Rock Villa, Wellington Road, New Brighton

[celia]

Darn it, i have just lost the post explaining the picture
Have to do it again.

Photo removed

[celia]

Hi Skipworth

Well first of all on my first flying visit to locate the house I couldn’t find the villa, where I thought it was, because the numbers ended At 40 something. Then I though it was another one but thought it was too small, I was looking for a much larger house. I then decided it must have been demolished, but couldn’t really believe that because from what I remember being told years ago. All the Old houses on the sea front were listed building. Portland Street Runs down the middle of Wellington Road, down onto the prom. I had crossed Portland Street and walked right to the end of Wellington road, past a block of modern flats an old house and a pretty cottage. Then was cut off by The Cliff, the high rise flats seen on the map. I was stumped. However with the information from the addresses I got from the directories, the old photo of the house, an old picture I have of the rock before the prom was built, and the lay of the land (which hasn’t changed from the rock up) I got loads of clues to work on, so it being a beautiful sunny morning I spent a nice couple of hours armed with camera and determination retracing my steps. Forward from number 4? To work out where 57 would have been. I did, I had passed Rock Villa twice, on the other side of the road. It was the pretty white cottage, Flanked by the two larger building, that I didn’t take much notice of. I have now taken some photos of the front of  the house, but because it is private I don’t think I should put them on the net. If the owner happens on them I might be in big trouble, so I will send them to you plus some views. I had to go on the prom to take the back views, the security that end is like fort knox even the gates into the mini golf course are locked. I can put some up though, so back shortly.

Celia

[celia]

This one is taken from the prom  the lower house  in the middle is yours
Both the photo's are the backs of the houses.The fronts are half the size

[celia]

This one is the other end of Wellington Road, Don,t they look impressive. The fronts are smaller but backs spill down the rock they were built on.

[Skipworth]

Thank you Celia

It looks as though it was a lovely sunny day but was it cold.

I am so pleased that the house is still there - I think it would be a great place to live.   I would imagine the view from the rear of the house would be fantastic.  A marathon effort on your part! It certainly bring's family history alive to see where one's ancestors lived - especially the actual house

Cheers

[MaryA]

Oh I've enjoyed your adventures Celia, and the great shots of the house too, well done.  Yes it does look like a lovely day, typical of what we've had over the last week, blue skies and bitingly cold, until today when we now have a fall of snow a couple of inches deep.

Just to round off your places, both Hackins Hey and Esplanade, Waterloo are on the Liverpool side of the river.  Waterloo isn't a place that I would expect them to have their offices if they live in West Derby, but that's not to say that I'm right.  Hackins Hey is different, this will be a small road, almost an alley nowadays shortly before you get to the Town Hall when heading down Dale Street in the direction of the river.  Put it into www.streetmap.co.uk and it will bring up the map straight away since it would seem that it's the only one in the country.

Again put in Waterloo and change your search from "Street" to "Place" and find Waterloo, Merseyside down the list.  It'll show you the area by the Marine Lake and although The Esplanade doesn't seem to be named, I would expect it to be near there.  Come to think of it, maybe their offices were there because of the vicinity of the docks.

Try this site - http://www.antonygormley.com/ if there office was still there, this is the beach as they would see it today ........ strange isn't it?  I took a trip down there last summer to see them, so very weird and people keep putting clothes on them.  I've mystified you now haven't I? you'll have to go and look 

Mary

[Skipworth]

Mary - what an interesting web site and what unusual sculptures - he seems to be obsessed with the human form.  I could well imagine some people would like to dress them


Cheers

[MaryA]

Now you've got me, I have no idea about Old Hill, don't think it would be Old Hall Street anyway.  Where did you get the name from? I don't see it down that list from the directories, could it be Low Hill? Low Hill is now just a small street near the bottom of West Derby Road, but was once what the area was called including the Necropolis cemetery (now Grant Gardens which until a couple of years ago was opposite Brougham Terrace, the main Register Office and so a popular place for wedding photographs to be taken)

Yes Waterloo could be both residential or could be storage, nowadays it's the site of the Port of Liverpool and also has a large wind farm there too.

Can I suggest you try another forum for some of these more specific Liverpool/Waterloo queries, I trust Rootschat isn't going to object to me mentioning the more specific Liverpool FHS forum as opposed to here which is more general Lancashire, since I know one or two of the people on there live/used to live not far from that area and one in fact is writing a book about the houses in Bootle, not too far from Waterloo and she may be able to give you some hints about where to look for any further research you might want to do into the buildings.  http://www.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB2/

Somebody on that site also has old streetmaps and may be able to help with Old Hill.

[MaryA]

I just noticed one of the addresses Celia mentioned in the trade directories was Exchange Street E.W.  which runs down the side of the Town Hall, behind which is a square called Exchange Flags.  I don't specifically know the name Mellors Building, the one to the left, or West, is called Martin's Bank Building or Martins Building, so it may be the one to the east or then again it could be on the far side of the square.  So as you will see from the map, it's quite close to Hackins Hey, only a couple of roads to the west and running parallel.

The other side of the square is Rumford Street where the Western Approaches are, this is the World War II secret headquarters which were so secret they were only discovered a few years ago and opened up to the public as a museum - very interesting http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/localhistory/journey/underground/western_approaches/history.shtml