Friday Photo: Hoylake Parish Church
September 18, 2009 by John · 30 Comments
Another fab photo from the Syd Bird image library (thanks Syd) !
This old image shows the Hoylake Parish Church that was in Trinity Road (formerly Church Road). This photo ties-in with this weeks other news item about the cemetery gates. I mentioned in that post that the terraced houses have a name plaque of Church View – you can see those very houses in the background of this photo. Was the church also known as Trinity Church?
A few readers have now informed me that Hoylake Parish Church was demolished the 1970’s as it was deemed to be structually unsound. I’ve just had a read of one of the books I’ve got from the library and a demolition year of 1976 is given. I gather that the Social Club stands on the site of the old vicarage. There must be many more photos of this old church in the backs of drawers and under beds.
But do you know anything about the tunnel that may have existed in the church grounds?
Sometime next week I’ll publish another Syd Bird photo of the also demolished chapel that used to be on the corner of Market Street and Chapel Road.
Possible related posts (computer generated):
I remember a story about a tunnel but no idea if it was true!
It was a sad and, most likely, avoidable day when the church came down. The bell was left in the rubble and was saved by the Hoylake Outdoor Pool Trust who took it into safe keeping. It ended up being donated for use in another Cheshire church in, I think, Wyebunbury.
I still have a Book of Common Prayer and 2 copies of Hymns Ancient & Modern which I rescued from the rubble.
The bell that rang in the tower did so every Sunday throughout my childhood and young adulthood. I can still hear it now, in my memory.
At a weekend the bell announced Sunday, when that meant something, and was the only sound to be heard by people on their way to church, in the otherwise quiet and respectful silence that was Sunday.
My mum told me that the bell was contibuted to and paid for from donations by the people of Hoylake and that when that beautiful Church was finally knocked down, the incmbent vicar went off to his new parish, taking the bell with him.
Bernie
Watts
are you bernie watts from hoylake whos sister is lynn, you may not remember me, from lee road i had a brother philip.
regards val
Yep thats me Val, I have a memory of you, but I remember Phil very well. I’ve lived in Canada for the last 36 years but still have fond memories od School Lane, poor as we were.
David lives in West Kirby and Lynn is somewhere in WAles.
Regards
Bernie
Ontario
Canada
I remember the bell ringing , we could easily hear it in Chapel Rd, i used to get taken to the evening service with my Gran and remember, Andrew Jones, Timmy Ashhurst and Mike Parr were choir boys.
Mike Parr is my younger brother. Andy Jones and Tim were in the choir with me. I joined when I was 6 and could not see over the choirstalls but I loved it and was proud to be Head Chorister from 1965 to 1969. John Wilson followed me, then my brother Mike I think. Other choir boys from that time were Dave Whitely, Lifeboat Coxswain, Steve Armitage now deputy cox, and Ray Millett who was also in the crew. Tim Hazlehurst, Rob Parry, Brian Jones….apologies to those I’ve left out. There is a photo of us at the Chester Diocesan Festival we attended each year with our rivals…the great girls choir from St Hildeburgh’s. We always felt the poor relations…we had old cassocks and supluses…the girls had smart, red cassocks and even hats. They had carpets too in the church. But we loved the old Parish Church and our choir in the late sixties under the great organist Mr Clarke was pretty good. The men included chimney sweep and bass Fred Rimmer and head barber at George Henry Lee, tenor Steve Case. Neil Coslett, sadly no longer with us, was one of the younger men along with Alan Powell. The most venerable gentleman was Mr Hopwood, “Hoppy”, who was a Great War veteran. He told us off which we did not like but we grew to love and respect him. I remember, he had come from Moston near Manchester and was wouinded in the First war.He lived in Ferndale Road.
I cannot believe we let the old church go. It was demolished, in the opinion of many, because Hoylake could no longer afford 2 churches. The reason given was that the keystone over the main arch had slipped….but it had slipped in around 1850 I think when the church was relatively new. I have sung in the church as storms battered the west window, and the roof creaked…but it was solid. My father Bill recalls the great storm of January 1976 when houses and properties were damaged. He said not one tile fell from the Parish Church.
