Woolton Park, 2 May 1987
The Victorian Society took us on our first ‘historical walk’ in 1973, introducing us to the idea of studying local history on the ground by looking at roads and groups of buildings. Our two local amenity societies have developed the technique and now we are applying it to Woolton Park and its environs.
These notes are a supplement to what our guides can say in the time available as we walk. It is not our intention that you should read them during the walk; we hope to be audible and so interesting that you will not want to read them then. We do hope you will read them when you get home and that they will fill out what we have been saying. We think there is a great deal to be learned from local history if it is approached in this intensive way.
The guides on this walk would like to emphasise that they have no complete knowledge, though a lot of homework has been done on the area we are covering. In many places they are feeling their way and they base their statements and opinions on features that strike them, and their enthusiasm for architecture and local history. In our study of this area we have had sight of five sets of deeds and these have been a great help; and we have collected more oral memories than we expected. We hope that as we walk this afternoon we shall spark off memories from you and gather clues to where more material, especially photographs of vanished buildings, may be sought, as we are sure that we have not yet uncovered the whole story. Until we have architects names for all these buildings we will not be really satisfied.
Contents:
R.V’s in £ in 1881 – Building dates – Address (dem. = now demolished)
100 – c1805-15 – Hillcroft
8½ – “1859” – Riffel Lodge
250 – c1859 – The Riffel
130 – c1868 – Summer Hill
130 – c1866 – Mount Aventine dem.
130 – c1858/9 – Longworth dem.
493 – ante 1860 – Highfield dem.
235 – c1858 – Ashleigh dem.
250 – 1856/7 – Woolton Tower
?inc. in above – c1870? – Woolton Tower Lodge
230 – 1869/71 – Holme Leigh dem.
300 – 1869/71 – Baycliff
6¾ – c1815 & ’88/9 – Cliff Cottage
6¾ – 1888 (rebuilt) – Reynolds Park Lodge (Woolton Hill Road)
190(1876) – c1812-16? – “Dennison’s House” dem.
12(1889) – “1888” – Reynolds Park Lodge (Church Road)
Sources:
The sources used are available in the Record Office, City Library William Brown Street, or Lancashire Record Office, Preston.
Maps:
Enclosure maps of 1813 and their schedules
Sherriff’s Map of 1816
J. Bennison’s map of 1835
1st 6 inch Ordnance Survey 1845/6
Tithe Map of Much Woolton 1840 and its schedule
Tithe Map of Little Woolton 1848 and its schedule
1st 25 inch Ordnance Survey 1891
N.B. The ‘1871’ 25 inch map included with these notes is our own reconstruction, based on the 1891 Ordnance Survey map, Rates Books, Census and knowledge gained. If anyone can show us estate plans please do!
Sources (continued):
Census returns from 1841 to 1881. Wills and Probate Records, Much Woolton Local Board minutes, letter books, and Rates Books. Little Woolton Local Board minutes, papers etc, and Rates Books. John Gore’s Directories of Liverpool, published for New Year. Orchard’s Legion of Honour 1893.
Newspapers of the time: and here we must say how much Miss Joan Borrowscale has helped with great resourcefulness & backtracking expertise. We have found useful material in odd places – not least in the annotations on old photographs from Miss Houghton’s collection which, now, have twice contributed to ‘first’ owners.
Introduction to Woolton Park and its environs
The area we originally took for our study – from Riffel Lodge to Bishop’s Lodge – is an area of mid-19th century development dating from c.1856 to 1868. But as an extension we have now added two lodges of later date, and Cliff Cottage which is both earlier and later. The area lies partly in Much Woolton, 10 buildings, and partly in Little Woolton, 4 buildings.
By the middle of the 18th century in Much Woolton cultivated and enclosed land extended from Acrefield Lane to the line A-B on the map. West of this line the top of the hill and its west flank down to Vale Road was part of the ‘Commons and Waste Lands’ of Childwall, Little Woolton and Much Woolton; marginal land of no corn-growing value, though of great use for communal grazing and stone getting. In Little Woolton the cultivated land did not extend above the line of Rose Brow and Woolton Road, though there was an ‘encroachment’ on the commons for a house and its grounds at Rose Hill; and by 1768 possibly Gateacre Hall too had been built.
A slight extra steepness can perhaps be traced in Reynolds Park field just within the gate from Woolton Park, by the line A-B, which may be a clue to the reason for the siting of the 18th century old top fence or hedge – below which the land was more fertile and more sheltered. The exposed top of the hill – an area which we may think of as not unlike Thurstaston Common – had only thin soil and scrub.
‘Reconstructed’ map of the area in 1871
Introduction to Woolton Park and its environs (continued)
The Enclosure Act of 1805 aimed at carving up the common and allotting parcels to people who were already landholders in the three townships. But first roads were laid out:
Woolton Road – formalised along an already established route;
Woolton Hill Road (Red Brow) – to be 40 ft wide, where hitherto the cows and sheep of Gateacre had drifted to their common pastures; and
Church Road – the new road from Much Woolton village.
In our study area the biggest allotments resulted in John Weston (fl.1801-13), a West Africa Merchant – slave trader – probably living at Gateacre Hall, building up an estate of about 42 acres. This was the whole area from the line of the garden wall of Riffel Lodge and The Riffel and the private road of Glenacres – Acrefield Road – Woolton Hill Road – Church Road – excepting only the ¾ acre Little Woolton Township Quarry (Parkwood Road). However by April 1811 John Weston was bankrupt.
The rest of our area consisted of a strip about 120 ft wide and 3 acres in extent from Church Road through to Acrefield Road belonging to the devisees of James Hall; and the future sites of Hillcroft, the Rectory (Churchfield), Summer Hill and Mount Aventine were allotted to John Nicholas Fazakerly.
Sherriff’s Map of 1816 shows Robert Roskell (c.1773- 1847) watchmaker of Liverpool, living at Gateacre Hall; the attorney John Topham (c.1777-c.1833) had built what we are going to call “Dennison’s House” behind the township quarry; “Woolton Hill House” – at Courtenay Road – had been built; and it seems that Weston was at another new house, Hillcroft.
In 1828 John Crosthwaite (c.1793-1866), West India Merchant, bought most of the area known to us as Reynolds Park and built the house.
Introduction to Woolton Park and its environs (continued)
So by 1840 the Gateacre Hall estate had been reduced from 42 to about 25 acres – though the Halls’ 3 acre strip had been added to it; and a new boundary line – much of it still visible – was established for the east of ‘Reynolds Park’, interestingly also along a steeper bank on the hillside still visible at the retaining wall and steps with a 2½ ft drop between Reynolds Park and Reynolds Park field. By this time too the 4 acres attached to Hillcroft, including the sites for Summer Hill and Mount Aventine, belonged to James Gore (1784-1872) the builder, who also owned three quarters of the Woolton Mount parcel (at this date only Acrefield itself had been built, with grounds of ½ an acre.)
By the time of the first 6 inch Ordnance Survey in 1846/7 a stage of development had been reached at which the road frontages had been taken up and ‘houses in the country’ had been built by Liverpool business men with ample ‘pleasure grounds’ (about 5 acres average) and a certain amount of farming was going on, or at least there were cows and horses in fields called pastures.
In September 1847 Robert Roskell of Gateacre Hall, watchmaker of Liverpool, died at the age of 74 and in the next few years the estate was broken up as he had quite a large family as well as a business.
At this time Liverpool had a buoyant economy and it must have been clear to Roskell’s heirs that there was an opportunity for selling the land for building superior houses. One house, the first, could have been a private venture; but to make use of the available area to the best advantage a plan and scheme would be needed. We may surmise that some form of partnership to exploit the possibilities would be formed, primarily between the owners and an experienced builder and contractor, but with legal expertise and financial support available. ‘The Walton Park Co.’ is shadowy and now elusive* but it could have been the name under which such a partnership operated. In the deeds of Baycliff we find that it was ‘The Walton Park Co.’ who sold the house to the first owner occupier, but that was in 1870-72 and it was the last, or last but one, house to be sold. That the developers formed themselves into a Company in the later 1850s seems more than likely. Members might have included several of Robert Roskell’s heirs, James Gore the builder, Mr Hindle the attorney, since Woolton Park was referred to as ‘Hindle’s Road’ in a letter to the Much Woolton Local Board in March 1868.
Introduction to Woolton Park and its environs (continued)
Financial backing would also have been needed to pay for road-building and other parts of the infrastructure – costs which would be recouped when sites for houses were sold. There must have been a survey and plan for the shape of the road and the boundaries of the sites, at the least; but whether this was a full-blown design by an architect remains unknown to us. From as early as 1856 there were ‘planning constraints’ in the form of Covenants – that no buildings except “dwelling houses or villas” not of less value than £500 (annually) should be erected, they were to be not less than 10 yards from the road, and there was a clause excluding beerhouses, separate tenements and what we now class as offensive trades, to safeguard the quality of the development and its environment.
* Both Miss Gnosspelius and Mrs Lewis have seen this name somewhere in the Liverpool Record Office, years ago, and over three months of hunting and badgering the kindly staff, have quite failed to find it again.
Infrastructure
In developing an estate certain preliminaries are needed before sites can be built upon or offered for sale.
1. Roads
Woolton Hill Road was ‘laid out’ as a result of the 1805 Enclosure Act. The allotting of ‘township quarries’ was, among other things, intended to provide a supply of stone for road-making and construction involving the building of stone boundary walls about 3½ ft high. Because the width here was 40 ft we assume a road and footpaths on either side. At this period the cambered carriageways of public roads were surfaced with broken stone – how much native rock intruded in Red Brow we can only surmise – and there would have been drainage gutters at either side with a kerb. Two generations later in 1867 the kerbs were Woolton stone and the footway on the south side, at least, had a stone drain beneath it. (Tarmacadam surfacing only came within living memory.)
Roads (continued):
Woolton Park: the private road 35 ft wide, was ‘laid out’ by the developers between c.1856 and 1858. At the Woolton Hill Road end the 1848 map showed a cart-track leading to garden or farm buildings of Gateacre Hall and the new road was sited just further up the hill. The first length to the earliest house, Woolton Tower, would have been needed first as an access road for building materials, especially large quantities of stone. The second house completed, c.1858, seems to have been Ashleigh, and for this a short extension would have served. But Riffel Lodge, The Riffel, Longworth and Highfield came in the next year – really all of them ? – and access from Church Road must have been required. And so the sinuous line of Woolton Park was completed.
