Wallasey Village
Any Info ?
Pictures of old?
Stories?
how old do you want the info to be ?
Anything, this is how topics begin
threshers on the corner of sandy lane used to be car showrooms, the last of which was a diahatsu in the mid 80's
the inlaws live on St Georges, which I believe was Back Lane, I lived with them for a few years after getting married, we're in our own place now, still in the village tho.
Would love to pick your brains about a few wallasey village related history things.
I started this thread on behalf of waddi
Going to the other extreme the first photo below is of a painting by JH Robinson showing the junction of Wallasey Village and Leasowe Road (off to the left) and looking west towards the sea.
The second photo is of a painting also by Robinson showing a snow scene at the top of Leasowe Road viewed from about outside the current No 8 Leasowe Road and looking North East towards Wallasey Village (more or less where the Post Office used to be). St Hillary church is clearly visible (but no second tower!)
I have no idea when Robinson would have done those paintings and how much "artistic licence" is involved. I have postcards showing the same scene in about 1905 - and it is VERY different. I will guess the painting depicts the scene around 30- 40 years earlier. Whether that is too early for Robinson I do not know. Certainly he was painting at 1879 because I have a photo of another of his paintings with that date.
Snod
Description: Wallasey Village 19th Century (1870??). Looking west and current Leasowe Rd to the left
Description: Wallasey Village 19th Century (1870??). Looking North East from inside top of current Leasowe Rd towards the village
Wow i wouldn't have believed that
Thanks for sharing
Well I married into Wallasey village.
By that I mean My wife grew up in the village, her dad and his siblings grew up in the area after moving from new brighton.
After getting married we lived with her parents for 2years but have recently bought out own place in wallasey Village.
There little things that bug me, i.e:
which school does School lane relate to?
What where the gates on the corner of Folly Lane and Wallasey village for?
Where was liscard & Poulton rail station?
its also the little things like the car showroom that Jonah mentions. this is the unwritten history that we need to talk about.
When the the liscard & poulton Railway station was there, what was where the toyota showroom is now?
WADDI
The gates near Folly Lane were the entrance to Buxton House, the building of which was situated more or less where the flats are now ie to the left when you go through the gates. My other info about Buxton House at at my mum's house - I will get it later and post. I have already taken some "now" photos. I can tell lots of tales about playing in trhe derilict Buxton House and the abandoned gardens.
The school was PROBABLY St Georges because previously that road was called Back Lane. I will check with mum this afternoon or tomorrow. I went to St Georges school - and you can even find my piccy on their website
http://www.st-georges-school.co.uk/photo_4.htmlSnod
Snod
WADDI
The gates near Folly Lane were the entrance to Buxton House, the building of which was situated more or less where the flats are now ie to the left when you go through the gates. My other info about Buxton House at at my mum's house - I will get it later and post. I have already taken some "now" photos. I can tell lots of tales about playing in trhe derilict Buxton House and the abandoned gardens.
The school was PROBABLY St Georges because previously that road was called Back Lane. I will check with mum this afternoon or tomorrow. I went to St Georges school - and you can even find my piccy on their website
http://www.st-georges-school.co.uk/photo_4.htmlSnod
Right - I have that bit about School Lane COMPLETELY wrong. A senior moment they call it. I was referring to St Georges Road that used to be called Back Lane
School Lane runs from Wallasey Village by the Cheshire Cheese pub down alongside Mosslands School to about the small railway bridge. Originally there was another pub on the opposite side of the road from the Cheshire Cheese and about on the corner of School Lane. It was called the Ring O Bells. On the other corner of School Lane was a proper half timbered cottage that was demolished in about 1920 when the widened/ straightened the road.
If you went down School Lane from that junction with Wallasey Village the school was on the right hand side - just about where the first of some bungalows are now.
I have a fair number of pics from around that area (and I took some "now" pics yesterday) so I will do a picture post as soon as I can.