What really rubbed salt into the wounds was the removal of the bell. The church was built by Mrs Swainson for the fishing folk of Hoose and Little Meolse. My family were fishermen. They all contributed to the bell which should have remained. I believe Peter Cottrell of the Hoylake Community Group – ironically now buried where the church once stood – rescued it from the rubble and offered to set it up. There was probably more to it, but it seemed insensitive that the Church took it away. I would be thrilled to see it returned and would support a campaign to do so if others would like to join. It would be a wonderful achievement if the new Vicar could help bring this part of our heritage back home.
John Parr, ex- Coastguard House, Government Road and Hazel Road.
I think for those of us who grew up in Hoylake in the 40`s ,50`s and 60`s expected that the Parish Church and other buildings (like the Y.M.C.A.) would remain for ever, what a pity that did not prove to be the case . I think the church was mainly constructed of sandstone which made it very pleasing to the eye .
I had forgotten all about the church bell ringing out on a Sunday morning until reading what Bernie had to say about it and when I think about it now we in Chapel Road could hear it very clearly.
When I played a lot of snooker in the early 60`s for Hoylake Mens Social Club this was housed in the old Vicarage , I wish I had explored the basement to find out if there was indeed a tunnel leading to the church.
Syd, although, like you, I am no longer a resident of Hoylake I think someone should start a collection or movement to “Bring Back the Bell” !
It should be mounted, appropriately, in the midle patch of grass upon which, the church once stood, and where incidentally both my mum and dad are buried.
Regards
Bernie
Well that sounds like a good idea Bernie , but I think you and I will have to move back to Hoylake first.
Bye the way I met your brother David for the first time in about fifty years at the recent Parade School Centenary event .
I took a photo of Pat Bryers house on the corner of Hazel Road and School Lane shortly before it was demolished in the early sixties and I have noticed you can just ( but only just) see your house on it . I will send it to John C to see if he wants to use it sometime,
Regards,
Syd
Glad you met Dave at the centenary event, wish I’d been able to make it. It would have been nice to see how everyone had made their way in the world.
Pat was a good friend of Dave’s and he told me that Pat came over last year for “auld lang syne” saying it would probably be his last visit.
Regardless of whether or not the photo is printed I would love to get a copy, my email address is bermarg@rogers.com if you would be so kind.
Regards
Bernie
Is this the same same that Cynthia Lennon had Julian christened at (it was just a few doors up from her if I remember rightly) and John was unable to attend ?
I understand that John Lennon married Cynthia there.
John and Cynthia married at Mount Pleasant Registry Office.
Julian was christened at Holy Trinity Parish church quietly.Cynthia,deciding not to tell John until after the event,fearing a media circus if he attended.
Thank you, Gail. Yes, it seems I am wrong!!! I’d been told that and always believed it too! Maybe I had it confused with the christening?
When i was a small girl it was not unusual to see Cynthia Lennon round and about in Hoylake with her mum who lived in Trinity Road, in the terraced houses between the Punch and Grove Road, not sure what number, i`ll ask my Mum, i think my Gran knew Mrs.Powell.
Lilian Powell lived at number 18 Trinity Road two doors down from my grandparents Lil and William Mills at number 14. Lil Powell was a good friend to them and I met Julian on a couple of occasions when my grandmother babysat him for Cynthia when she took her mother to the Punch Bowl for a drink ! I also remember coming back from Whiteleys with fish and chips via the back alley and not being able to get past a black hackney cab which was parked there. As I waited for it to move, the engine was running, John, Paul, George and Ringo ran out of number 18 and jumped into the taxi. I very nearly dropped the enamel bowl holding the fish and chips. Happy Happy Days !!
Hi everyone.
I have just purchased one of the terraced houses opposite the church grounds in Trinity Road. I am doing a bit of research to try and find out when they date back to. From what I believe, the houses were constructed in two phases. Up to half way down the houses are back to back with houses on Shaw street and are built slighty differently to the latter few houses who have gardens reaching onto Shaw Street. Can anyone help with a date to when the houses with the gardens were built?
