Tuebrook House, built 1615
Tue Brook House, 695 West Derby Road, Liverpool was built in 1615 as a farmhouse. It is now owned by Liverpool City Council and must be the city's most unusual council house. It is thought to have been originally owned by John Mercer, a yeoman farmer and during the Victorian period was the home and workshop of a Mr.Fletcher, a wheelwright. Some parts of the building contain sections of it's original "wattle and daub" construction, which can be seen through glass panels.
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As it is today:
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Old school Building, Lister Drive
The old school building that stood on lister drive was built in 1912. It was used as a school up until WW2 when it was then used to house German prisoners.
After the war it was converted back into a school called Lister Drive Primary. Over the next few decades it was poorly maintained and the roof fell into a bad state with numerous leeks and corroded guttering.
In 2000 the school moved into new premises on green lane and the old school was used by a childcare group called Lister Steps. Whilst they where there they had plans drawn up for the complete restoration and modernisation of the 88 year old building which would have been turned it into a massive community centre and office building.
Unfortunately funding could not be secured for the work and the nursery moved into new temporary buildings alongside the school in 2005. The building was then put up for sale by the council and sold within a few months.
Hopes of the buildings restoration where shattered when the building was subject to an arson attack and was sadly demolished a few weeks later.
The land remains empty to this day and cannot get planning for any buildings until a complete survey of the nearby power station is carried out.
I was in this school from the age of 3 to 11 when I then went to secondary school. I have so many memories of this building and how magnificant it was. It had two grand staircases at either end of a huge main hall which was floodlit from windows in the roof. The entire building retained its original features such as cast iron radiators, tiled walls and original parqua flooring. It even had its original windows and guttering.
Luckily, my mum is the manager of the nursery that moved in after the school moved out, so I was able to keep myself informed of any developments regarding the building. It was a sad day for everyone when the fire took place. I can remember going to work about 7 in the morning (i worked in the nursery) and seeing a huge spire of smoke over tuebrook. As I turned the corner onto lister drive I realised it was the old school.
I can remember talking to a guy at the scene who had travelled into Liverpool on the m62 and seen the smoke from there. Some of the staff at the nursery have family in wirral who seen the smoke from the other side of the mersey.
The strange thing about the fire is that it started at both ends of the building and took hold very quickly. There are rumours that it was started by the new owners who could claim the insurance money and have a reason to demolish the building.
This was a great building at the heart of the community that had alot of memories for alot of people. It is sorely missed.
Mr Fletcher at Tuebrook House
Thomas Fletcher (born 1798) was the wheelwright who lived at Tuebrook House in the 1851 Census.
His biographical information can be found at minersandmariners.org. We too visited the house when in the UK in 2002 :)
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