Snod (still searching for the Buxton House details - they were not where I expected)
were did you find them pics
were did you find them pics
I did not find them - I took them
Many years ago ie like in about the mid/ late 1960s I visited a lot of the old folks around the village, chatted with them and especially copied any old photos they had - - or any paintings. Being from a well known village family hel;ped a lot with introductions. These days you would carry a laptop/ portable scanner for old pics but unheard of then of course so I used to have camera/ tripod and a couple of battery lights to copy documents and used camera + reflector flach for paintings, Unfortunately all was in monochrome. I did all my own film processing and never advanced to colour
Snod
anyone know the exact location of the cottage hopital when it was on Back lane (st georges), it was later moved to claremount.
Ive always wanted to know what this rock is for near the Cheshire Cheese..
Click hereIts around under those trees on breck road..
Lee
I THINK you mean the "Granny Rock" ie a big rock on the Breck - just behind the old Grammar School building which is a bit further down the road from The Ship
The Breck area was a quarry used to obtain the stone used as the base for building Leasowe Road. The suggestion is that the Granny Rock was originally used as a mount for a lifting crane used in the quarry operations - but when those finished the rock had become such a feature that it was left untouched.
I have climbed up to the top many times. The main "face" to climb was that facing east - that was easy. MUCH more difficuly was the south face. There is (or at least was - have not looked for ages) a sort of shallow cut out on the south face. We called it Granny's chair. It was only the very agile that could get to sit in that cut out.
Snod
Description: Brack Road, Wallasey - Ship in (top), Old Grammar School cottage and the Granny Rock on teh Breck
Ahh Granny's rock ,the memories are flooding back.I used to play in the breck when i was a nipper and have actually climbed Granny's rock and fell off it numerous times.we were up there the other week when i was showing my wife places from my past,we met a lovely lady walking her dog and from what she said and by the amount of bottles and beer cans lying about it is now the local scallies drinking den(shame).there are some amazing views out across leasowe and moreton from up there.Ahh the memories
Granny Rock
Maybe a topic of its own? And some pictures?
Never heard of it
I know what you mean about the litter/ mess up there. I saw it when I went a week or so ago to try to do a modern photo of the old School House to comparee with my postcard pic. A good "communitry service order" for some scallys would be to have to clean that place spotless. OK, off my soapbox
The breck with the Granny Rock was always called the "Boys Breck" by us local kids, to distinguish it from the "Girls Breck" that was is the playing area between Church Hill and St Hillary Drive, neither of which are often frequented roads. Many people do not even know that area exists because it is not visible from the main road - being above the high ivy-covered wall to your left as you drive up St Hillary Brow towards the roundabout for a left turn to Liscard
The views from the Girl's Breck are actually better than some from the Boy's Breck because the view is far less obstructed by trees etc. As an example the following is a print from a painting (Robinson again) done in 1878. The buildings at the front are mostly in the village itself ie The Cheshire Cheese, The Ring O Bells and the panel timbered building that used to stand more or less where the middle of the Wallsey Village Raod is now. Unfortunately that building "went" when the road was widened and straightened. I have other pics and painings of it. The other buildings are then in School Lane. A bit in the distance is a row of hosues - The Twenty Row of houses where people working at the brickworks would live. Leasowe Lighthouse can be seen in the distance.
I will be doing a then and now picture pair for this
Snod
Description: Location of "Girl's" Breck
Description: View from Girl's Breck in 1878 (Photo of painting by WH Robinson)
jus t think "THE ROCK" used to be railway sidings
Wow How its Changed.
I love the idea of wallasey village being as it is in the
black and white picture.
How things change?
Folly Lane was a LOT longer than it currently is as well. It used to run all the way from where it is now, across the main road and on all the way to the top of the hill. It changed dramatically when the trams were brought in, pretty much to how it is now as Broadway but you'll notice one thing that's going to change in the next few days by the look of it. Where the bend begins as you descend and you end up on St. George's Rd you'll see a little cut-off at the end of the cemetary. This was formerly a row of cottages demolished in the 1910's I believe and it was called Folly's Gut; at the end was a set of steps leading up to the graveyard. If you look now a set of gates have been put up but you can still see the divides of the houses where the brickwork still exists, it looks like this will all be demolished soon so I'd recommend seeing it soon before it vanishes.
