Wavertree Lock-up is an 18th-century grade II listed village lock-up located in Wavertree, Liverpool, England.53.3983°N -2.9144°W
| Wavertree Lock-up | |
| Location: | Wavertree, Liverpool |
| Built: | 1796 |
| Restored: | 1869 |
| Restored By: | James Picton |
| Designation1: | Grade II Listed Building |
| Designation1 Date: | 28 June 1952[1] |
| Designation1 Number: | 1068320 |
Funded by local residents, the lock-up was constructed in 1796 as a drunk tank to hold intoxicated persons overnight. Prior to its construction a local unpaid constable was charged with looking after drunks in their own home all the while claiming an expense of 2 shillings. Eventually, it became cheaper for a lock-up to be built rather than house drunks with a constable and therefore the building was constructed. Made from yellow sandstone, the building is octagonal in shape, two storeys high and made of local sandstone.
During the 1840s the lock-up served as an isolation room for cholera victims and later during the Irish famine accommodation for families. In 1869, James Picton replaced the building's original flat roof with a pointed one to prevent prisoners from escaping through the building's roof.[2]