Construction work involved stone boundary walls about 2 ft higher than the usual field boundaries, for privacy, and these were made of better worked larger stones and copings. Whether the engineering of the carriageway was also to a higher specification than usual for public works we cannot now see; the surface was of broken stone. The 1½ ft build-up against the now-blocked gateway below the Summer Hill Coach House may be from banking the curve introduced in the mid 1960s when the City Engineer brought the Private Road up to a standard acceptable for adoption.
Link to Woolton Mount: Access to Summer Hill and Mount Aventine was from a lesser private road, or shared driveway, part of which survives. There was a pedestrian link to the top of Woolton Mount, a development of 5 houses (3 detached and 2 semis) built – or at least inspired – by James Gore c.1840-46. The access to this from Acrefield Road is paved with sizeable blocks of Woolton stone, apparently original, and now unique in Liverpool.
2. Water
The Woolton Hill Reservoir at the highest point (in Reservoir Road) was built by the Liverpool Corporation Water Works in 1864-65 supplied from Dudlow Lane Pumping Station. So after about 1866 new houses, Baycliff and Holme Leigh etc., would be able to have a public piped water supply from their beginnings.
But the majority of houses in Woolton Park, being earlier, would have had to depend on their own individual draw-wells, and tanks which stored water collected from roofs. This system, depending on pumping by hand, must have limited the volume of water used and made baths and water-carried drainage a luxury if it was available at all in their first years. No doubt when piped water did become available they were soon connected.
3. Drainage
Within the township of Much Woolton our houses were all built before the Much Woolton Local Board of Health was established in July 1866. The developers were therefore able to dispose of sewage as part of their development scheme unconcerned by Bye-laws. Old maps in the City Engineer’s Office mark a “stone drain” curving down the centre of the road from about the low end of the Coach House to approx. 50 ft beyond the boundary wall between Highfield and Woolton Tower, where it made a right angle turn and ran steeply down parallel to that wall to Acrefield Road. (Where this sewer originally discharged is outside the area of our present study. May it be linked with higher fertility in the area later Williams’ Nursery? – or are we being naughty?). When the map of c.1910 was drawn the “stone drain” was shown connected to Much Woolton’s sewer of the 1870s running along Acrefield Road and down Gateacre Brow. For the limited quantity of sewage that would have come from 7 (or at most 9) houses before the installation of piped water the “stone drain” was a generous provision by James Gore whom we suspect of having been wise and far sighted. This drain may not have conformed to the Bye-laws by being made of salt glazed stoneware pipes (see letter in M.W.L.B. Minutes March 1868) but it gave yeoman service.
Drainage (continued):
Within the township of Little Woolton, Baycliff and Holme Leigh were built after the adoption of Bye-laws by the Little Woolton Local Board of Health formed in January 1867. In this township of scattered houses sewerage problems were different. As late as 1895 large houses in their own grounds were required to have their own cesspools *, and in September 1894 there was a classic example of the nuisance caused by emptying the cesspool of Holme Leigh 3 times a week. The branch sewer from the corner of this property connecting to that in Woolton Hill Road must date from after this incident. But since the formation of the L.W.L.B. there had been recurring problems with the drainage of Red Brow (Woolton Hill Road) escalating from “water courses” to be “put in order” – a phrase frequently used in the Little Woolton Manor Court papers in the reign of Edward VI, first in Latin but later in English for the better understanding of the people – with in 1867 a cast iron pipe ordered under the crossing to Reynolds Park Loge; offensive sewage in the quarry (which quarry?) – with Knolle Park, Woolton Hill House and Dennison’s House the culprits in 1871; only one public sewer (at the lower end of Grange Lane) in all Little Woolton in 1878; bad smells in Red Brow from “the drain under the footpath in the road” in 1893, to May 1894 when the Clerk was instructed to give notice to all persons concerned that the overflows from cesspools which communicated with the old drain … under the footpath, be cut off. Not surprisingly this was followed in July by complaints from householders and their solicitors.
* When we come to tell the full story of the sewers of Much and Little Woolton we will have a fascinating tale of contrasts.
4. Rates
Rates Books for Much Woolton from 1867 to 1912 and for Little Woolton from 1876 to 1912 are in the Liverpool Record Office and contain names of owners and occupiers of – theoretically – all properties in the two townships. In an intensive study such as this we seem to find omissions, perhaps where a building was unoccupied – though vacant houses were usually shown as “void” with dates – and up to the mid 1880s a big house and its lodge seems to be rated as one unit; lodges only show separately in later years. Rateable Values go up from time to time as, we think, additions were made; e.g. Woolton Tower 1875/6 for the Ballroom; and Baycliff 1880/1 for the new Sitting Room. Rateable Values were sometimes adjusted downwards on appeal to the Assessment Committee of the Prescot Union. We also note that in 1883 the whole of the Rateable Value of Much Woolton went down, and all the big houses were reduced, roughly pro-rata.
When we find the early R.V’s of Summer Hill and Mount Aventine the same we have taken the view that the houses were virtually identical, as they were on early maps. However we are shaken in this assumption when we find Holme Leigh and Baycliff, houses of precisely the same original size so far as we can see, valued at £248 v £270 in 1879 – why should Baycliff be nearly 10% more desirable ? – was it because it was on a corner site and so had access to a public road, whilst Holme Leigh’s frontage was only to a private road? And Highfield at £493 was our most highly rated house in 1881, leading Baycliff by £193 and Woolton Tower by £243; it was not all that much bigger and Mr William Tate had been Chairman of the M.W.L.B. since 1872 – we can only conclude that the assessment authority could ask Mr Tate for any sum they cared to name?
However since the Rates Books were concerned with the collection of money, and were audited, we accept them as the best guide we have. But we think we have more to learn about the assessment of rates!
In 1867, the first year of operation, the Much Woolton Board levied rates of 4d in the £1 on property, and 1d in the £1 on land in the township. By 1873 when much of the sewerage of the township had been carried out the rate set was 2s 4d in the £1 which was estimated to raise £1,871 11s 5d on property assessable with a Rateable Value of £17,105 and the Seal of the Local Board was affixed on the 5th of May 1873 to the resolution.
The planning and architectural contexts
The small suburban detached house in its own garden is a peculiarly English ideal. It became popular with the middle classes in the later 18th century. Nash’s villas in Park Village East and Park Village West in London (begun 1824) are an important early example of the development of such houses. The development also includes semi- detached houses – the “semi” that was to become the ideal of Everyman in the 1920s and 30s. Nash must be regarded as the pioneer of the middle-class planned housing estate. He must also be recognised as the father of the suburb because he brought devices of illusion to play upon the problem of creating complete housing estates. At Park Village West, Nash broke away from the square-and-crescent formula in favour of detached and semi-detached villas in a variety of styles (emerging Italianate and gabled Tudor) and set out along a little winding street; picturesque houses arranged picturesquely. His terraces around Regent’s Park and the villas half hid in groves in the park, gave and give their owners the illusion of looking out on to a great landscaped estate and, with it, a sense of “Mine, all mine”.
The ideal of the villa set in its own “acres”, designed in one of several styles and linked to its neighbours by a serpentine road was taken up by the Victorians for their suburbs. In the confined space of London the “Mine, all mine” illusion was not possible. At Woolton Park it was more nearly possible, and the detached villas designed in a variety of styles and linked by a sinuous drive stand in their own acres but share a common prospect of the landscape to the east. Indeed, their principal fronts face east but do so without overlooking one another.
That Woolton Park was a middle-class estate is a matter of record; to what extent it was planned in the sense of being the product of a guiding hand (The Walton Park Co.?) cannot as yet be determined.
But whoever created Woolton Park had precedents nearer home than London. In 1836-7, the sylvan suburb of Rock Park, Birkenhead, was laid out. It consists of a looped and winding driveway along which stand detached and semi-detached houses of varying style. Then in 1842, Paxton laid out Princes Park and followed it, in 1843, with Birkenhead Park. Both have terraces of villas informally combined and sharing views of the park – all this being a development of the Regent’s Park principle.
The stylistic influences on the appearance of the Woolton Park buildings were:
1) The Picturesque Movement of the later 18th century and early 19th century. This called for asymmetry of plan and elevation, offered a choice of styles, put forward the idea of a style being chosen for its associationalism or evocativeness, required a pictorial setting for the house and introduced into the design features which were meant to relate the house to the landscape – the bay window, the French window, the verandah, the balcony, the conservatory and the cloister. One of the existing Woolton Park houses has another feature to link it with the landscape, a prospect tower; another house, now demolished, also had one.
2) The Romantic Movement of the 1790s to c.1850. This reinforced the idea of associationalism by demanding that buildings should appeal to the soul. It rejected the idea of one true style (the Classical based on Ancient Rome). And it led to a yearning for the past, especially the medieval past.
3) Specifically Victorian influences
i) Historicism – the use of past styles.
ii) Eclecticism – the mixing of styles in one building; or the use of a particular style for a particular type of building.
iii) Constructional polychromy – the decorative use of building materials of different colours. This had the advantages of being cheap and permanent.
iv) The Domestic or Vernacular Revival of c.1860 – c.1914. Architects and builders working in this manner were inspired by manor houses, farmhouses and cottages of the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. These simple unaffected buildings followed local traditions, used local materials, and were constructed in accordance with time honoured methods.
Pugin, Butterfield and Street showed the way with their parsonages and houses of the 1830s, 40s, 50s and 60s. These were informal in plan and elevation, picturesque in outline and in a simple Gothic style. In 1859, Philip Webb designed the “Red House” at Bexley Heath for William Morris in the same manner and this was a most influential building.
Specifically Victorian influences (continued):
Shaw and Nesfield are the giants who followed and who launched the Revival. Motifs from their work were taken up by lesser men and so, up and down the country, one sees the ingredients of Shaw’s Wealden style – tall brick chimneys and tile-hanging. These men rejected High Victorian robustness and coarseness in. favour of refinement, sensitivity, daintiness and subtly contrived picturesqueness. These became the qualities of Late Victorian domestic buildings.