Sounds interesting, Waddi get your camera out!
The Twenty Row of houses where people working at the brickworks would live. Leasowe Lighthouse can be seen in the distance.
Would this be where the pub on leasowe road got its name?
(The twenty row) (Now destroyed)
hmm, what else? I've gleaned most of my info from little local books I've found. Well I presume most people know about the housing that was where St Mary's College stands now and the Traveller's Rest pub that was there. The brewery that was a bit down Leasowe Road. Do any pictures exist of the original Wallasey Village station building? It was destroyed in the war and now I've seen Birkenhead Park's one it's the only one I'm missing. I'm a geek for the disused stations and lines, local ones particularly!
Wasn't that car salesroom also a gigantic bicycle shop at one point too? That's about as far back as my memory extends, I'm only a young-un!
BBStuey: I didn't realise that the original Wallasey Village station was blatted during the war. I always understood that when the line was electrified in 1937/8 the station was rebuilt/modernised in the typical 1930's style and is more or less how it is today.
I guess my knowledge may be lacking here !
Presume you've seen the "Disused Stations" sections in Sub.Brit.?
Very good !
The Twenty Row of houses where people working at the brickworks would live. Leasowe Lighthouse can be seen in the distance.
Would this be where the pub on leasowe road got its name?
(The twenty row) (Now destroyed)
Correct. Sad the pub went (even though I am a non-drinking man) because it held memories for me. My Grandad used to take me a Sunday walk down to the shore, down across the sandhills then he would ho in the Twenty Row for refreshment and I would sit on the step with a bottle of pop.
Snod
hmm, what else? I've gleaned most of my info from little local books I've found. Well I presume most people know about the housing that was where St Mary's College stands now and the Traveller's Rest pub that was there. The brewery that was a bit down Leasowe Road. Do any pictures exist of the original Wallasey Village station building? It was destroyed in the war and now I've seen Birkenhead Park's one it's the only one I'm missing. I'm a geek for the disused stations and lines, local ones particularly!
Wasn't that car salesroom also a gigantic bicycle shop at one point too? That's about as far back as my memory extends, I'm only a young-un!
The travellers Rest did stand where St Mary's College is now - as did many old cottages etc. I am trying to pull together as many photos and paintings of the area as I can, together with a map showing the locations. A long term project. The following is an often shown pic of the Travellers Rest. I took my own photos before the place was demolished - all I have to do is find them
Snod
Description: Traveller's Rest, Wallasey Village in 1930s
Great Pictures
Keep up the good work?
What do you suppose the man in the street is dragging
behind him? A Chicken ??
BBS
While I am not a railways and lines fan I did find some pictorial/ historical interest when they widened the railway bridge over Leasowe Rd. The following are photos I took at the time
Snod
Description: Leasowe Bridge 1
Description: Leasowe Bridge
Folly Lane was a LOT longer than it currently is as well. It used to run all the way from where it is now, across the main road and on all the way to the top of the hill. It changed dramatically when the trams were brought in, pretty much to how it is now as Broadway but you'll notice one thing that's going to change in the next few days by the look of it. Where the bend begins as you descend and you end up on St. George's Rd you'll see a little cut-off at the end of the cemetary. This was formerly a row of cottages demolished in the 1910's I believe and it was called Folly's Gut; at the end was a set of steps leading up to the graveyard. If you look now a set of gates have been put up but you can still see the divides of the houses where the brickwork still exists, it looks like this will all be demolished soon so I'd recommend seeing it soon before it vanishes.
BBS
I saw the "damage" to the church wall a week ago and posted a pic (again below). Subsequently I saw a photo of the upper part of Folly Lane with trams - and showing the cottages more or less where they are now excavating (new gates fitted to the opening in the last day or so). When you look inside the excavation area you can clearly see the remains of some of the old cottage walls
Snod
Description: "excavation" in the church wall, walalsey - April 08
Description: Broadway/ Folly showing old cottages demolished 1913
Amazing, your really brining Wallasey village alive.
