Breck Road
Starting from the Brow end of Breck Road was ‘Hillside’. The Wallasey Overseer’s office was there, with John Braithewaite as assistant overseer. James Povall had the job in the latter part of the 19th Century and lived in the cottage. Miss Rimmer, who lived at ‘Hillside’, had a father who was a landowner in Wallasey and was also an artist. James McIntyre, the metal merchant, lived at ‘Hillside Cottage’ in the 1890’s and at that period James Blackwell lived in ‘Beach Villa’ by the Brow. Mrs. Jane Flamson was an upholsterer at No. 1, carrying on the business which had been started by her husband George. Miss Christine Merryman, who had the small tobacconists, lived next door. Thomas Green lived at No. 3 and a plumber by the name of Wilson lived in of these houses in the early 1900’s. Bert Woods, the decorator, lived at ‘Lochnagar’. Kennedy Russell used to live there. This house and the one next door (which used to be called ‘Hillside Villa’) are two interesting houses. They stand above the level of the road and are approached through a door in the wall –each house having one. They date from 1780 and have undergone a number of changes over the years. Bay windows have been added to No. 212 (which used to be called ‘Lochnagar’).
In the cellar there are tunnels of sorts which used to link up with those that the smugglers used in olden days. Those houses have walk-in type cellars and the front doors are approached by means of a short flight of stone steps. In the 1920s Bernard Cumming used to live in the next house, when it was called ‘Hillside Villa’.
The landlady of the ‘Ship Inn’ was Louise Keen, then Walter Bent had the public house in 1935. By the inn was ‘Hillside Cottages’ where Lucy Richards lived and next door was Mrs. Mary Richards. Those cottages used to be occupied by Charles Goodmen, who was a valet, Mrs. Ann Barton and Bob Webster, the coal dealer. Mr and Mrs. Kemp lived at No.2 Breck Cottages before they moved to Wallasey Village.
Breck Road, 1905 |
Darley Dene |
Breck Road, 1929 |
Beach Cottage, 1950s |
Breck Place |
Breck Road, 1920s |
The Wallaseyans Club (formerly the Old Wallaseyans Rugby Club) have played at Wallacre Park since 1926. They were founded in 1902 and from that time they have only missed two seasons as a playing side.
Bidston Footpath in the 1930’s, which stretches from Wallasey to Bidston Station, was a favourite walk for people at the weekends.
On Breck Ridge stood ‘The Eyre’ where Mr. Charles Crewe Chambres lived. He was the brother of Major Chambres who lived at ‘Mosslands’. The manager of the Wallasey Ferries, William Carson, also lived in this large house. Mrs. Lynda Tyrer was the occupant in the 1930’s. Miss Elizabeth McCoy lived at ‘Rocklands’ and Alexander Funsion was the owner of ‘Corbiere’. The next house was called ‘Greenbank where Sidney Martin lived.
At ‘Avondale’ lived Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Ownes lived at ‘Oak Mount’. Edmund Hopps was at ‘Westwood’. Harold Hopps also came to live here. He was renowned for his paintings of old Wallasey and helped to write and illustrate the ‘Rise and Progress of Wallasey’.
Alexander Hay lived next door at ‘Kinnard’ and next door was the vicarage of St. Luke’s Church at ‘West View’. Mr. Dalzell, the ship store dealer, lived at ‘Ewnrigg’. Fred Williams, the coachman, lived at ‘Heath Bank Cottage’. The sandstone lodge still stands in Breck Road and the path ran to the large mansion at the top. In the 1900s John Connor, the coachman, lived at ‘Heath Bank Lodge’ and John Casson lived there in the 1920s. ‘Heath Bank’ was the home of John McInnes, the paint merchant. John Ripley used to live in the large house at one time. It was later purchased by Vernon Clubhouse and Recreation Grounds, which in turn became Spiller’s Sports. On account of the employees not wanting to use the clubhouse, it was sold and new houses built on the land.