4) Publications – such as the journal “The Builder” (founded 1842) and J. C. Loudon’s widely influential “Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm and Villa Architecture and Furniture” (1833 and later editions). The former kept architects and speculative builders in touch with current trends; the latter, through its hundreds of illustrations and numerous plans, was a quarry for models and motifs based on a variety of styles. For the villa Loudon recommended what he called “the old English style”, a vague term for Gothic or Tudor or Elizabethan. He recommended it for its picturesqueness and for the convenience of its “irregular” (i.e. asymmetric) plan. The “irregular” plan allowed all the principal rooms to “face the best views” and afforded space for the service rooms. He stressed the importance of having conspicuous chimneys. Above all he stressed that the house should be “united” with its grounds “in accordance with the principles of landscape gardening”. The grounds should ” imitate natural scenery” but unless this is done “in the spirit of art” it becomes “mere mimicry”. He made it clear that the designs he illustrated were intended for “the middling classes of society”.
HILLCROFT, Church Road, built c.1810 (±5 years).
Later architect unidentified
In general form and proportions this is the type of ‘2½ storey’ late Georgian two bay house, built in the vernacular tradition, of which a number survive (1 Speke Road, Elmsvale in Belle Vale Road, Acrefield Cottage & Kingsley, Halewood Road). Hillcroft is two rooms ‘thick’ – technically called ‘double pile’ – and planned with the front door in the gable end. It is basically stone, and sash windows remain on the garden side where also is a moulded stone cornice projecting 11 ins. This description however does not correspond with the view obtained from Church Road.
There have been a number of alterations:
First c.1835 (or before 1840 because it shows on the Tithe Map) the projecting stone porch with its Tuscan columns was added to protect the front door from the weather on the exposed gable. We note the ‘marginal glazing’ in the porch window (cf. 3 Huskisson Street) and from the high quality of the work we may presume to identify its builder as James Gore himself.
Second c.1859? a small extension and subsidiary entrance was made at the north end taking advantage of the newly constructed Private Road.
Third c.1900/10 there was a substantial refurbishment which included new casement windows of lower proportions to the first floor front which left the cornices of the former sash windows exposed; the making of much larger ground floor windows – and the ‘soldier’ arch of the left one strongly suggests supporting steelwork (by that time available); rough casting the whole first floor and refacing the ground floor with a new-style rustic multi-coloured facing brick. The projecting cornice also seems to have been replaced with a simple splayed stone lead lined gutter. The resulting facade has so many stylistic elements associated with the Domestic Revival that the date 1900/10 is indicated. The extent of the surface treatment over the whole of the west and south suggests that the original stone had been perhaps of poor quality and/or had suffered a lot of damage from weather or other causes. (We arrived at the above dates before the list of occupiers was complete; now by following the fluctuations of the Rateable Value we can point to the refurbishment being carried out in 1906-7 for Holbrook Gaskell).
HILLCROFT (continued):
Owners and Occupiers: On Sherriff’s map of 1816 this house seems to be marked, with the name ‘Weston’ beside it. We are therefore postulating a theory that, in view of John Weston’s bankruptcy, this smaller house was provided for him – but this is highly speculative and the name may refer to another.
James Gore (1784-1872) the stonemason, born in Childwall (township?) probably set up his own business before c.1820, married a Childwall girl Mary (1789-1865) and by 1823 was father of Mary Jane and his business was included in the Liverpool Directory, two years later his daughter Elizabeth was born. By 1835 he was certainly at Hillcroft – he might have been here as much as 10 years earlier – and between the house and Church Road extensive workshops were later mapped. In neither 1841 nor 1851 did he number his employees, but by 1851 his daughter Mary Jane had married Dr John Cross (1821-1867) and was living at 1 Mason Street. By 1855 his daughter Elizabeth had married the West India merchant Thomas B. Cross (born c.1823) and a grandson James was born, but the same year saw the death of his wife too.
In 1861, at the age of 76, the census records that he was employing 50 men, so he was still a contractor in a pretty big way of business. If we set these landmarks we have gleaned beside Marsh’s eulogy of “his masterly handling of the Quarries and Building Business” (J.F. Marsh, Part II, page 23) we can perhaps catch a glimpse of the vigorous old master builder who directed the laying out of the sinuous Woolton Park, built all our 5 houses from Riffel Lodge to Longworth and retained ownership of them (and 3 in Woolton Mount) as an investment for his daughters, and very likely contracted for Woolton Tower, Ashleigh & Highfield too (as well as very many elsewhere). In 1871 at 86 he was a ‘retired builder’ and for 10 years past his daughter Elizabeth and her family had been living with him at Hillcroft.
On 11 Sept. 1872 James Gore died aged 87 and was buried at St Peter’s, Woolton. He was described in his probate record as stone mason and builder, with an estate under £1,000 (no doubt excluding the trusts he had made for his family). Thomas Cross and his family remained in the house until 1876, when they moved to a house in Woolton Mount (another belonging to James Gore) and for the next five years Hillcroft was empty.
HILLCROFT Owners and Occupiers (continued):
The 1881 census shows 2 families living here: William Pennington 60, domestic coachman, born in Woolton and his wife Sarah 59 born in Speke, and Charles Pennington 23, a plumber born in Tunbridge Wells (their son ?) with his wife Elizabeth 20, born Halewood and their baby Charles of 9 months. From 1882 to 1885 Wm Pennington was the occupier of house, garden and land and the Trustees of J. Gore the owners. For the next 2 years it appears to be empty until it is let to Charles George in 1888 R.V. £17. In the same year Mary Jane Cross took over the 2½ acres of land as occupier (R.V. £9). By 1898 Thomas Richardson was the tenant of the house but only stayed for 2 years when in 1901 William T. Peover took his place remaining until 1904.
In 1905-6 the house was again empty with Mary L. Needham occupying the land. From 1907 until 1920 the tenant of Hillcroft R.V. £51 was Holbrook Gaskell, born in Aigburth Hall Road c.1879, son of Holbrook Gaskell alkali manufacturer (born in Patricroft) and grandson of Holbrook Gaskell senior, J.P. of Woolton Wood who was born in Liverpool in 1813 and educated privately. He started business in partnership with James Nasmyth (1808-90) inventor of the steam hammer; retiring in 1850. After some years he went into the alkali & chemical business (Gaskell, Deacon & Co) in Widnes (later United Alkali Co., in its time the largest industrial undertaking in the U.K). He was sole proprietor of the Liverpool Daily and Weekly Post & Echo and died 1909. A Unitarian, he was the last person to be interred in the graveyard of Cairo Street Chapel, Warrington. Our Holbrook Gaskell was the Chief Engineer at the United Alkali Co., and was in the birthday Honours in 1918.
From 1920 to 1922 John Ryder Ritchie, a timber merchant, lived at Hillcroft followed in 1923-36 by Philip Hodson.
RIFFEL LODGE, Woolton Park, dated “1859”.
Architect – unidentified.
A small house, built and used as the lodge of The Riffel rather than the Park. The front is generally unaltered, though a garage has been added on the right; at the back there are several additions, the first at the north west made before 1891, and others quite recently. Windows on the left of the front door and round the corner to the left, have pointed arches and casements – original? – the front door opening is a Tudorish arch, but in the bay the sash windows are square headed. The chimney pots are also replacements.
Today, for our first look at a High Victorian building we have, with more elaboration in less volume of building, a rich example. Stylistically the design is typical in its bold, muscular and ‘original’ treatment – by ‘original’ here we mean handling historical precedent in a cavalier manner. This building is distinctively ‘High Victorian’ in having these features:
1. ‘Polychromatic’ fish-scale tiling to the oriel window of the gable.
2. The mixing of elements (eclecticism) – the ‘Sussex hip’ mixed with half-timbering, and a Tudorish arch to the front door.
3.1 Half-timbered features which are boldly and vigorously scaled – contrast this with Reynolds Park Lodge of 1888 where the influence of the ‘Vernacular Revival’ shows in sensitiveness to precedent; and to local precedent, i.e. south Lancashire and Cheshire. At Riffel Lodge the shapes are the ‘lozenge’ and the ‘half lozenge’ – but these are overscaled; the half-timbered features of Reynolds Park are correctly scaled.
3.2 Large, emphatic bargeboards, elaborately cusped and with quatrefoil ends.
3.3 Overscaled brackets supporting the projecting jetty.
4. Chimney stacks ‘punching’ their way through the surface of the roof. Spandrels of front door have punched ornament.
5. The ‘Sussex hip’ to the dormer roof.
6. An old photograph shows there was iron cresting on the ridge.
The rock-faced masonry is a rustic feature and meant to give a rustic effect.
Above: Illustrations from J.C. Loudon’s ‘Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm and Villa Architecture and Furniture’
Above: Illustrations from J.C. Loudon’s ‘Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm and Villa Architecture and Furniture’
Above: ‘Lozenge’ and ‘half lozenge’ shapes at Riffel Lodge, Woolton Park
RIFFEL LODGE (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
Lodges are difficult as their occupants are not noted in early Directories and they rarely appear by name in early Rates Books – their owners paying the Rates. We find occupants tend to come and go with the owners of their attached houses, but not always.
At the time of the 1861 census this lodge is shown as unoccupied; in the 1871 census we find William Grindley, 56 a coachman born in Ellesmere, Salop living here with his wife Jane 48 born in Ireland and their son Charles age 12, a scholar born in Aigburth – this family are still there in 1874. The 1881 census shows the occupiers to be Thomas Clare a gardener, age 40 born in L.W. (Little Woolton), his wife Elizabeth 45, two daughters Margaret and Teresa aged 18 & 9 and a son Thomas age 5 all born in L.W. Living with them is James Clare age 60, described as a ‘relative’ and labourer born in Roby, also Eliza Williams age 19, a boarder and dressmaker, born in L.W. Hereafter we are on firmer ground as Clare appears in the Rates Books living here until 1885.
From 1886-1905 George Gregg-Rowberry, gardener was living here, and for the next 2 years Arthur Mandell seems to have been the occupier. In 1908 the Directory shows the occupier as George Hodnett, gardener, but by 1917 he had gone and the tenant of The Riffel had left too. During 1920-22 Trevor Lewis, a metal worker was here, but the next year it was George R. Macfarlane, a chauffeur – ? to Mrs Hemelryk at The Riffel.