Great pictures
Really good photos, I liked those! I don't have many that aren't in things like Yesterday's Wirral or the Railway Stations of Wirral one so there's not a whole lot I can add, I did see that picture on another thread but I'd already replied here.
Still, no more Black Horse eh? It's now Sheridans. Ooh la-de-da.
Ah the old Black Horse. Well not really the OLD Black Horse - that was a much older building, as shown below. Interestingly the two guys at the doorway are Ned Hughes (my grandfather) and Billy Cross. We lived in Stonehouse Road, almost opposite the Black Horse.
If you look carefully at the building you will see that one half has a different architecture than the otehr ie different design of chimney and window. That says one part was probably very much older and then an addition was made at a later date
Snod
Description: Old Black Horse, Wallasey Village
Well found BBS. I still think it would be well worth having a proper look around the part demolished site - and keeping an eye on (photographing) what may be uncovered while work is in progress.
Incidentally, when I showed my mum pictures of the cottages on the site (above) she immediately said that she remembered the higher end of the cottages away from the road had been used as an infants school for St Georges. She cannot have remembered that from observation because the cottages were demolished in 1913 and mum was born in 1918 - so probably the memorty was passed on as "village tales" - remembering the village was a LOT smaller in those days.
Snod
Well at the least you have pictures from Now before the changes
History in the making
have added this before, this is the site of the old liscard and poulton station down the years
Description: site of station
awesome, you got any more old pics rent?
cheers
Hi
I am new to this site and love it already.
Does anyone have any info or photos of Big Yard in Wallasey Village?
What is/was it may we ask?
Bit more info would help us
Off the top of my head... 'Big Yard' was farm land with pigs on it and I think it was in the area of Loretto Road.
..and to confirm
Childhood in the village
I lived in Lycett Road from 1955 to 1981, what a change! Mostly the quietness at night, no cars or buses, no people. The street lights went out at midnight. The building on the right was Woods, something to do with cars, behind that was waste land till "Grower" Jones, a kind of home grown veggie shop, then nothing till Big Yard with its pig farm, a builders called H.H.Woods, then about two old cottages, then Hoyland and Garners and an old Anderson shelter, then a big house on the corner of Sandy Lane. Back to the roundabout and on the other side was a block of new shops, I think Timpsons was first, then Taskers, then a paint shop, opened by "Len Fairclough", can't remember the next two but then there was Jack and Jills, then an entry, then Macaneenys? Dewhursts, R and A wool shop, Johnny Grahame's, Thomas's then Berties, then Beechwood Ave, Rushtons, Howards, Quails and Joynsons. The rest was Sparks market gardens till the Esso station then The Farmers Arms, then the Phoenix. I may have some things wrong here so put me right by all means. I remember Saturdays lasting forever, standing outside the shop on the corner of Perrin Road, window shopping for toys, Zeta planes from Clarks (Tony's) and fish and chips from "fish Charlies chips", Ladybird school clothes from Fayes.. Matchbox toys from the Railway shop on Leasowe Road and the best steak pies on earth from Goodes. After the M53 came along it all seemed to change, it got busier and more built up and less.....COUNTRYFIED!! oo arr!!
Taken from
http://www.francisfrith.co.uk/wallasey/photos/docks-c1965_W164086/
threshers on the corner of sandy lane used to be car showrooms, the last of which was a diahatsu in the mid 80's
Used to be a grocers when I was a lad!
Stone cottages on corner of Sandy Lane & Wallasey Village where a George Chatterton used to live. Next door, heading to Leasowe Rd was Strongs dairy. Next door, a bombed site with a "Anderson" shelter where we used to play, till the miserable old bat Mrs Povall who owned the sweet shop opposite used to take our bikes.
Ronnie Wood had a bike shop the "Cosmo" garage which became the Esso Station later. The bombed out cinema which became the Phoenix. The narrow section in the middle with a butchers shop & opposite was Yorks store where my gran used to buy her glass syphons of "Schwepps" soda water. It were all fields when I were a lad!!
