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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.
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.
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...
So you might just hopefully have helped there!Quote:
It was a huge, old falling-down Victorian-type house, with a wrought iron fence, if I remember correctly
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
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)
UPDATE to this, that several people have been trying to help me on...
In packing some things for a move, I came across the map book I used in 1978 when in Liverpool, when I first saw the house, "The Gables." The house was notable enough to be included on the map, and I had circled it in red!
SO, now I can say the actual location of the house was on MENLOVE AVENUE, at the corner of MIDDLEFIELD RD. Directly across the street is something called REMAND HOME.
Does The Gables still stand?
Or does ANYONE have a photo of it?
THANKS SO MUCH!
Sharon
This is the "Google" view from Menlove Ave down Middleton Rd now
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...ed=0CBcQ8gEwAA
The Gables is marked on the 1904 Woolton map (Godfrey re-print). Two entrances are shown on Menlove Avenue. A pair of gate-posts are marked 'Gables':
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...188.51,,2,4.37
It appears to have been between modern-day Middlefield Road and Calder Grange. Modern housing covers the area of Calder Grange, with older housing down Middlefield Road.
The Gables was an old brick mansion on Menlove Avenue as you describe. It was used as a fee paying boys prep school for SFX RC (Jesuit) college during the late 1940's to 1950's (or later).
I attended there from 1948 to 1950 as an 8 and 9 year old. my memories are far from good due to the physical and emotional abuse I suffered.
The Head Master was Fr McCann. His deputy was Fr Powell. my class teacher was Miss Horner who was very abusive. I think that some of the boys , if they were middle class and from professional families might have fared better than I did. There was far too much corporal punisment.
Hi Jasper,
With all the punishment and abuse you recieved are you sure you wern't
in the big red cotta brick building that stretched right over the footpath upto
the road edge the remand home opposit the Gables, not sure but I believe it
might of been built for Gladstone wether or not he ever lived there I do not
know.The Gables at one time was a nurses home.
Born and bred in woolton 78yrs ago. lived in Vale Rd until I was 21.
Cheer's,
Tippo.:034: