11/06/2026
Exchange Flags (Town Hall Square, off Castle Street), Liverpool
Grade II listed U-shaped complex immediately behind Liverpool Town Hall, forming a small public square known as Exchange Flags.
Walker House (west side) and Horton House (east side). Walker House was adapted during construction to include the reinforced Western Approaches Command bunker; Horton House completed after the war and named for Admiral Sir Max Horton.
Dates: Main building largely completed 1939; Walker House finished 1941 (bunker) and Horton House completed 1955.
Western Approaches bunker: Two-storey reinforced underground operations centre (about 55,000 sq ft) that housed Western Approaches Command during WWII; closed in 1945 and reopened in 1993 as the Western Approaches Museum. Ventilation was routed via the Nelson Monument in the square.
Monuments in the square: Nelson Monument (1813), the Cotton Association War Memorial and the Exchange Newsroom War Memorial — all sited within the courtyard facing the Town Hall.
Architecture/style: Stripped-classical exterior with 11 storeys, mixes flat and mansard roofs; interior and detailing reflect 1930s civic-commercial design.
Current use: Offices, bars/cafés at ground level, visitor access to the Western Approaches Museum; the square is a popular, tucked-away spot for sightseeing and photography.
Location & access: Enter Exchange Flags from Dale Street/Exchange Passage or from Town Hall Square off Castle Street — it sits directly behind Liverpool Town Hall. Nearest stations: James Street and Moorfields.
