Thanks to Syd Bird for sending me this scanned image of the old Grove House property that a few of you have been discussing recently in relation to Grove Park. The photo was in a 1960’s local newspaper and Syd reckons the house may have been demolished in the 1930’s. Presumably the old Parish Hall (also now demolished – you can see an old photo of it in this post) was built after Grove House was knocked down?
Grove House faced towards Grove Road so we think the houses in the background of the photo must be the backs of the Lake Place houses. Here’s a 1909 Ordnance Survey map and you can click the image for a much larger version:
If by a slim chance you have a photo of Grove House I’d love to see a copy of it.
Feel free to share your comments below.
Another great photo! Never seen a shot of Grove House before.
Was interested to see a large property called Watch House on Government Road where the 1960s flats are now. Can anyone tell us about this property and the adjacent open land?
Hi Peter,
the Watch House also appears on the 1871 Ordnance Survey Map and I wonder as it was situated very close to the Coastguard Cottages if the Revenue/Customs Officers used it as their base. I think in the 1800`s in times of rough weather there were numerous wrecks about and no doubt the cargo of the vessels would have been of great interest to the locals AND to the Authorities! Perhaps others will be able to tell us more.
With reference to the Grove House photo, the house looks rather derelict and the grounds overgrown and I wonder if the photo was taken just prior to it being demolished.According to an article I have read it was certainly empty towards the end of the first world war. Apparently in its prime it was considered to be the finest residence in Hoylake.
thats where i live now…the 4 sycamore trees are still there
Not directly related, but nearby, my very good friends Penny and Peter Jones, lived at 49 Grove Road, just opposite this site, (was once a taxi service, I’m told), and Peter’s storage area, he called “the bomb site”, where a house is shown on the map, was this truly a bombed house? Carl Watson, New Zealand
Are you referring to Penny nee Atherton and Peter Jones, whose family owned the brickworks in Moreton?
Nice people, I remember them well.
Dear Sue,
Yes, Penny and Peter were very great friends of my wife,- Diana, went to Carlett Park tech with Penny, who used to bring Diana back home, in Peter’s old black Rover car, lifelong friends, we used to live in 56,Stanley road, and Peter was a great help in renovations.We were also radio hams, which Peter was a big participant in. We migrated to NZ in “73, but kept up with them both, until Penny’s untimely death, and with Peter, well into his old age.
Hello Carl…so nice to meet you.
My, my, you were or still are very posh! An address in Stanley Road no less!
I lived next door to Mrs Atherton and her son Bobby in Groveland Avenue.
I remember Peter was a little eccentric, driving along in his old Rover, always looking a mess…and his huge radio mast in his back yard.
He and Penny always struck me as rather an odd couple, as she was such a quiet ladylike person and Peter was so larger than life! I’m so sorry to hear of Penny’s death….did they eventually have any children and do you know what happened to Bobby, her brother? Did they always live in Hoylake?
I have moved around the world over the last 30 odd years and now live in Germany, so have literally lost touch with anyone from Hoylake, especially since my mother died.
Many thanks for the update.
It was so pleasant to be in contact with you.
My very best regards
Sue
Hi Sue, we shouldn’t use this blog for personal chat, drop me an e.mail.
carlwatson@xtra.co.nz, Carl
Dear Sue,
I am one of the many cousins of Bob and Penny Atherton. Neither had any children. Bob was best man at my wedding in 1981; he married Connie in 1983 and they now live in York. My mum was the last of the previous generation, (which had numbered seven and who all, in their youth, lived at 46 Groveland Avenue), and after she died we have always held a “Cousins’ Reunion” annually.
I spent a lot of time with Peter Jones and although I was formally trained as an engineer, I always acknowledge that I probably learnt more from Peter than through my academic training.
You have an accurate memory of Peter. That Rover 75 was patched and welded for years, till there was virtually nothing original about it. I remember seeing Peter drive it along market Street one day, leaving a plume of smoke which remained until some time after the car had disappeared from view.
I also met Carl and Di through Peter and Penny, and remember them with affection.
Did you know Penny was actually Maureen Judith ? Also her mother, June, was really Phyllis.