James Cross (James Gore’s grandson), in 1882 living in Woolton Mount, then at Tedstone, Herefordshire died 11.8.1921, He was the owner of Gore’s property in Woolton Park and now Mrs Hemelryk (Caroline Bertha) was able to buy both The Riffel and its lodge from his estate. She died 1.10.1930 and the next owner was Joseph Harold Jones of Knotty Ash, a retired Lt Colonel whose gardener Henry Ashcroft was at the lodge in 1932. The last owner we take note of was Reginald Stockdale, banker, previously living at Higher Lee, Beaconsfield Road who bought both properties in 1936, and Henry Ashcroft was still at the lodge.
Between the lodge and Church Road is one castellated and rusticated stone gate-pier surviving to remind us that once there were four – 2 freestanding ones between the pedestrian entrances and the carriageway – complete with gates to close off the Park at night.
THE RIFFEL, Woolton Park also c.1859.
Architect unidentified, but the designer of the lodge.
A large house (now occupied as two) all of stone, with the entrance facing the road, the garden front to the east is the most satisfactory part of the design. A large 2-storey canted addition has been made at the north west corner, and a single storey cloakroom added at the south west corner.
Stylistically many features link The Riffel with its lodge:
1. The polychromatic tiling on the porch, the ‘Sussex hip’ of the porch, and its overscaled brackets – the porch is a typically heavy job!
2.1 Bargeboards (some have been damaged and some altered) but in their largeness, cusping and carving they are of the same type as the lodge.
2.2 The double height bay on the garden front has typical quatrefoil panels (and a block has been left uncarved for a coat of arms); the roof has characteristic diamond slating.
3. Here the chimney pots are of a Tudor Gothic octagonal form – as probably were those originally on the lodge.
4. The window shapes with their pointed arches.
Also the rustic feature of the rockfaced masonry.
Now, turning to the cloakroom addition, we can appreciate differences. The addition has plain red roof tiles and the windows have ‘bottle glass’ features; both indicate a date in the 1880s relating to the Domestic Revival.
And the canted wing addition, clearly proclaimed an addition by the jointing with the main house; with its square-headed windows and much lesser bargeboards is also work suggesting a date in the 1880s.
The brick-built coach house and stable block is of remarkably little architectural significance.
As to the gate piers, those for the main house have a suitable Gothic motif; the lesser ones to the stable yard are rustically utilitarian. (The boundary wall to the right of the main gate has been rebuilt within the last 10 years).
THE RIFFEL (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
This house does not appear in the 1861 census leading us to wonder whether it had yet been finished. In the first M.W. (Much Woolton) Rates Book of 1867 we find William Peek as occupier of this house R.V. £230. We suspect him of being a tea merchant (Peek Bros. & Winch) but can find no trace of him in the Directory, though in 1857 there was a William Richard Winch, tea merchant living in M.W. By 1868 he had gone and the occupier was James Adam, a fruit broker from Mount Vernon Green. The firm had been started in 1819 by James’s father and three brothers who shipped fruit from Portugal to Liverpool. From the 1871 census we learn that he was then 42, born in Liverpool and his wife Penelope age 30 was a British Subject born in Portugal. They were here with 3 daughters Edith 8, Beatrice 4, Penelope 1, James’s son-in-law John 14, born in Portugal and three servants. This year the R.V. was increased to £250 and in 1876 to £300. By 1877 James Adam had moved to Belem Tower, Sefton Park and The Cave, in Heswall.
The house was empty till 1860 when James Garnock Jones became tenant (with R.V. reduced to £250 – by the Assessment Committee of the Prescot Union). He, his wife Alice 26 and their 3 children had all been born in Liverpool, they had 4 servants and Thomas Clare, the gardener at the lodge. James, himself, in this 1881 census was 33 and a rope manufacturer employing 24 hands.
They stayed until 1883 – the year when all the R.V’s (? in M.W.) went down – and he is next heard of in the 1889 Directory as a ‘ship handler’ living in Sandown Park. In 1884 the new occupier was William Tod, stock & share broker (Ashton, Tod & Noble), with a R.V. of £204. We see from the 1881 census that he was 29, married to Amy age 28 born in Ireland, and they were living then at 16 Garston Old Road with their daughter Edith age 1 and 3 servants. Mr Tod, born c.1854, the son of Archibald and Harriet Tod had been brought up at Woolton Grange in Speke Road. They remained at The Riffel until 1901 when they moved to Dry Grange in Allerton and the house was empty for six years.
Alfred George Dent was the next tenant in 1907 (when the R.V. had dropped to £161 10s 0d). Mr Dent had just become the General Manager of the Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance Co., started in 1836 by Swinton Boult & George Holt the cotton broker, both Unitarians. By 1917 Mr Dent had moved to Curzon House, Curzon Park, Chester.
THE RIFFEL Owners and Occupiers (continued):
In 1922 Mrs Caroline Bertha Hemelryk was living here. She was the widow of P.E.J. Hemelryk of Woolton Heyes and from 1910 of The Priory, Woolton Hill Road. He had been born in Leyden, Holland in 1840 and came to Liverpool in 1862. He worked first as a general merchant then in 1870 he became a cotton broker in partnership with H.H. Hornby of Grassendale, and was said to be one of those who introduced polo to us.
After the death of James Cross (James Gore’s grandson) in 1921 Mrs Hemelryk was able to buy the house from his estate and she continued to live here until her death in 1930.
In 1931 the owner occupier became Joseph Harold Jones of Sunnyside, Knotty Ash a retired Lt Colonel; and in 1936 a banker, Reginald Stockdale and his wife, previously living at Higher Lee, Beaconsfield Road bought the house and lodge.
SUMMER HILL (Ingleton, Fermoy, now Parknasilla) c.1868 off Woolton Park.
Architect – unidentified.
This house has been so much refurbished that, as we have a full walk, we will not visit today to attempt a re-creation of its original state.
It was a middling size house. We cannot be sure if the basic material is brick or stone, but the stone surrounds of tall ground floor windows are still-visible; large on the east to take advantage of the view. The upper windows are sashes, and if we are right in thinking that the present roof line with its rather low pitch is original, there were probably windows in the gables – making this a 2½ storey house. The front door was on the south side, protected by a porch. In style this house does not seem to have exhibited striking elements of High Victorian design.
SUMMER HILL (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
We do not find an occupant, or indeed any reference to this house in the 1867 Rates Book and we feel that perhaps it had not yet been built.
From 1868-1877 the tenant was John Findlay, previously living with his mother at Yewfield, Church Road – which seems at this time to be called Calder Villa. Summer Hill’s R.V. was £210 reduced within two years to £150. Findlay was an ironfounder & hollow ware (pans etc.) manufacturer at 11 Upper Warwick Street and we see from the census of 1871 that he was 28, born in Scotland and married to Hannah age 23 born in L.W. They had two children aged 1 year and 1 month, both born in M.W. With them was George, his unmarried brother age 37 and 5 servants – none born locally (i.e. in M.W. or L.W.) cook, undercook, nurse, housemaid and waitress. In 1878 he appears at Mavis Court, Croxteth Drive while his mother remains in Woolton.
John G. Nutting came in 1878 and stayed until 1883, but unfortunately on the night of the 1881 census he was absent from home so we have no information about him except that he had three servants – the cook Martha Hill 27 born in Wales, Mary Ellis and John Helsby.
The tenant in 1884 was Herbert A. Graves, ship owner (Hornby & Graves) and later a stock & share broker. One of three sons of S.R. Graves, Mayor of Liverpool in 1860, and M.P. for the town 1865-73. His brother William lived at Dowsefield, Yewtree Road, and was also a ship owner with Ismay, Imrie & Co. (later the White Star). Speaking of S.R. Graves, Orchard says that “by their marriages his sons and daughters have formed a circle of connections which for charm & influence is unsurpassed in Liverpool”. In 1893 Mr Graves removed to Holme Leigh – at the L.W. end of Woolton Park.
The same year the tenant became Edgar Christian Hornby (1863-1922), the 4th son of H.H. Hornby J.P. of Beechmont, Grassendale and a junior partner in the firm of Hornby, Hemelryk & Co. cotton brokers. He played cricket for Lancs, and married Eva Gertrude, daughter of Mr A.H. Lemonius, Stonehouse, Yewtree Road who had been born in Stettin, Pomerania and came to Liverpool in 1841. In 1898 Aubrey Brocklebank (later Sir) became occupant for 6 years – the R.V. now £85. From 1905-1910 Paul Hemelryk and his wife Dorothy lived here before moving to Beaconsfield in Beaconsfield Road. In 1914 the tenant was R.H. Wilkie, cotton merchant and in 1936 Mrs Hinshaw-Wilkie, ? his widow.
MOUNT AVENTINE, off Woolton Park c.1866
Architect – unidentified.
Demolished some 20 years ago, and we have failed to locate a photograph. The house seems to have been identical (?) with Summer Hill, but a ‘mirror image’ in that its front door and porch were on the north side.
Owners and Occupiers:
This was another house built and owned by James Gore. Charles Gill appears as the occupier in the first Rates Book of 1867 until 1869 but we have no information about him. The R.V. started at £200 but after being empty for a year it dropped to £150. In 1870 Thomas Best (1839-1894) South American merchant, born in Liverpool and his wife Caroline moved in for 4 years before going to Higher Lee, Beaconsfield Road. They had 3 servants in 1871, none born locally. Also here for 4 years from 1875 was William Mather, brewer; and then, according to the Rates Books, Charles Gill returns for another 2 years. Samuel Dutton Rimmer, timber merchant, was here in 1881 and we see that he was 34, married to Clara 35, born in Aberystwyth. They had 6 children under 8 years of age, 5 born in Liverpool, the ‘infant’ (less than 1 month) born in Woolton. They had 5 servants, including the ‘monthly nurse’. The R.V. remains the same as Summer Hill.
