Rates

Comparing the rates of the Acrefield Road houses with those in Woolton Park and Beaconsfield Road, we find them generally lower; but here, of course, we have also a greater variety. Last year we were feeling some confidence in using fluctuations in R.V's to date additions in Woolton Park; in Acrefield Road no such rule applies. Now we know we have more to learn about their assessment!

He are conscious that these notes are not great literature - though they have good patches. With our other walks they are a quarry of information - badly in need of an index of persons -and they will, we hope, be used as such.

GATEACRE HALL demolished between 1892 and 1904

The house stood just on the Much Woolton side of the boundary between Much and Little Woolton - where Runnymede Close now joins Acrefield Road; partly on the road and on the site of Nos 1 & 3. The outbuildings, which were extensive, stood on the Little Woolton side, of the line, partly on the site of No.2.

On Yates and Perry's map of 1768 a building is shown here on the boundary line. From map evidence by 1840 the house was quite large and of considerable complexity.

No architectural description is possible since no drawing or photograph is known. If anyone has any idea where illustrations might be sought, we would be very pleased to hear.

Owners and occupiers

1801?-1811?
John Weston (f l.1801-1818) Merchant, in the West Africa trade, was a son of Samuel Weston who died in 1802. Samuel bought Peck Mill in Little Woolton from Sir Foster Cunliffe in 1786. Because of his father's landholding, John Weston was allotted the area between the boundary and Woolton Hill Road in 1806, and on the 1813 Enclosure Map for Little Woolton two blocks of outbuildings are shown. John Weston went bankrupt in 1811 and we do not know whether he ever lived in the house - he also had an address .in Bold Street.

continued . . .