The Gables Estate...somewhere in Liverpool

[wallasey]

Hi all,

I recieved an email from a American the other day. She visited Liverpool 30 years ago; whilst on her travel's around the city, she came across a estate called "The Gables". Her e-mail claims this estate lies/lay off Smithdown Road.

Now I don't recognize the name at all...I was wondering if our wonderful forum and city could shed light on the whereabouts of this estate??

Many Thanks in advance.

[fortinian]

I've found reference to a house called 'The Gables' at 5 Croxteth Road.

In the late 1800s it was the seat of a Mr Thomas Snape - a radical liberal MP for Haywood District. Snape started as an alkali manufacturer in Widnes before becoming an MP. Snape's family it seemed stayed there and were close to the Lloyd George family. There is a possibility that Snape married a member of the Lloyd George family as their only son is listed as Professor H. Lloyd-Snape. It was a common practice for the child's second name to be the mothers maiden name - especially if she was from a prostidious family.

In the early 1900s there was correspondence from a Mr Edward Russell and a Mr Robert A. Duncan from 'The Gables' to David Lloyd George - then Chancellor of the Exchequer and later Prime Minister.

Interesting but sadly doesn't help you much does it? Croxteth Road doesn't join Smithdown Road but Croxteth Drive does, at the Ullet Road junction. Possibly it was one of the grand houses that surround Sefton Park.

Good Luck!

EDIT: There is a house still called 'The Gables'. A large Victorian mansion situated on Normanton Avenue near Sefton Park but no-where near Smithdown. Link to it
here (http://www.l13.co.uk/normanton_avenue.html).

[wallasey]

Thanks fortinian, I have since heard back from her...and guess what...it all seems to fit. The message she has sent back to she says...


It was a huge, old falling-down Victorian-type house, with a wrought iron fence, if I remember correctly

So you might just hopefully have helped there!

It was a very interesting story...who'd have thought it ay!

I will send the link you posted to her...it may ring a nice lil bell!

Will keep you posted!

Many thanks,

russ

[HopiRaven]

I am the person searching for The Gables, which I now believe may have been torn down.

Thank You to the link for the current place called The Gables, but that is not it, although it does have a wrought iron fence!

That house on Normanton is NOT the place, it is MUCH MUCH smaller. The one I saw (and stupidly did not photograph) was HUGE, descrpit old mansion that looked VERY much like the Addams Family house!

I am thinking that the place near Ullet Rd MUST have been it, and near Sefton Park.
Do those old houses still exist???

Thank You for everyone's help!

Evene if I had photgraphed it way back then, I was using a 110 camera, and they do not even reprint them any more over here in the States!

Take Care, Sharon (hopiraven@aol.com)