The first houses in Litherland Park (Nos 4,5 and 6 according to an 1851 map were built in 1849) – the same years as St. George’s Hall and the Bank of England were being built in Liverpool. The higgledy-piggledy numbering of houses comes from them being added sporadically and named, but later numbered with in-fill houses. 4,5 and 6 were Victorian villas with unhindered views down to the coast where adverts say the tall-masted clipper ships could be seen sailing to and from the four corners of the world each day.
Fast forward 110 years to 1969 – and on a stroll around the Park you’d see the collection of houses posted here. Seven of the houses here have not survived since, many fell vacant with the demise of extended families and high costs of maintenance. There was much money to be made demolishing old Victorian houses which were out of fashion in the 1960s (only to become popular again in the 1970s). Those first houses are now 172 years old – 28 years from their magical 200-year anniversary.
For now, put your flares on and imagine this walk around in the late 1960’s following the original walk by Albert Haworth. As usual any new historical facts or pictures about these or other Litherland Park houses would be great.
59 LITHERLAND PARK – The walk begins at the Wilson’s lane gate and proceeds clockwise. The first pictured house that would have been on the right is now gone. It was difficult to pin down exactly where it used to be, but then a sloping wall was found to still exist, as did the “swiss chalet-style” houses on the far end – then newly built. The house on the left was lowered in height and redeveloped to the existing No59. The plot on the right was used to build a new house.
60 LITHERLAND PARK
This pic is only included for completeness and was taken much earlier than the rest perhaps in the 1940s-50s. It was on the plot of the current “swiss chalet style” houses there now. The chap on the right of the car with a dog does not resemble Dr Williams who was known to live there but could be the husband of one of his daughters (Margaret) or Dr. William’s wife Leah.
56 LITHERLAND PARK – No.56 is identified through the house number on the wall; it has been substantially redeveloped.
Nos, 6 AND 7 LITHERLAND PARK – Turning around and looking across the road was the curved sloping path on No. 7 (which was redeveloped in the 2000s). I was always fascinated by that path as a kid. If you look to the left of the picture you can see the original No.5 Litherland Park (now gone). No’s 4, 5 and 6 were built together in 1849 by Sheehan the Builders. No. 5 was the location of Miss Pride’s School and No. 6 was occupied by the Costain (builder’s) family when they first set up. The car looks fairly new and being H-reg dates it as Aug 1969 onwards.