victorian and Edwardian influence is evident and still houses the collection Mr Lever put together for it, which is unusual in this day and age. It was named in memory of his wife. The gallery's only a short stroll from Bebington station making it really easy to get to, and the disabled facilities are top notch I noticed. The collections are varied and rather traditional, ranging from paintings to furniture, sculptures to Wedgwood. The café is particularly funky and has some great options, including plenty of treats for kids like a trolley full of art materials, costumes, gallery trails and worksheets. All rather fantastic, and free admission to boot! Can't argue with that. read more

The collections at Lady Lever Art Gallery represent the personal taste of the first Lord Leverhulme who began buying art in the late 1880s to use as advertising for the 'Sunlight Soap' brand that he produced. Leverhulme quickly grew into a discerning collector with over 20,000 works of art. A good proportion of them are on display in the gallery. With such a big and varied collection I think it is hard to not find a piece of art there that really wows you. The collection includes paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, textiles and ethnographic objects. Most British art, there is also some Chinese porcelain, Roman sculpture, Greek vases and Eighteenth century furniture. The Gallery has an exhibition of Albrecht Dürer on till near the end of September. Durer was one of the most successful Renaissance artists and the greatest of all printmakers. It's worth a visit if you are in the area! read more

Lady Lever is so much more than just an art gallery, sure the displays are fantastic and that's probably why most people visit, but there's more; it's interactive and hosts countless activities that will encourage aspiring little artists. The activity rooms are great fun with puppets, toys and costumes. There's always something new on for the family; July sees "Cyanotype silhouettes" where you can print your own Chinese designs, and "Funky Portraits" placing you in a Pre-Raphaelite picture. August's "Insect games" and "Animal Antics" sound distinctly child friendly and promise much fun and entertainment!. There's also a print workshop running, and, come September and you can make your own jewellery. This place is brilliant and the staff are wonderful. read more

Fabulous ..... We did the Port Sunlight tour beforehand and left the gallery until the end. We should have gone there first. The building was packed to the rafters with art. An amazing insight in to English art leaving you almost rushing from room to room to find out what was next. I am not a big arty .... but this place was amazing. Brilliant value at Free but do leave a donation to ensure that this outstanding treasure continues. I think we will be making a return trip to the area to spend a little more time looking around. read more

This is a unique gallery, I love it. Highlights for me are the Wedgewood collection and the furniture. Some really delicate snuff boxes from China. read more

Excellent disabled facilities at the entrance however the smallest lift known to mankind inside is a contradiction as I don't think a wheel chair would fit in it. Cafe is unusual and worth a visit. There was plenty to see and it's worth spending a few hours especially if it is a rainy day. The village of port sunlight is at its prettiest in Spring. read more