Best wishes,
Charles Morris
Dear Carl,
Peter and Penny’s house had previously been Archie Brown’s Taxi Service before they bought it. “The Bomb Site” was the site of three or four terraced houses, of which the end one interrupted the pavement and reached right to the edge of Grove Road. They were not bombed, but demolished round about the time Peter and Penny bought no. 49. I imagine the houses had been condemned.
Best wishes,
Charles Morris
It looks like the gardens of Watch House (front or back?) are opposite what would have been the front door of the Parish Hall. I remember that Hilbre Scouts had a posh wooden scout hut on this part of grove place. First Hoylake Scouts had to use the room at the back of the Parish Hall. Anyone know how Hilbre Scouts got funding and permission to use that land? Has anyone got a photo of the scout hut?
The Hilbre Scout hut on Grove Rd got blown down.
The Scouts and cubs had to move to the church hall on Alderly Rd. We would go into the hall off Lake Rd.
The Chemist on Market St..the chemist was the Scoutmaster and Miss Ireland was the Cub mistress.
At the time when the hut blew down there were only two scout troops in town. Hilbre and St Luke’s.
Hilbre wore Red and Black Neckers and St Luke’s wore yellow.
The Beven’s were big time Scouters I know one of them made Queen scout.
John Hall may have more information on this.
For those interested in the Grove House photo, having had another look at my original copy I see that the photo was taken around 1929 ,which sort of fits in because the Parish Hall was apparently constructed between 1929/1931.
Hi Syd. Thanks very much for finding this photo. I’m one of the people looking into the history of the park. So far we’ve been able to trace that the house was occupied by a Mary Langdon until she died in 1912. It was then left to her relatives, but we can’t find any trace of it having occupants after this, which would fit in with it being derelict in the 20’s. It was also a boarding school for boys in the 1870’s. By the way I think a relative of yours lived in my house when it was first built – 32 queens rd.
Hello Gail,
when I was collecting the “Old Hoylake” photos in the 1960`s images of The Grove were very hard to come by and the one that J.C has published is the only close up I ever came across. I do have an old image of Grove Road taken from Lake Place looking towards Trinity Road ,if you think it would be of any use I can send it to you or ask John to publish it sometime.
I was intrigued to hear what you had to say about one of my relatives possibly living in your house and I`ve been trying to work out who that could be . My Uncle George used to live in Queens Road ( previously named Prussia Road) but I wouldn’t have thought he was there when the house was first built. Do you have any further details?
Hi Syd
When I was looking on one of the post office directory’s recently for the turn of the century, I know my house was registered under a Mrs Bird. Didn’t really take on board her first name but when I look next time, I’ll make a note.
Ages ago, when I was looking on the 1901 census I do remember there were 9 people living in our household – a mother/matriarch figure, 2 sons and a daughter, an aunt, then 2 lodgers and 2 servants. I didn’t make a note of their name at the time but I’m assuming it would have been Mrs Bird. Next time I go snooping in any online records I’ll be sure to write all of this down. Will email you with any further info.
Cheers
Gail Lowther
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Hi Syd
Just been on Gore’s directory for 1900 and the lady that lived at our house was a Mrs Margaret Bird.
Gail
Hello Gail,
many thanks for the info regarding Mrs Margaret Bird,I`ll need to try and work out which member of the Bird family she was married to and see if I can make a connection with my part of the family. Best wishes for your Grove Park project,many of us growing up in Hoylake in the 40`s and 50`s used to enjoy playing football there and I remember very clearly that the surface was just a rough covering of soil, but the open space gave us great enjoyment.
Regards,
Syd
Hi…
Great to see a bit of Hoylake history on these pages and especially of the area around Grove Park.
I loved to play there as a kid in the 50’s…nice memories of an age of innocence.
Isn’t the house shown in the picture the one that Mrs Date and her daughter Dianna lived in, back in the 60’s?
Next to it was Stan’s off licence.
Seem to remember going to school (Market Street School) with a Syd Bird….could it be one and the same?
Keep up the good work…and thanks!
Hi Sue
I used to live in Chapel Road and attended Market Street School from 1949 until 1953.
With reference to the Grove House, I think this was demolished about 1930 when the Parish Hall was built, but a few outbuildings remained for a while longer.
I remember Stans off licence very well.
Love reading these posts, just got on here recently. I grew up in Hoylake. My Nan and Grandad used to live in Lake Place, Sis and Abe Cumpstey.