‘Brick Cottage’ stood on the high ridge between ‘Heath Bank’ and ‘The Eyrie’. ‘Lavina Cottage’ was the home of Charlie Rippingham and, in the next house called ‘Orme View’. Charles Broscoe was the occupant.
Before the building of St. Luke's Church the nearest church for local parishioners was St. Hilary's but in 1882 a temporary iron building was erected in Limekiln Lane and services were conducted by the Revd. Wilfred Stanton. By 1899 the small building was not large enough to hold an ever growing congregation so they decided to build a proper church. The site of the church was donated by Mr R.C. de Grey Vyner and the architects were Mr Harry May and Mr Lindsay Grant. The foundation stone was laid on 21st October 1899 by Miss McInnes, the principal benefactor. The first portion of the church was completed and consecrated on 1st November 1900. Poulton was made a separate parish in 1906 and Revd. R.D Hughes became the first vicar. The font inside the church is the old Norman font from St. Hilary's Church.
On the right-hand side of Breck Road from the Brow end, Thomas Bage lived at ‘Glendow’ and William Bayliff, the iron-founder was at ‘Shelter Close’. The Waldie Brothers kept cows and fields which stretched over quite a wide area. They sold milk to other dairies, as well as selling it themselves.
‘The Mosslands’ was a large house which stood on the corner of Breck Road and Bidston footpath. It was the home of Captain Chambres, who was the commanding officer of No.3 Company of the Cheshire Rilfes. He was later made Major. He left this house and went to live at ‘Wallasey Grange’ in 1880. Mr and Mrs. John Grey Sandie came to live in the house at a later date and in the 1930s George Robertson Sandie, the soap manufacturer, was living there. At No. 129 Breck Road lived the schoolmaster, James Smith and John Craig, the electrical engineer lived at ‘Sunny Mead’. ‘Beach Farm’ was sometimes called ‘Beach Cottage’. It stood right on the pavement and had a field behind. John Spragg and his brother, Tom, and their sister, Alice, ran the dairy. Not having any cows of their own, save a few calves which they reared for sale, they got their milk from Sam Thomas’s farm father down the road. They delivered milk by horse and cart, serving it from the churn using a long dipper. Hens were also kept at the farm and Jim Spragg in later years became a market gardener. It was knocked down in the 1960s.
‘Darley Dene’ once stood opposite the Boode’s Monument on Breck Road. Mr. Thomas Monk, of the firm Monk & Newell, contractors, who were responsible for the building of the docks and the Seacombe Ferry Approaches in 1876, built the house for Mr. Bewley on land that was once owned by Sir John Tobin. Later Monk would also occupy the house in the 1870’s. Originally the house was called ‘The Slopes’ and some people believe that it was designed by an astronomer as the foundations of the building faced four points of the compass. Mrs. B. DeArcy was the occupant in the early part of the century and then William Smithson Chantrell came to live here. He was Mayor of Wallasey in 1922/1923 and was Justice of the Peace. At the outbreak of war the Army took over, and it was in a heavy air-raid on the 12th March, 1941, that the house received a mortal blow, involving the deaths of seventeen soldiers. After later use for Civil Defence purposes, the demolition of the property was completed in 1959.
Breck Place ran down to what was the Wallasey Pool and had thirteen small terraced houses on the left-hand side, which were occupied by working class people. They were built in the 1800s and were demolished in the 1950’s. At No.3 was Charlie Valeur who was an engine driver/stroker. ‘The Plough Inn’ was at the bottom of Mill Lane and was built in about 1870 and became a beer house at No. 27, selling Yate’s Ale. It used to have cast iron railings mounted on a small wall in front. On one side of the building as you entered the parlour there was sawdust sprinkled on the floor. In 1889, W. Thomas Grey was the landlord who was followed by George John in 1897. Margaret Heald took charge in about 1912. The name of the pub was under the eaves and was still place long after it was used as a beer-house. Eventually the inn was converted back into a house again.
Breck Road
1875 click to enlarge |