Gifford Nicholson, ship owner, was the next tenant from 1889-1899 and during 1900 the house was unoccupied. Miss Elizabeth Earle, 2nd daughter of Sir Hardman Earle, came in 1901 and remained until her death 10.7.1905. Probate was granted to Arthur Earle, J. Greville Earle and Archibald J. Tod, merchants – effects being £43,732. In 1906 the house was let to Oliver Baring, banker, here until 1918. In 1921 Mrs S.L. Barstow became tenant till 1923. Hugh N. & E.R. Bewley, solicitors were here in 1925 and in 1936 John T. Morrison, consulting surgeon was in occupation.
LONGWORTH, Woolton Park. built c.1858/9, demolished
Architect – unidentified
Another house we cannot see and of which we have found no photograph. Really all we can say is that it was the smallest house in Woolton Park (not counting lodges etc.)
Owners and Occupiers:
The first tenant we find here was John Hindle (c.1803-1879), an attorney who in 1858 was at Horton Villa, New Brighton with a business address at Bank Buildings, Lord Street. In 1859 we find him at ‘Dennison Road, Woolton’, with a R.V. of £100 in 1867 and just over ½ acre. The 1861 census shows that he was 58, born in Liverpool and his wife Hannah 61 was born in Thornton-in-the-Moors. They had married in Manchester Cathedral in 1824. Living with them was their married daughter Mary Adelaide age 29, her husband Samuel Baker 36, ship broker born in Dartmouth, Devon, and their son Ralph Hindle Baker age 1 born in M.W. They had 3 servants – cook, nurse and housemaid, none local. In July 1872 Mr Hindle now a widower and Mrs Baker a widow moved to Holme Leigh at the other end of Woolton Park.
From 1873-1884 the house was occupied by Mrs Tryphosa Sutton, R.V. £120. She was the widow of John Sutton, an insurance broker born in Liverpool. She was 67 in 1881, born in Halewood and previously living in Beech Lane, Wavertree. With her were her 3 unmarried daughters – Tryphosa 30, Jane 29, Harriett 27 and 3 servants. R.V. went down 1883 to £102. From 1885 to 1891 the tenant was Harold Dingwall Bateson, M.A. solicitor (Bateson, Bright & Warr) who then moved to Ashleigh.
In October 1891 Hugh Christie moved in staying till 1902. The next occupant was Mrs Herbert Savile there for 7 years till 1909. She was a widow, and the eldest daughter of Mrs Chapple Gill who was then living at Lower Lee, Beaconsfield Road – the lady who had her portrait painted by James Tissot (1836-1902) now in the Walker Art Gallery. The house was empty in 1910, the next year the new tenant was Charles Cope tobacco manufacturer, R.V. £85. Mr Cope was here until 1916 then no occupant is shown in the Directories till 1921 when Mrs Ethel Livingstone moves in. In 1925 Mrs Jane Cross is the occupier and by 1936 Mrs Savile had returned and is well remembered there by the Secretaries of The Woolton Society for having a house full of stuffed animals.
HIGHFIELD, Woolton Park (or Acrefield Road) before 1860? demolished 1977?
Architect – unidentified
(Description from a single photograph:)
A large brick house with stone dressings of a Classical design – but an illiterate Classicism. For instance no true Classicist could place the central mullion of a double light window on the centre line below a central pediment! A symmetrical design with an open pediment into which rises the arched head of an attic window. On either side of a rather narrow projecting central block were broad two storey bays, all with large sash windows. Polychromy was present, certainly in the upper half of the building. This house had a ‘prospect tower’ (see Woolton Tower).
Owners and Occupiers:
The first house on our Walk built for private ownership. In 1857 John Anderson was living in Claughton, Birkenhead but by 1860 he was at Highfield. From the 1861 census we learn that he was a linen draper, age 39 born in Liverpool, living with his wife Mary Jane 30, born in Salford, their 4 children (the eldest William John age 5 born in Birkenhead and the youngest Frances of 5 months born in M.W.), his mother-in-law Mary Ann Roberts 55, born in Salford and 5 female servants (none local). In 1867 his extent was 5 acres and the R.V. £250, in 1868 his extent was 4 acres but the R.V. had increased to £300. In 1869 he left Highfield (? bankrupt) owing Rates arrears of £37 3s 9d which were carried forward to the new occupier Henry Tate.
In 1871 the house was for sale by auction ‘by order of the Morgager’ (sic) with the information that ‘the house is at present let to Henry Tate Esq., on a lease which expires on 23.4.1873 at the annual rental of £500’. Mr Tate is in the 1872 Rates Book as owner/occupier so he must have bought the house – the R.V. has risen to £400, in 1879 it was £493!
HIGHFIELD Owners and Occupiers (continued):
Henry Tate (1819-1899) was born in Chorley, son of the Rev. William Tate, Unitarian minister and school master. He came to Liverpool aged 13, lived with an older brother and after a 7 year apprenticeship became a master grocer. By 1855 he had 6 shops, these he sold 2 years later to enter the sugar refining business. By 1870 Tate had started building the Love Lane refinery and he later extended the business to London – building the Thames refinery primarily for sugar-cube making. The 1871 census shows Tate at Highfield with his wife Jane 52, 4 sons, 2 daughters, a grandson Ernest 4, his niece Jane Cattrace 15 ‘assistant housekeeper’ and they had 5 servants – cook, waitress, housemaid, laundress and scullery maid (none local).
By 1881 the household had contracted and Mr & Mrs Tate had only 2 sons living with them. Later that year Tate moved to London, leaving his eldest son William Henry at Highfield. Henry Tate was appointed a Trustee of Gateacre Chapel in 1881. After his death in 1899, leaving nearly £1½m, William Henry took his place as Trustee. 14 of Tate’s grandchildren were baptised in the Chapel to which he donated a stained glass window. In 1891 he was elected a Freeman of Liverpool and created a Baronet in 1898. His benefactions to London and Liverpool are too numerous to mention here -but let us remember, when the Tate gallery comes to the Albert Dock, that he made his fortune in Liverpool. William Henry Tate (after 1899 Bt) continued in residence here until c.1920 – becoming the owner in 1888.
In 1923 the Liverpool Babies Hospital was opened here and in 1924 ‘officially’ opened by Queen Mary and allowed to add ‘Royal’ to its name. In 1927 Sir Alexander Bicket, Tate’s son-in-law presented the house to Miss Margaret Beavan then Lord Mayor and the Tate family helped with funds. The Hospital was closed in 1957, Miss Ivy Rydall being the last matron.
The 1871 Auction particulars mention two cottages, but the 1871 census shows only 1 occupied by William Prest, 42 a gardener. In 1881 1 was occupied by William Poston, 30 born in Mossley Hill, a coachman with his wife and 3 children, the two eldest born in L.W. and the baby, 18 months, born in M.W. The other cottage was occupied by William Ewbank, gardener. The 1885 Rates Book lists these 2 cottages, each with R.V. £5. From 1891 the coachman is Ralph Warrier and the gardener George Haigh.
ASHLEIGH (Astley House), Woolton Park, built c.1858 demolished.
Architect unidentified
Another house we have no photograph of and cannot see. It was a middling to large house in our group.
Owners and Occupiers:
In 1857 Richard Bright (c.1818-1867) silk mercer, was at Dingle Hill, 341 Park Road, and at 70-74 Bold Street. In 1858 he was owner occupier of this house, R.V. £175. From the 1861 census we see that he was 43 and born in Liverpool. His wife Caroline was 39 and they had six children ranging from 17-6 years, all born in Liverpool, with a governess Eliza Jones 43 born in Anglesea, a nurse, cook and housemaid (none local).
Bright, by this time of 70-76 Bold Street died in London 29.10.1867 – estate under £30,000. The 1871 census shows his widow still living at Ashleigh R.V. £180 with her mother Elizabeth Ward 79, born in Denbigh, both annuitants, and her unmarried children Richard 27 merchant, Mary 26, Joseph 24 brokers clerk, Caroline 22, Margaret 20 and Emma 18. This family remained here until 1873 after which Mrs Bright moved to Oakfield Terrace, Cuckoo Lane with 3 daughters.
Ashleigh was empty for 12 months and then bought by Mrs Harriet Farnworth, widow of Alderman John Farnworth, J.P. (1809-1869).They had been living at Reynolds Park, as tenants, since c.1859. Mr Farnworth of Farnworth & Jardine, timber merchants (see last year’s walk for Jardine) was born at Worsley; was on the Town Council from 1855 and Mayor in 1865. He was a Wesleyan Methodist “to which body he had contributed munificently towards the erection of schools and chapels”. One of the leading founders of St James Methodist Church and Manse in Woolton, he died 5.12.1869 leaving estate £180,000.
Mrs Farnworth renamed Ashleigh “Astley House” (having been born in Astley, Lancs) and in 1876 added an acre to the garden, R.V. now £235. The 1881 census discloses that she was 68 and living with her grandson Alexander B. Anderson age 15, an apprentice born in Liverpool. In 1883 the R.V. dropped to £199 15s 0d. She lived here until her death in 1889 leaving £3,623 – her will being proved by Joseph Glover, gent, and the Rev. John Farnworth of Astley House, her grandson.
ASHLEIGH Owners and Occupiers (continued):
For two years the house was unoccupied, then in 1892 Harold Dingwall Bateson, M.A., solicitor (Bateson, Bright & Warr) became tenant. The R.V. £187 and ownership remaining with the Exors of Mrs Farnworth. He was tenant until 1905 and the house was again empty for a year before the next tenant Charlotte Young took possession. Her R.V. dropped to £136, the land is marked ‘void’ in the Rates Book and she seems to have reverted to the old name of Ashleigh. She was still there in 1920, the year when only 3 houses in Woolton Park were occupied – Ashleigh, Ingleton & Woolton Tower, but in 1922 Albert Jackson was there as caretaker. 1923 sees 2 names associated with the house – Robert H. Maudsley and John G. Bolton. In 1925 it appears to be empty, but we suggest that alterations were in progress, as by 1936 the Directory shows 5 separate dwellings at Ashleigh.
WOOLTON TOWER, Tower Way c.1856-7
Architect – unidentified.
A large house (now occupied as three) all of stone, with the entrance facing east to Tower Way, formerly the carriage drive, and a Tower over the entrance porch. A ballroom was added in 1875-76 in similar rock faced masonry but with token half-timbered panels.