Regards Anita
Hi Anita – nice to hear from you!
I don’t know the answer myself, but it’s likely another reader will !
Kind regards
John
I have a framed map on my wall which claims to be of Hoylake in 1908-09 although I know it was not totally up to date. The houses in Trinity Rd (then Church Road)you ask about seem to have been in place by then, in fact the whole street looks to be complete on both sides except for a small gap just past the house on the seaward corner of Marmion Road which interestingly was called View Road which I’d never noticed before.
Hello Anita,
some of my ancestors were living at No 40 Church Road(Trinity Road) in 1901 according to the census so I guess the houses were built before then . The only thing I`m not sure about is the exact location of No.40, I`m assuming it`s in the row of houses opposite the churchyard,but I suppose it could be further up past the junction with Grove Road.
Regards Syd
Number 40 is opposite the church yard its the 4th house down from the little alleyway between the end house and what used to be the blacksmiths in Shaw St when i was a child.
I lived there from 1979 till 1984 then moved to Alderley Road, above the door way of number 40 it says church view, I remember them knocking down the old church when i was younger, Cynthia Lennon lived I think at number 20 or thereabouts, its nearly opposite the social club. I remember going to view it just after I got married, but never bought the house.
Diane
I remember Trinity Church very well. I was always told that ‘the secret tunnel’ ran from St Hildebughs Church and was used by smugglers. Seems rather far fetched now. Does anyone remember the wartime restaurant in the old vicarage? You could get amain course for Ninepence and no coupons!!
Just checking if there are any present day folks living in or near to Hoylake today who are Hugheses and might be descended from Thomas Hughes married to Anne Harding. They lived on Market Street. Previous generations included Thomas Hughes and Jane Wright , and Joseph Hughes and Margaret Barlow, and Thomas Hughes and Mary Jones who lived in West Kirby and had family marriages and christenings in St. Bridgets Church. A related line included Richard Hughes married to Alice Eccles from Formby. Thanks so much.
Hi Bill,
I think I see your ancestors mentioned in the 1881 Census living in Market Street(perhaps as landlords of the Punch Bowl?). Thomas Hughes aged 50 is shown as a Licensed Victualler, also mentioned is his wife Ann aged 50 and their 5 children,
Syd, yes that would be them Ann is Ann Harding from Wrexham, Wales. I think this is when the family relocated from West Kirby to Hoylake. Thomas and Ann had 9 children …some of the daughters married into families like Heavysege, Rainford and Dodd. It was my great grandfather, William Croxton Hughes, who emigrated to the USA around 1880. Thanks. Bill
i think I’m right in saying that the Rainsford’s had a business that might have been painters & decorators or builders perhaps, I’m going back to the 1950-’s so my memory is a bit stretched. Others might be able to help Bill.
Dear mr Hughes in reading with interest your last message you mentioned the name DODD and i was wondering if there could be any relation to my late fathers family. My fathers family lived and grew up in walker street (my dad was born in 1934)he has 2 brothers and 1 sister all still living 1 in west kirby 1 in hoylake and 1 in exeter. We have a number of family members in the church yard including my late fathers memorial stone which was just recently laid and blessed almost to the exact spot where he and his older brother used to sing on the church choir as young lads. I would be interested in any further information yourself or anybody else has regarding the church. The old bell would be a nice welcome site back to where it belongs and am sure like myself and many others it would bring back so many memories(I used to holiday at my auntie and uncles when i was younger late 60’s early 70’s)My father through his job as a police officer moved around a lot and finaly settled in bredbury nr stockport until his death in 2007 so i thought it fitting that he came back home to rest.
thank you.
Thirty years ago I visited a Thomas Hughes, and his wife, then living in Newton. I was pursuing my research into the Winter Gardens, and Thomas wrote to me because he had worked there in about 1917. Was he one of your family ?
Yes the Old Parish Church.
Where did the bell go?
I would like to know where it was Cast? There used to be a Brown Foundry in Liverpool. I am under the understanding it was donated by a Brown. The Browns were from Birkenhead.