Wow - I remember "The Bungalow" very well - when I was a kid, it was the home of the Roberts family. Used to go there w/ my elder brother to see his pal Eddie. The Dad of the family was Tom Roberts, he owned the Butchers, close to the Leasowe Rd reoundabout. The son (Eddie) used to race motorbikes, I remember him racing on the Prom few years on. Eddie'd been riding motorbikes almost all his life, I can remember him zooming up and down Broadway (testing!) on a racing Honda (I think it was - with no silencers!) - you could get away with stuff like that back then! Eddie also raced in the Isle of Man (TT) a few times. Ahhh the memories. The Bungalow had a super big garage around the back, I recall Tom Roberts had a "Maigret'-style Citroen, very unusual car, even then, with its dash-mounted gearshift and pump up and down 'air' suspension...!
...standing outside the shop on the corner of Perrin Road.
The sweet shop on the corner of Perrin Road was known as "Lucy's"... (about where the Drs is now but it jutted out further into the Village, I think?) and I also remember Williams' (grocers) at the far end of that block (near the Black Horse). There was a ladies clothes shop and a chandlers shop too on that block I think (?) but I can't remember the names. What year was it knocked down I wonder... Also I remember Scrugham's, across the other side of the road, Booths (sweets / papers?), and the Village Greens (Len Aggott...) I also remember Fayes, McEneany's etc (great bacon there, hand sliced on a Berkel slicer! Grocers never ever were quite the same again, after Tesco's came along...) not to mention the Village Hall - I remember the dances and being a blood donor there...
Wallasey Village, no date
this is were i spent my teenage years, its not changed just no st marys on photo. max
I've just been sent these old photos of Wallasey Village from the thirties. At first I thought there was a mix up, but they are Wallasey Village.
Leasowe Road goes off to the right, notice no roundabout
Looking towards where thefirst photo was taken.The bank is still there
Further up the road. The bank is one the left and Leasowe Road is next right
Looking straight at the Black Horse. Roundabout there now
Taken from Leasowe Road, looking toward the bank
Great set - thanks for posting Pablo
Yes indeed - amazing pictures. Thanks, love these I just wish I knew where you get them all from!!! Hoe there are more to come...
Pity the visibilty wasn't too good but all those coal fires'll do that, I s'pose...!!!
I still remember Grant's (chandlers), Roberts' Butchers (although it was Tom Roberts in my day) and Irwin's Grocers from my childhood (born '52)
The Cheshire Cheese in wallasey Village
Painting, surely? Looks too old to be a colour photograph, am I correct?
Painting, surely? Looks too old to be a colour photograph, am I correct?
Many postcards were 'colourised' by simply painting in the negative.
Looks like it's been colour splashed....look at where the building joins the pavement, half the photo is still back & white.
That's brilliant! Looks like an early colour photograph! Great photo btw pablo.
Interesting that the "traffic island" is still there today...! (not that they exactly had much traffic, back then...?!
Wallasey Village 1902. Cheshire Chees still looks the same
Bet it doesn't on the inside - have you seen it lately? Hmmmmmm...!!
It had a 'sensible' re-furbishment inside about 18 months ago and now has even more old photographs of the pub and old Wallasey on the walls inside, including some framed original invoices from a centuary ago.
It still sells real ale - no nitro-keg or lager when this picture was taken - and is known locally for its mini beer festivals.
Any idea what the building is on the left?
Could that be the sweetshop / tobacconist / paper shop (not sure which!) at the top of School Lane?
Could that be the sweetshop / tobacconist / paper shop (not sure which!) at the top of School Lane?
Correct. Demolished around 1930-31 so even I do not remember it. There are lots of photos & paintings of the half-timbered place, and that next door
S.
The black and white timbered building to the left was situated at No. 1 Wallasey Village, the cottage was once the 'Ring O Bells' and then turned into a house and a shop run by Jack Jones. The cottage was demolished by 1921 when the road was widened.
my great grandparents lived in no3 'Ring o Bells' cottages.My granma was 3 years old in 1901 census.Her parents were John and Sophia Nelson. She was one of 13 children. From there they moved to a house on Breck Road.