Though High Victorian in date it is not totally so in mood or architectural vocabulary. Its eclecticism is High Victorian, but the design as a whole lacks the punch and the vigour-and-go of Rogue Gothic (the red-meat end of the High Victorian scale); nor does it have the moral earnestness of the parsonage style as we see it handled by such masters as Butterfield (see his Coalpit Heath vicarage, Gloucestershire of 1844) or Street (see his St Margaret’s vicarage, Princes Road c.1869). And Pugin would have found the sham military features of its Tower offensive.
The Tower is a ‘Prospect Tower’ – and there is a splendid view – and is primarily a status symbol (Queen Victoria had two at Osborne House, begun in 1845.) This is a tower derived from a medieval castle complete with battlements, machicolations and cross firing loops, but the cross firing loops here are set in the battlements whereas in a real castle they would have been in the curtain wall or on a lower floor. Here too are pointed windows, but set under Tudor shield labels.
WOOLTON TOWER (continued):
The eclectic elements are:
1. the medieval military features of the tower;
2. Tudor mullioned windows and chimneys; and
3. a Sussex hip on just one dormer.
Besides eclecticism, the two other significant features are:
1. the use of rock-faced masonry; and
2. the widely oversailing eaves – chosen for the rustic air they would impart to the building.
Inside we should note the spaciousness of the staircase (top-lit with a rooflight including painted glass) and the fireplaces.
A further speculation runs – did the client want his house to be built in this way? or did the architect make the choice? Is this a record of local taste bearing testimony to the continuing influence of Nash’s Villas, and Mr Loudon’s pattern books?
Owners and Occupiers:
From the deeds it appears to us that in 1856 Matthew Wilson Armour (c.1828-1906) bought a piece of land from the Rt Rev. Richard B. Roskell, (1817-1883) first R.C. Bishop of Nottingham, John Lynch and J. Roskell. This would be part of the settling up of the estate of Richard’s father Robert Roskell (c.1773-1847) of Gateacre Hall, watch maker and a silversmith of national repute whose work was exhibited in the 1851 Exhibition in London. Robert had come to Liverpool from Garstang and in 1810 was living and working with his brother John in 10 & 11 Church Street, Liverpool. Soon he was living at Gateacre Hall and John was at Doe Park (Woolton Golf Club).
WOOLTON TOWER Owners and Occupiers (continued):
In 1853 Matthew Armour is shown in the Directory as staying with Miss Sarah Ann Holland at ‘The Grange’ (Gateacre Grange) L.W. where she was conducting a girls boarding school. In 1856 his address is Woolton Mount and in 1858 he is living at Woolton Tower, Armour was a cotton broker and we see from the 1861 census that he was 33, born in Scotland; his wife Louisa 32 had been born in Liverpool. They had 5 children under 8 years of age all born in Liverpool and a brother-in-law Alfred Higgins 37, an iron merchant born in Cheshire, was with them on census night. They had 4 servants – cook, 2 nurses and a housemaid (none local). By 1871 Matthew was a widower, he now had 7 children (& 2 had died), his mother Janet Armour 68 was living with him and they had 3 servants.
In 1867 the R.V. was £150, it went up to £180 in 1869 and in 1876 rose to £252 3s 0d – perhaps the ballroom addition as his children grew up and his eldest son reached 21?
In 1881 the house was ‘for sale or to let’ and in the 1886 Directory we see that Mr Armour was living in Southport.
The owner for the next 23 years was William Cooper, a solicitor (Peacock, Cooper, Gregory & Bausfield), he was Registrar of the County Court and an Hon. Lt. Col. in the Liverpool Rifle Volunteers in 1886. In the 1881 census he was 40 born in Liverpool, living in Aigburth Hall Road with his wife Mary 29 born in Cheetham, 3 children all born in Liverpool and 3 servants. We have mentioned earlier the problems of drainage and a letter has survived dated 24.9.1894 from Mr Cooper to the Clerk of the L.W.L.B. (James Thornely, living at Baycliff) complaining about the stench arising when Mr Graves of Holme Leigh had his cesspool pumped out 3 times a week into a cart standing in the road. From 1905-1908 the house was empty but in that year Robert Carey Chapple Gill, cotton broker, became the owner occupier. He was the son of Mr & Mrs Chapple Gill of Lower Lee, Beaconsfield Road & brother of Mrs Herbert Savile (see Longworth). Mr Chapple Gill remained until c.1919 and then sold the house to Herbert Bright, cotton broker (Bright & Sons) started in 1862 by his father Alfred Bright and his two sons Alfred & Herbert. The family were related to John Bright (1811-1889) the statesman & orator. In 1933, perhaps after Mr Bright had died?, Woolton Tower was sold by Alfred Bright to Phyllis Marjorie Morland.
LODGE to Woolton Tower, (‘Thimble Hall’), Tower Way, c.1870?
Architect – unidentified
A small, stone-built lodge with rock-faced masonry and pointed arched window openings was designed so much in the same idiom as Woolton Tower that its date is likely to be similar. But as we can detect no occupant before 1871 and there is a detail in the working of the ‘rock-facing’ which is different from that of Woolton Tower perhaps this lodge was built c.1870? However it has been so very much altered that it has now quite lost its integrity.
Owners and Occupiers:
No occupants of this lodge are to be found in any Rates Books 1867-1911, but in the 1871 census we find Thomas Rimmer 52, a gardener born in Whiston living here. In 1881 the occupant is James Whellingham 57, gardener, here with his wife Emma age 62. From 1912-1920 the Directory lists William Atkinson as the lodge keeper. Following him was Donald Cleminson gardener until 1922, and from 1923 until at least 1925 the occupier was Edward Worsley, gardener.
On 7.9.1955 planning permission was granted for the conversion of Woolton Tower into three dwellings, architect Walter Lewis, L.R.I.B.A., and on 5.10.1955 outline planning permission was obtained for the Tower Way development. Woolton Park itself remained a private road until on 12.6.1964 it was adopted by the Local Authority.
HOLME LEIGH, (Winhill), Woolton Park 1869-71.
Architect: Henry A. Bradley, 20 Basnett Street.
The house was demolished in the early 1970s, so this description is based on the only photograph we have found, the frontispiece of The House on Woolton Hill by Alec R. Ellis (1951) and the 1:1250 Ordnance Map of Nov. 1960.
A large house, in size, plan form, massing and materials – brick and stone – the house was very similar indeed to Baycliff, before either was altered. The modelling of the immediate site for Holme Leigh was not so pronounced as for Baycliff which has quite a high bank in front and to the right, and there was a 5 difference in alignment. From the photograph it is clear that half-timbering in a band at eaves level and in gables was not then present and apparently was not part of the original design.
At Holme Leigh the stable block was behind the house against the retaining wall, which survives behind the flats. At this house too there was an addition to the left of the garden front but it was only about half as long as the new sitting room at Baycliff.
In general the stylistic analysis for Baycliff may be taken as applying to Holme Leigh, but without the enrichment of ‘half-timbering’.
This house and Baycliff were the last to be built in Woolton Park – the L.W.L.B. Minutes for 26.10.1868 show that a letter and plans had been received from Henry A. Bradley, architect signifying his intention to build two houses for The Walton Park Co., and on 30.11.1868 these plans were approved by the Board.
HOLME LEIGH (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
In July 1872 John Hindle, the attorney from Longworth, by now 69 and a widower bought this house presumably from the Walton Park Co., and moved in with his widowed daughter Mary A. Baker and her 5 children. Her husband Samuel Baker had died in 1870 leaving less than £4,000, and we surmise that Mr Hindle’s purchase of a substantial house was to secure the future of his daughter and her family. The earliest surviving Rates Book of the L.W.L.B. gives the extent as just under 1¼ acres, R.V. £248. Hindle died 28.4.1879 and his daughter’s address when she proved his will was Torquay, Devon. Ralph Hindle Baker (c.1860-1922), one of Mr Hindle’s grandsons was educated at The Royal Institution, became a railway agent and lived at ‘Elm Cottage’, Gateacre. He was named an Executor in the will of James Cross, q.v.
In 1860 Samuel Sanday moved in from Beech Farm, Allerton, renting the house from Hindle’s exors. R.V. now £230. From the 1881 census we see that Mr Sanday was a grain merchant aged 34, born at Holmepierrpoint, Notts., married to Annie Gertrude 29 born in Wavertree. They had two sons George 2 and Arthur 9 months and 6 servants. The 1883 Rates Book mentions telephones for the first time (4) and Mr Sanday’s had a R.V. of £1. In 1893 the family moved to Knolle Park and Mr Sanday became President of the Corn Trade Association. Orchard says they were “socially among the Wellington Rooms people”.
Herbert A. Graves became the tenant in 1894, moving from Summer Hill – and had problems with his neighbours over his sewage – the R.V. was now £195. From 1896-1906 Henry Sutton Timmis Esq., J.P. lived here. He was a partner in the firm of Gossage & Son, soap makers of Widnes. In 1907 the Rev. Richard Benson Stewart and his wife Fanny became tenants, R.V. £191 15s 0d. Mr. Stewart had been vicar of Hale for 50 years, he died at Holme Leigh in March 1909 aged 80 and was buried at Hale. His daughter, Miss Gertrude Stewart was still living here in 1913. After this the house appears to have been empty for some years – ? used for Government purposes during the war. The Sisters of the Convent of Notre Dame were here in 1922, Lt. Col. Edward Valentine Hemelryk D.S.O., R.F.A (1895-1941) cotton broker in 1925 and in 1936 the occupier was Frederick Harrison.
BAYCLIFF, (Bishop’s Lodge), Woolton Park. 1869-71.
Architect – Henry A. Bradley, 20 Basnett Street.
A large house of brick with stone dressings, the eastern entrance front with 3 gables – the one on the left much the largest – an asymmetrical composition balanced by the projecting porch and generous flight of steps, the south or garden front broadly symmetrical but with asymmetric details. To the west an extension built 1881 as a family sitting room when, probably, the north door was introduced. The conservatory is a post-war addition.
