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.

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