Just a quick few items of news for 18th May.
Hoylake Cottage Hospital (pictured) is featured today in the Liverpool news section over at the BBC site – do look at the photo slideshow.
The barbers, Cut Above, near Manor Road has closed. There was a notice in the window with a message of thanks to old customers.
A new sandwich shop, Pickled Peppers, has opened by the Post Office in Market Street in the shop that was previously The Business florists.
There are rumours about a possible sale of the old lifeboat station. A contact who works in the commercial property market informs me that the building is currently under offer.
There’s a new website for the forthcoming boutique spa hotel on Meols Drive.
Sean Murphy has pointed out a local orienteering event for juniors and seniors is to take place soon, nearby at Thurstaston on May 26th. For full details visit Deeside Orienteering Club.
A reader is hoping to find information and photos about the old building on Meols Drive called The Priory. Can you help? Like me, you might recall it as the old job centre.
Would anyone happen to know if in Meols there used to be a row of houses in Greenwood Road, opposite St Andrews Church, in what is now Meols Park of course?
With reference to The Priory, my mother worked there between 1936 and 1939,at that time it was the home of John Holt who was the owner of a shipping line which used to operate vessels between Liverpool and West Africa.
With regards to cottages in Greenwood Road, there was many years ago quite a large house almost opposite St Andrews Church, whether this was divided into cottages I don`t know. In the 40`s and early 50`s the owner used to sell vegetables so I understand.
Incidentally Greenwood Road has in the past had two other names, Park Road and Park View
I have a photo taken around 1910 of Greenwood Road and the house in question is quite visible, if anyone wants a copy please let me know.
Hi Syd
That’s really interesting – thanks for the information. A friends mum recalls a house (or houses) in Greenwood Rd …if you could photo your photo that’d be great!
John
With reference to the cottage on the site of meols park.My Uncle Reg informs me that the cottage used to belong to the Price family.
That is correct. It was the home of Mr Walter Wilkinson Price who owned Prices farm and dairy which stood on Goose Green between Roman Road and St John’s Church where I was a chorister. As a boy I used to take the cows back to pasture in the fields at the bottom of Lyndhurst Road. In fact I was born at No. 6 Lyndhurst Road in April 1933.There was a denture factory at the end of Celtic Road, and most days an employee would deliver parcels to Meols station to catch the train. I often wondered where all these teeth ended up! I have so many memories of Meols and Hoylake, and at 84 it is so lovely to recall them. Thank you all.
In the mid-late 1950s I made an unexpected visit to the Priory.
The Greasby school bus to the Parade was reaching the end of Meols Drive when a motorcycle caused it to swerve into the Priory gardens, making a big hole in the wall.
The bus was a Crosville double decker, and fortunately it stayed upright, so all passengers (and I belive the motorcyclist) survived shaken but unharmed.
For many years I could see the new brickwork where the Priory wall was patched up.
In Greenwood Road, I remember there was a little public toilet (would be grade-1 listed today!) and an air raid siren on a pole. I once noticed the door to the siren controls was unlocked, but I did not fiddle with the controls!
There was also an air raid siren on the top of the entrance to the Outdoor swimming pool in an ugly square frame, and St John’s school in Meols had air raid shelters behind the buildings which were later removed to extend (or restore) the playground.
I remember that siren (or a replacement one) in Meols Park going off one night …must have early 1980’s I guess. It was as loud as anything.
I’m not sure it’s still there. I’ve just had a look in google streetview and I can’t seem to see it.
There was an air raid siren in Barton Road too between Curzon and Courtenay roads. It was still used for the fire brigade, i guess Hoylake must have had part time fire fighters in those days.
I was most interested to read that The Priory was the home of the well known Liverpool shipping family, the Holts. I think it is a great shame that we are losing the historical names of these grand houses as they are demolished or redeveloped for other uses. The Priory is now Meols Court but the original name could have been kept as a link to the past. Next door is The Paddock latterly called the Greenacre Court residentoial home, or some such, and now apparrently to be the Royal Hilbre Boutique Hotel & Spa.
Other notable houses whose names have been lost in recent years are The Gap (King’s Court) and The Chase (Barton Close)- two of Hoylake’s oldest and most characterful homes lost with not so much as a nod to their memory.
I am surprised that the Hoylake Civic Society does not make a point of protecting this part of our Hoylake heritage. Any Civic Society members want to comment on this?
As this post of yours is over 3 years old, I’m not sure you’ll get this, but in case I do get through to you, I’m searching for information about my great grandfather’s place of birth: Chase West in Hoylake. I’ve encountered a description on the Internet: “the East and West Chase with their fine lodges on Barton Road” in Hoylake. I have no idea what a “chase” is. My great grandfather writes in his diary that he and his brother were both born in Chase West (1868 & 1870 respectively), the house his brother was given upon marrying. Any information you have about this house & property and its street address in Hoylake, if at all possible, would be very much appreciated.
Hello Lynn
It’s a slim possibility there’s a link to the old Hoylake horse racecourse.
I’ve not heard of East Chase and West Chase before.
Hopefully someone else knows more.
John
Hi, I live in West Lodge, Barton Rd, Hoylake which is one of 2 sandstone lodges built at the end of the driveway (now Barton Close) leading to ‘The Chase’ which was once situated on the seafront at the end of Barton Close. You can see a gatestone with ‘The Chase’ engraved onto it at the edge of my property on Barton Rd. I am always curious as to the history of my property. Cheers, Hilary
The Chase was originally two houses which as you say were called East and West Chase. They were two of Hoylake’s oldest houses and were linked by a 2-storey extension (probably Victorian) in which my family lived in the 1950s until 1964. Once joined the house was known as The Chase. It was originally built to take advantage of the excellent rabbit shooting hence the name The Chase which was a name often given to hunting lodges.
Hi Peter, have you any photos of the Chase and the lodges. Our West Lodge is now a bungalow but there are architectural features which suggest it was once 2 storey.
Hi Peter,
I live in Mossley Hill Liverpool , very close to Sudley House which was the home of the holt family.
This house now belongs to the national trust, I took my grandchildren only last weekend to see
all the wonderful pictures on show and of course models and picures of holt ships,
we also went around their living quarters, the daughters office where she worked for the poor
of Liverpool, As an ex Hoylake person I knew the priory very well and attended there when I
received sick pay from the company I worked for, but had no idea that john Holt lived there.
thank you for that information.
Regards Sandra
I am looking for information ( and photos ? ) of a home called The P{riory in Hoylake from early last century to about 1930 when it was the home of my Mothers parents ( Mann-Watson ). My Mother was born there as shown on her birth certificate.
Any information would be most interesting !
Regards,
Graham Ferguson
Graham
The Priory was a grand black & white style house on Meols Drive close to the King’s Gap roundabout and backing onto the Royal Liverpool golf course. I can’t add much to what is already posted on here but if my memory serves me correctly there was a date above the front door – 1901 or thereabouts?
Sadly the beautiful house which was for many years used as the local Employment Exchange was demolished and replaced by a smart apartment block called Meols Court about 10 (?) years ago.