By this time brick was an acceptable, fashionable material for a Villa; neither the prestige material, stone nor its substitute, stucco, were obligatory any more. Here there is a limited amount of polychromy, and a band of half-timbering at eaves level and in the gables adds richness. Absolutely typical are the French Gothic caps of the columns to the porch, differing from each other in characteristically High Victorian manner (compare with the capitals of the columns on the Municipal Buildings, Dale Street of 1860-66, all different: this is a Gothic, not a Renaissance ambition, taken up by the High Victorians). Here the Caernarvon arch to the windows is some 5 years earlier than on the Police Station in Quarry Street.
The garden facade is noteworthy for being an exercise in the play of light and shadow. Note also the pretty oriel with its half-timbered frieze.
The striking feature of the extension is the soaring redbrick chimney stack of the Wealden type made popular by Nesfield and Shaw – interestingly enough there is no inglenook associated with it as there might have been had they been responsible for it. The half-timbering, however, is minimal and does not draw on local period precedent – whereas the gable of the garden front and the principal gable of the entrance front are decorated with quatrefoils such as may be seen at Speke and other half-timbered buildings in south Lancashire and Cheshire.
The new element of the High Victorian story revealed as it has been unfolding in these buildings we have been looking at is the influence of French Gothic e.g. on the capitals of the porch, and it was in the 1860s that this influence brought itself to bear on the High Victorian movement in architecture.
BAYCLIFF (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
We see from the deeds of this house that conveyances were made in 1870 and 1872 between The Walton Park Co., and their mortgagees to Samuel Blain. Mr Blain is not in the L.W. census of 1871, but in March that year he wrote to the Board complaining of offensive sewage in the quarry (Parkwood Road) and we feel safe in saying that by 1872 he had moved from Grove Park and was living in the house. From the Minutes of L.W.L.B. we also feel that it is probable the sandstone for these two houses came from this, the township’s quarry.
Samuel Blain of William Blain & Sons, one of the oldest firms in the Liverpool corn trade, was here until 1875 when he sold the house to James Thornely (c.1823-1898) solicitor and law clerk to the L.W.L.B. previously living at Browside, 4 Gateacre Brow. Mr Thornely had a strong Unitarian background – his wife Laura was the grand-daughter of William Roscoe – and the family were members of the Gateacre Chapel congregation. The 1881 census shows that he was 58 and born in Liverpool, his wife Laura was 52 born in Middlesex. Living with them were their children Thomas 26 B.A., L.L.M. born Sutton, Lancs., Beatrix 23 born in West Derby, Laura Roscoe 21, Martha Grace 19 both born in Great Crosby, James Lamport 15 student and William 11 both born in Gateacre, and three servants.
From the earliest Rates Book (1876) we see that Thornely’s extent was just under 2 acres and his R.V. was £270, by 1881 the R.V. was £300. In 1885 and 1886 there were two conveyances from William Beckett Dennison and Exors to James Thornely – no doubt relating to Dennison’s house, cottages and land bought by Mr Thornely. John Dennison had died 29.6.1865 leaving estate of under £20,000 and the last tenant of Dennison’s house had been Joseph Stubbs who died 29.6.1885, leaving the way clear for settling up the estate. (It was Stubbs who first called this estate Dove Park). In 1887 Mr Thornely disposed of some of his newly acquired land to George Cope, by this time living in Church Road (at Reynolds Park). In 1886 Baycliff’s R.V. unaccountably drops to £238 and it is not until 1889 that his recently purchased land is rated – R.V. £13 10s 0d.
BAYCLIFF Owners and Occupiers (continued):
On 8.12.1898 James Thornely died and his wife moved to Grassendale, dying there in 1919. From 1901 to c.1917 the occupier was George Rathbone who was an iron merchant. He was the son of Benson Rathbone of Aigburth and he and his family were members of The Sandon Studios Society and took part in their drama group for which Mrs Rathbone was a successful producer. We have records of two evenings in 1913 when there was a play and a concert when Reginald Rathbone played the cello and Albert Sammons (of Palm Court fame) played the violin.
In 1920 the house was sold by James Thornely’s exors to Kenneth Grant MacLeod, iron merchant, and some land was sold to Sir James P. Reynolds of Reynolds Park. In 1925 the owner became Murray Todd, an iron and steel merchant, who bought back some land from Reynolds after the fire at Reynolds Park, since when Sir James had left Woolton and gone to live at 12 Abercromby Square.
During the last war the house was requisitioned by the Government and used as a service hospital. In 1944 it was bought by Harold Neale of Allerton, a house furnisher who sold it to the Church Commissioners in 1948.
The Little Woolton Township Quarry as defined at the Enclosures lay between the back drive of Bishop’s Lodge and Cliff Cottage, the area now Parkwood Road. In 1874 Joseph Stubbs, then of ‘Dennison’s House’, wrote to the L.W.L.B. offering to make an ‘alteration’ to this quarry (landscaping?) if he could be ‘given good title to it’. We learn from the subsequent resolution that the ‘use was vested in every landowner in Little Woolton’ as he was told; and gather that the quarry was still capable of being worked. It is remembered as having been even deeper than the next quarry up the road.
CLIFF COTTAGE, Woolton Hill Road.
1 & 2 vernacular
3 Architect – unidentified
First Section – c.1810/20?
A little low two storey stone cottage set with the gable end to the road (and far from ‘square’ on plan) and a low-pitched slate roof; characteristic of the Regency date we suggest. The low 3-light stone mullioned casement windows, hammer-dressed Woolton stone and sturdy quoins are common features of the type of small scale vernacular building that was erected hereabouts. The window in the gable is of later date.
Second Section – say c.1825?
The first building was small, approx. 20 ft by 15 ft; soon an additional 8 ft or so was added – beyond the chimney stack and quoins – in similar stone and with a 2-light window. The four flues to the brick chimney, on reflection, seem more than might be expected for so small a cottage and are explained when we find that some 15 ft below floor level, in the quarry, there is a chamber cut in the living rock – no doubt first serving as a quarrymen’s shelter, later embellished as a summer house with romantic detail in plasterwork; and this includes a fireplace. This second section is about 15 ins thinner than the first cottage, possibly because quarrying had cut away the rock below.
Addition of 1888-9
This was made at the south end, roughly doubling the area of the house, and built in much larger-scale work with greater floor to ceiling heights. Here the stone is tooled rather more carefully, the slate roof is a steeper pitch and the copings on the new gables are finished with carefully designed kneelers. The windows in the gable have stone mullions but are altogether bigger and the upper one is set under a label finished with Gothic leaflets. The front door, in a 4-centred arch opening, is partly in the main block of the addition. On the other, quarry, side there is a picturesque angular oriel window with lead roof, lozenges adorning the dado and casement windows affording a peep towards Woolton Hill Road. The chimney stack is panelled and the whole addition characteristic of the later 1880s in contrast to the earlier part and is ‘polite’ – i.e. designed by an architect. (A later lean-to addition further south is of post-war construction as is the stone lean-to by the road.)
CLIFF COTTAGE (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
We have no information about who was living here before 1841, and from then to the 1880s we can only surmise. From the 1841 census it seems possible that ‘Woolton Hill Cottage’ can be identified as Cliff Cottage, that John Dennison was the owner and that Charles Holland age 30, a clerk, was living here with John Roskell, 30 an agricultural labourer, Mary his wife 30, female servant, Isabella 9 & Hannah 3 months; and Elizabeth Taylor 30, also a servant. In 1851 we identify the house as ‘Dennison’s Cottage’ and Peter McFarlen 53, gardener, his wife Harriett 42, both born in Scotland, and their son Robert Alexander 16, born in the Isle of Man, were living here. The cottage is not named in 1861 but we suggest the occupants were John Bouskele 60, gardener born in Urswick and his wife Elizabeth 52 – possibly the John Bouskele age 8, the ‘visitor’ at Dennison’s House on census night was a grandchild? Again in 1871 the cottage is not named but we think John H. Coates 30, a gardener born in Preston was living here with his wife Ann and three children. The 1881 census names it as ‘Dove Park Cottage’ the occupant being Thomas Lomax 24, domestic gardener born in Tuebrook. Turning to the L.W.L.B. Rates Book in 1883 we find the name ‘Johnson’ as occupier of both this and Reynolds Park Lodge – perhaps not surprising as the Johnsons had 10 children! In 1884 it seems to be occupied by George Stanley. In 1885 Mr Thornely became the owner and received permission from the L.W.L.B. to make ‘alterations’. By 1886 the name ‘Cliff Cottage’ appears for the first time, it was occupied by ‘Roskell’ and the Rateable Value was £6 15s 0d. In 1889 Cliff Cottage, now down as a ‘house and garden’, the occupant shown as ‘M. Roskell’ and the R.V. was £17 – so the extension had been built. Not until 1891 does the Rates Book get the name of the occupier correct as Mrs Martha Roscoe – James Thornely’ s mother-in-law – for whom the addition was built, including a second staircase. The oral tradition survives that the purpose was for Mrs Roscoe to be able to ‘have some peace away from the children’ at Baycliff, and she was still there in 1900. After some years standing empty and with the R.V. reduced to £10, from 1905 James Tomlinson, gardener was here to 1916. In 1917 Joseph Blundell, blacksmith and his wife Jessie lived here as caretakers, looking after Baycliff for the Rathbones; and from 1921 until after 1936 Joseph Penlington gardener was the occupier. His daughter refers to Cliff Cottage as ‘the Quarry Gate House’ – a clue, perhaps, to its original purpose?
Between Cliff Cottage and Reynolds Park Lodge is a deep disused stone quarry protected on all sides from public access. We have not yet found out who worked it or when, but there are traces of a series of niches in the rock along the north face similar to those in the ‘Cathedral’ Quarry in Quarry Street which date from the 1870s. This was Marsh’s ‘Dell’ – see The Story of Woolton Vol.1 (1930) pp 72-3.
REYNOLDS PARK LODGE (Dove Park Lodge), Woolton Hill Road
1888 (L.W.L.B. Minutes.)
Architects – F.&G. Holme
From Woolton Hill Road this is a deceptively small building, a single-storey gable, with a stone plinth and so modelled as to suggest an inglenook. The gable is embellished with a vigorous stone cartouche and a cinquefoil, and the body of the wall has been pebbledashed quite recently so that we can only surmise that the structure is stone. The side to the right contains the front door and stone mullioned windows – from the detail of the mouldings of the mullions we can be sure that the architect here was not also the designer of the lodge in Church Road of the same date, curious though that may seem. There are handsome stone corbels above the splay of the corner and the slate roof has a terracotta cresting. The whole design shows an appreciation of materials and a sensitivity in their use which is typical of this date.
