Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Now and Then Folly Lane, Wallasey

Folly Lane, Wallasey ran down alongside St Hillary's Church across Wallasey village and on down towards where the railway line is now. I do not know exactly where it ended.

The initial view of the "bakers boy" was created at the upper part of Folly Lane alongside the high sandstone wall that surrounds a lot of the church. When taking the photo I have used the skyline and Halkyn Mountains too try to judge the same sort of position.

The second photo shows the view looking up from from Wallasey Village to the same sort of point.

The upper part of Folley Lane is now part of St Georges Road - changed when the road was widened to take trams

The lower part of Folly Lane still exists with that name and runs down alongside the playing field that used to be the garden of Buxton House. Buxton House was owned by Mrs Billington whose husband had been a matress manufacturer. the hose also belonged to the Wallace family who owned Blackler's store in Liverpool. I know the house burned down in the 20s or 30s but I cannot find a reference to when and why. The flats to the left of the picture are situated where the house used to be.The gates of Buxton House are still there. Once upon a time there was a small lodge house beside the gates

Snod

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The upper part of folly lane is now Broadway, not St Georges, it only changes to St Georges at the bend, i.e the Library.

And St Georges only became St Georges with the intoduction of the tramway, before that it was Back Lane.

WADDI

Quite correct - just my sloppy use of directions

The picture below shows the far end of St Georges Rd (Nee Back Lane). Presuming a lot of the rest of Back Lane looked similar you can see whey thay had to give it a big upgrade to run trams

The next picture is then one of the trams descending Broadway past St Hillary's church. Quite a steep slope for a tram I would think.

Note the two arrows I have placed on the sandstone wall surrounding the lower part of the church. There used to be a narrow passage way from that part of Broadway into the church grounds. I know where the passageway comes out in the church grounds because I can see the (locked) iron gate,but I cannot remember exactly where was the entrance. My memory of the days when I used to go along that passageway to church was that it ran alongside a high sandstone wall to my left and that it turned towards the church at the point shown by arrow #1. However, the picture also shows a small doorway indicated by arrow #2. Maybe that was the entrance? It is difficult to tell now because the high wall leading to arrow point #1 is in the garden of the adjoining bungalow (which used to belong to Tommy Roberst, the butcher with a shop by the corner of Leasowe Rd/ Wallasey Village roundabout) and the small doorway arrow #2 has been "mega vandalised" - as shown by the next photo taken last week.

It looks to me as if the intention is to build a garage or the like into the sandstone wall. This is interesting because if you look into the large hole that is now there you can see what to me seem like the remnants of older buildings ie stubs of walls etc. I wonder if anyone "historically oriented" is investigating those remains?

Snod

Small update - Buxton House

I am told that it was destroyed by bombing in WW2. I guess incendaries. I remember that it certainly looked all burned out when I used to play around there about 1947-57 era. I cannot remember when they finally knocked it down because it was too unsafe. Apparently the place was often used for billeting soldiers but was not really occupied when it was bombed, so nobody was hurt. Mum tells me that when it happened the locals raided the place as soon as they could to "take into safekeeping" any items that had survived

Snod

Excellent,
I know the area but i'm learning its history now

In Snod's last picture, there was a series of cottages up there and a staircase up to the cemetary, the houses were demolished to extend the graveyard and the little row itself was called Folly Gut.