View of the Noctorum Ridge from the M53 `The houses are

View of the Noctorum Ridge from the M53
Mere Hall
Middlewood
Rathmoor
‘The houses are recognisable. Never simple, they delight in variety and elaboration,
with rambling plans, variegated window shapes picturesque silhouettes, and complex
moulded brick and terracotta details. Most are dominated by brick chimneys of
exaggerated height, in ornamental brickwork.’
CONTENTS
1.0
Noctorum Ridge - Origins and Development
1.1
1.2
2.0
Birkenhead Boom Town
Noctorun Boom Time
Architecture and Architects
2.1 Victorian and Edwardian Residences
2.2 Post 1910
2.3 Late 20th Century
2.4 Early Residences Lost to Demolition
3.0
Trees and Landscape
3.1 Wirral Ladies Golf Club
3.2 Lanes and Roads
3.3 Sandstone Walls abound in the area
3.4 Sandstone Wall Mapping of the area.
4.0
Negative Aspects in the area.
5.0 Suggested Boundary of Conservation area
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1.0 Noctorum Ridge - Origins and Development
The Noctorum Ridge, on which the proposed conservation area is situated, is
a heavily wooded sandstone ridge running North – South ,dominating the flat
heartland of Birkenhead to the East and the flat farm land and villages of
Wirral to the West. It lies approximately 2.5 miles to the West of central
Birkenhead.
The proposed Conservation area is roughly bounded by Bidston Road to the
East, Upton Road to the North, Weathersfield Road/Noctorum Road to the West
and extends to Mere Hall in the South and incorporates the Wirral Ladies Golf
Club.
The Domesday Survey records Noctorum as a manor called ‘Chenotrie’.
Sometime later it was given to the monks of St Werburgh under the name
‘Knocktirum ‘, who held it until the Dissolution when it was appropriated to the
new diocese of Chester. In the early 1800 s it passed in to private hands, where
it lay undisturbed until the growth of Birkenhead.
1.1 Birkenhead – Victorian Boom Town
The 1801 census showed Birkenhead to have a population of a mere 110.
In 1815 the advent of small paddle steam boats as ferries on the Mersey
sparked the expansion of Birkenhead. Cross river travel was no longer totally
dependent on the weather.
In 1824 William Laird came to Birkenhead to start his ship building business
that was to make Birkenhead famous throughout the world
The growth of Birkenhead had now begun. The population in 1821 was 200, by
1831 it was 2,569.
Hamilton Square, one of the finest squares in the country, built by William Laird
and named after his mother, was opened in 1833. The first Town Hall and
market hall was opened in Hamilton Street in 1835. Wirral's first railway was
built in 1840, planned by George Stephenson and connected Birkenhead with
Chester. This encouraged the growth of Wirral; Birkenhead and Wallasey grew
into large towns.
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In 1843, 123 acres of land was bought for the most ambitious project of all, the
formation of Birkenhead Park, the first municipal park in the world. The most
famous landscape gardener of the time, Sir Joseph Paxton, was engaged to
plan the park, which opened in 1847.
In 1841 the population had tripled to 8,223, by 1846 it had increased to 40,000.
Birkenhead was being hailed ‘The City of the future’ and it seemed that nothing
could halt its progress. One year later the dock scheme failed, there was a
disastrous slump and people left Birkenhead in thousands.
The future of Birkenhead now lay in the hands of four men, William Laird
George Rae, Maurice Mocatta and William Hind. Indeed it was only through the
generosity of William Hind and his brother that the Commissioners were able to
meet the claims of the bondholders, save the ferry and retrieve their position.
The next census taken in 1851 still showed a considerable population increase
since 1841 and stood at 24,285.
Horse-drawn omnibuses operated in the 1840s and 1850s, including services to
meet the Woodside ferries from both the Talbot Hotel and the Queen’s Arms on
the Noctorum ridge. Horse-drawn trams operated from 1861 – the first in
Europe– the stables situated at the top of Palm Grove.
The Mersey railway led to increased development after 1886, when pioneering
Victorian engineers were the first in the world to successfully to tunnel a railway
beneath a major river. A steam train service through the Mersey Tunnel
became available in 1886, being electrified in 1903. Electric trams replaced the
earlier form in 1901, continuing until 1937. Motor buses were introduced in
1919.
The 1860’s proved to be the start of a renewal of Birkenhead’s fortune.
Leading to expansion of the town which became a borough in 1877, so that by
1901 the population had risen to 110,915.
1.2 Noctorum … Boom Time
With the growth of both Liverpool and Birkenhead fuelled by the Industrial
revolution merchants and pioneers flourished. However the centres of both
Liverpool and Birkenhead were hives of industrial activity and overwhelmed with
mass terrace housing, built to cope with the explosion in population.
Thus, with the growth of Liverpool commerce and the introduction of a much
improved steam ferry service, it became a practical option for wealthy
businessmen to commute from the Wirral. Furthermore, Noctorum’s elevated
position afforded a spectacular view of the Wirral and beyond, allowing
merchants visual intelligence of incoming shipping and cargoes. As the
working-classes moved into Birkenhead, their middle-class counterparts began
to colonise the Noctorum Ridge.
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2.0 Architecture and Architects
The prosperous Victorian business men from Liverpool, who settled outside the
city in the leafy suburbs of Oxton and Noctorum commissioned the best
architects of the day to design their palatial homes. The most eminent was
Edmund Kirby who designed Mere Hall, Wethersfield House, Rathmoor and
Middlewood. These Victorian and early Edwardian houses which are very large
and primarily of red brick with clay roof tiles. They generally have tall chimneys
(often decorated). Some have half timbering or plaster work decoration at upper
floor levels. Most have some form of moulded-brick ornamentation and stone
dressing.