The stone gate piers of the entrance to what was formerly ‘Dennison’s Road’ – the driveway leading to his house – are now painted white and the balusters in the wooden gate are ‘Jacobethan’. As we move on in to the park we can see that the lodge is bigger than it appears at first sight.
REYNOLDS PARK LODGE Woolton Hill Road (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
Before 1841 we cannot say who lived in this lodge, but it was there on Bennison’s map of 1835 when Mrs Topham was living in Dennison’s house and was part of this estate. It passed to Dennison c.1840, to Thornely in 1885 and in 1887 to the Copes and to Sir James Reynolds in 1907.
Using the census material we have tried to place people in the lodge but these names have not yet been confirmed from any other source. We suggest that John Bennett, age 30 an agricultural labourer, born in Wavertree, was living here in 1841. Ten years later in 1851 we think the occupier was John Smith, 41, labourer, born in Ireland with his wife Martha, 31, born in Wavertree, Caroline their daughter of 9 also born in Wavertree and a ‘visitor’ Henry Sweatman age 1 who had been born in Liverpool.
In 1861 it seems fairly clear that John Parr 30, an agricultural labourer, born in Wavertree was living here with his wife Mary 29, born in Allerton and their 2 children – Charles 3 born in M.W. and Elizabeth 10 months born in L.W. By 1871 we suggest the occupier was John Storer 30 born in Lincoln and a coachman. He had a wife Ann 32 born in Plumley, Cheshire and 3 children – the youngest Henrietta 3 weeks old born in L.W. The occupier in 1881 was John Johnson 42, born in Walton, a domestic servant, living with his wife Mary 40 born in Ormskirk and 10 children, the eldest 21 born in Waterloo and the 6 youngest, ages 9 to 1 week, born in Woolton. This family were there until 1887, R.V. £6 15s 0d, in 1888 Mrs Elise Cope, whose husband had died the previous year, had the lodge rebuilt and, curiously, the R.V. only rose to £7.
From 1889 to 1907 Thomas Carling a gardener lived here and from that date through to 1936 George Lowe, gardener was the occupier.
“DENNISON’S HOUSE”, Woolton Hill Road built c.1812-16 ?
Architect – ? Demolished c.1886.
This house overlooking the Parkwood Road quarry, demolished c.1886 by James Thornely of Baycliff must be mentioned as both Cliff Cottage and Woolton Hill Road lodge to Reynolds Park were part of the estate.
No details or description of the house are possible, but because it is not mentioned at the Enclosures, when the site belonged to John Weston who was bankrupt in 1811, but we think it shows on the Sherriff map of 1816 with the name ‘Topham’ by it; therefore a building date of c.1812-16 is possible. The R.V. in 1876 suggests a middling size house, but the L.W. Tithe Map shows quite a large building and it may be that by 1848 it was somewhat sprawling. Because of its age it was assessed modestly? We have no evidence to suggest whether it was vernacular or polite.
John Topham (c.1777-1833) was a well known Liverpool attorney – and in 1835 Bennison had Mrs Topham’s name there. By c.1840 John Dennison (1802-1865), a retired ironmonger from Liverpool, was the owner. He was not present for the 1841 census but in 1851 we see that he was 53, born in Kendal and now calling himself a Landed Proprietor. With him was his wife Isabella 40, his widowed sister Ellen Jackson 50; a cook and housemaid (none local). He was still there in 1861, his wife was shown as being born in Urswick, Lancs, and they had 2 different servants and a visitor – John Bouskele aged 8. John Dennison died in 1865 leaving estate of about £20,000 and we learn that he had a passion for conchology – the Liverpool Museum bought his collection of shells.
John Bigham (b.c.1815) born in Wigan, a retired merchant, and Helen his wife with two servants were living here in 1871; and for a few years in the 1870s Joseph Stubbs (c.1821-1885) see Marsh – was the occupier. In 1876 the R.V. of the house and estate of 7½ acres (in L.W.) was £190; the estate extended in to M.W. by nearly 2½ acres, R.V. £9, but the rates were in arrears, and the house seems never to have been occupied again.
We call it “Dennison’s House” though it might have been “Topham’s”, but John Dennison lived here for nearly a quarter of a century and six years after his death the driveway to the house was still called ‘Denison Road’ in the census, but weeks earlier on 10 March 1871 an advertisement for sale by auction of Highfield names Woolton Park as ‘Denison Road’. This name also occurs elsewhere as Dennison’s name seems to have lingered in local memory. It was not until 1880 that ‘Woolton Park’ had a separate and lasting identity in the Rates Books, though the Directory had been calling it ‘Woolton Park’ from 1872.
REYNOLDS PARK LODGE (Dove Park Lodge) Church Road
“1888” (on tie beam of gable)
Architect – unidentified
A competent and appealing building of the Domestic Revival; a very carefully composed building whose massing has the only chimney stack as its pivot. It is typical of the Domestic Revival in the range of its materials and the sensitivity with which they are handled.
The materials are:
1) two kinds of brick, chiefly Garston Picked Commons, with red pressed brick used for plinths, and decoratively in two courses and in other features;
2) red tile hanging on three of the four gables, and the roof is of red tiles;
3) terra cotta for ridge tiles and finials crowning the gables, the chimney stack, and for a frieze of sunflowers on the principal gabled bay – sunflowers are the leitmotif of the Aesthetic Movement * and are seen on buildings of the “Queen Anne” Revival (1860s on) by J.J. Stevenson, Shaw and others;
4) half-timbering, which is structural and which has features characteristic of south Lancashire & Cheshire: namely the cove, the lozenge and the baluster;
5) the cove is pargetted – an East Anglian feature;
6) and, of course, the local sandstone to dress some of the windows; as brackets, and as blocks in the porch for seating the timberwork.
The console brackets on the principal and eastern fronts carry grotesque heads such as one would see on genuine 16th and 17th century buildings (they are a speciality of half-timbered buildings in Ludlow). Normally the consoles would be decorated with leaves; these are at the sides, but the frontal decoration here consists of overlapping discs. The disc motif is also seen on the porch which is incorporated under the main roof and which is a sturdy and handsome, balustered structure.
The wash-house in the garden is contemporary with the lodge. The yard doorway of the lodge in the Church Road wall, is probably also of 1888 since it has a refined continuous moulding.
* The movement associated with Whistler and others which stood for “Art for Art’s Sake” and which had important effects on interior design.
REYNOLDS PARK LODGE Church Road (continued):
Owners and Occupiers:
This lodge is dated 1888 and we have no information about there being an earlier building on the site, so it is from that date we look for occupiers. The lodge was built for Mrs Cope, then living at Reynolds Park, the R.V. was £12, and the first mention of an occupier comes from the M.W. Rates Book of 1891 which shows James Wilcox coachman who remained until 1907 when his place was taken by John Liptrott, also a coachman who lived there till 1921. From the Directory we see that the next occupier was Arthur Westbrook, a chauffeur who lived here until at least 1926. In 1932 Alexander McMullin a clerk was here.
Postscript
Now we have come to the end of our walk, and hope you have enjoyed it!
These notes, we are conscious, are not great literature, though they have their moments. They are, however, and with our last year’s notes for Beaconsfield Road, a quarry of information (badly in need of an Index) and will, we hope, be used as such.
We must add the names and dates of Architects mentioned:
National
Butterfield. William, 1814-1900, Coalpit Heath Parsonage 1844.
Loudon, John Claudius, 1783-1843 ‘Encyclopaedia …’ 1833.
(Morris, William, 1834-1896, poet, artist, etc; articled to Street.)
Nash, John, 1752-1835, Regent’s Park 1811, Regent Street 1813-20.
Nesfield, Eden, 1835-88, The Dairy, Croxteth Hall 1861-70.
Paxton Joseph (Sir), 1803-65, Princes Park 1842, Birkenhead Park 1843.
Pugin, A.W.N. 1812-52, his writings influential, & Bishop Eton 1840s.
Pugin, E.W. 1834-75, more work at his father’s Bishop Eton c.1858.
Shaw, R. Norman, 1831-1912, Vicarage at St Agnes, Ullet Road 1887.
Street, Geo. Edmund, 1824-81, St Margaret, Princes Road 1868-69.
Webb, Philip, 1831-1915, Red House, for William Morris, 1859.
Local
Bennison, Jonathan, fl.1825-45; Map 1835, layout of Rock Park.
Bradley, Henry A., fl.1859-71, Holme Leigh & Baycliff.
Holme, F.& G. fl.1883-98, Municipal Annexe 1883.
POSTSCRIPT (continued):
We are used to being told that the north west was ‘backward’ and that our architectural styles were ‘old fashioned’ by the standards of the Metropolis. But by the time Woolton Park was built this was no longer the case. Journals such as The Builder were keeping their readers aware of the latest fashions and in 1848 the founding of the Liverpool Architectural Society provided a forum for local architects to meet and discuss new ideas. Liverpool’s affluence meant that there were many local architects and our studies, so far, suggest that they were highly mobile.
The kind of people who came to live in Woolton Park – quite a good address, though not the best – included many we would now describe as YUPPIES. There was a tendency to move on to a better address and, though we have not worked this through yet, it seems to us that many of our houses seem to have had no less than 8 successive occupants in the years 1871-1936; but we need to work this idea through before we can say it was unusual.
Comparing the Rateable Values in Woolton Park with those we noted last year in Beaconsfield Road we see that they are just a bit lower. And here we have not come across a single butler and only one man who seems to be a ‘living-in’ servant.
We need to do more studies of this kind around Much and Little Woolton before we can make generalisations of a useful and valid nature, but we think that this is one way of working out the 19th century history of our area. If any of our readers can suggest ways in which we can add to our knowledge we will be delighted to be told!
J.D. – S.M.L. – J.B.G.
Woolton, May 1987
The Notes were transcribed in 2011 from the original (1987) mimeographed typescript.
Please notify the Gateacre Society of any errors and omissions which may be found, so that
these can be recorded above for the benefit of future researchers.