Fate of Formerly Revered City Centre Building Unveiled

A long-idled Moorfields building in Liverpool has had its future put into sharper focus. The story stretches from a Victorian pub to a landmark art experiment and a recent private sale.

From popular pub to kinetic artwork

The site at Cross Keys House once housed a Yates Wine Lodge. Yates was founded in 1884 and grew into Britain’s oldest pub chain.

The Moorfields outlet closed as a pub in 1998. The building then stood largely empty for many years.

Artist Richard Wilson transformed the façade into a major public artwork. The project opened in May 2007 as part of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture.

The work, Turning the Place Over, featured a 26-tonne section mounted on a pivot. It operated through January 2011 and drew widespread attention.

Reported costs for the installation reached £450,000. Liverpool Culture Company contributed £150,000 to the scheme.

Conception and public reaction

Wilson developed the idea in the mid-2000s and secured support from local arts organisers. Lewis Biggs, then director of the Liverpool Biennial, helped find the site.

Many passers-by stopped to watch the rotating façade. Critics called it one of the most daring public art commissions in the UK.

Ownership, sale and official records

Confusion existed over who owned the building after the artwork was removed. Liverpool City Council told Filmogaz.com it never held legal ownership.

Records show Homes England previously held the property. The agency is a major public landowner with over 9,000 hectares.

Homes England had been expanding through a £1.03 billion Land Assembly Fund. That fund targets sites needing intervention to enable housebuilding.

Filmogaz.com confirmed Homes England sold the Cross Keys House building in 2021. Land Registry documents show Highneal Limited bought it on April 1, 2021.

Highneal Limited is part of Highneal Group Limited. The group is controlled by developer Tony Criss. The sale price was £360,000.

Present condition and public interest

The building has been vacant for long stretches. As of 2026, it had been out of regular use for 15 years.

Observers note the site was unused for 24 of the previous 28 years. That span includes the long gap after the pub closed in 1998.

Thousands walk past Cross Keys House every week. The rotating façade’s imprint still marks the exterior and draws attention.

Filmogaz.com sought comment from Mr Criss and his companies. No response had been received by publication time.

What comes next

Local interest remains high about the future. The building’s fate and possible redevelopment plans are being watched closely.

Speculation continues over whether the site will be redeveloped, refurbished, or preserved. For now, its future remains to be unveiled.

• Location: Cross Keys House, Moorfields, near Moorfields train station.
• Pub closure: 1998.
• Art installation: Turning the Place Over by Richard Wilson, opened May 2007, ran until January 2011.
• Installation weight: 26 tonnes; reported cost: £450,000; Liverpool Culture Company paid £150,000.
• Former public owner: Homes England; sold to Highneal Limited on April 1, 2021 for £360,000.
• Current controlling individual: Tony Criss (Highneal Group Limited).