Precise of Edmund Kirby
Kirby was a Liverpool architect and surveyor who had worked with John
Douglas for a while before setting up his own business in the 1860s. Most
of the company work was in Liverpool, the north-west of England and north
Wales.
Kirby’s houses are recognisable. Never simple, they delight in variety and
elaboration, with rambling plans, variegated window shapes picturesque
silhouettes, and complex moulded brick and terracotta details. Most are
dominated by brick chimneys of exaggerated height, in ornamental brickwork.
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Examples of Kirby’s work seen across the North West
* St Joseph’s North Rd,
Birkenhead
* John the Baptist, Meols
* C of E Church at Appleton
Thorn, Cheshire.
HolyName, Beresford Rd
* Sodality Chapel of St Francis
Xavier, Liverpool.
* Church of the Sacred Heart,
Chorley,
* All Saints Church, Parbold,
John the Baptist, Meols
*St Werburghs, Chester.
St Joseph’s, North Rd Birkenhead
* Our Lady of the Sea,
Llandudno.
* North and South Wales Bank,
Llanwrst.
* Venice Chambers, Lord St,
Liverpool.
Files Offices, Liverpool
* Union Offices, Argyle Street,
Birkenhead. (now
demolished)
Redcourt, St Anselm’s College
* The Queen Victoria
Monument, Hamilton Square,
Birkenhead.
*Redcourt, now part of St
Anselm’s College.
* Port Sunlight Village
49-52 Corniche Road
40-50 Primrose Hill
Shakespeare Cottages at
Poets Corner (now
demolished).
Queen Victoria Monument,
Hamilton Square
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Gorsefield, Noctorum Lane
Now demolished
The Edmund Kirby Houses in the proposed Conservation area are fine
examples of his design skill
Mere hall
Mere Hall home of Liverpool lawyer Sir John Gray was built in 1882.
Mere Hall is probably the
largest mansion to remain
and is now protected as a
listed building.
In Jacobethan style, it is
of red brick with clay plain
tiled roof and stone and
mullioned windows
Rear View - Entrance
Mere Hall Front
View
overlooking Wirral
to the West,
with views of its
extensive garden
with many mature
trees.
Front View
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Wethersfield House - Rathmoor - Middlewood
Similar in arrangement to Mere Hall all three properties present their main
frontage to the west
Wethersfield House
with silhouetted
Chimneys
and associate
Wethersfield Lodge
View of the Ridge from the M53, with Wethersfield house peeping through the trees.
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Views of Middlewood
from Noctorum Road.
Rathmoor from
Noctorum Lane with
its ornate chimneys.
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Other large Houses which date from the late 19 th and early 20th century are
spread along the Ridge.
Delavour in Noctorum Lane
Dundoran in Vyner Rd South
The Priory, Upton Rd.
Windy Knowe, Waterford Rd
There are also small buildings from this era scattered along the Ridge
Chenotrie Lodge in Noctorum Road is the
entrance of the demolished mansion.
It is unusual for the area being constructed
of stone and slate rather than brick and tile.
This may reflect the fact that Chenotrie was
an earlier property, appearing on the map of
1872.
Bidston Court Lodge, all that is left of
Bidston Court which was deconstructed
and relocated to Frankby, now named
Hillbark.
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Delevour Lodge in Noctorum Lane
Stokesay Lodge at the entrance is all that
remains of Stokesay which was demolished.
Farm cottage at the junction of Wethersfield and
West Road, the remains of what was the
Noctorum manor estate demolished about 1900.
Ivy and September cottages in Noctorum Lane,
Victorian farm cottages.
Priory Lodge at the entrance to The Priory
in Upton Road.
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2.1 Post 1910 Properties
Axeholme
With the demolition of Chenotrie, three
properties, Axeholme, Sckirbeck and The
Chase were constructed at the Noctorum Lane
border.
These properties continued the principles
established in the area. Although smaller than
the Victorian mansions, they are none the less
substantial detached properties in spacious
plots, now surrounded by mature planting.
Sckirbeck
The Chase
The Chase in secluded mature woodlands.
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In 1900 Vyner Road South was constructed by the Vyner estate to further
develop the land in the area. This lead to a number of large detached houses
built on substantial plots of land in the range 0.5 – 2 acres reflecting the earlier
grandeur of the Victorian era but on a smaller scale, with their spacious plots
and tree planting following the established principles.
Forest Hill, Vyner Rd South
Greeneves, Noctorum Road
Greenacres, St David’s Lane
Hamptoune, Vyner Road South
Oak Cottage, Noctorum Road
St David’s House, St David’s Lane
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2.2 Late 20 th Century Properties
Pevsner and Hubbard (Buildings of England) refer to 20th century properties of note as No 4
Stokesay, off Vyner road South and Ha’pennyfield, Noctorum Lane.
No4 Stokesay was designed by Ivan Johnson &Partners and dates from the 1960s
Timber-clad, it must have
seemed distinctly modern
when constructed. Today, its
form is less unconventional,
but the timber cladding has
mellowed and the house now
blends into the landscape.
Ha’pennyfield dates from 1959-60 and was designed by local architect and academic
Quentin Hughes.
Again when this was constructed it
would have been considered
progressive. Today it represents its
time, but clearly has design quality.
Quentin Hughes is the author of
numerous architectural books,
including ‘Renaissance
Architecture’, ‘Seaport –
Architecture and Town Planning in
Liverpool and Military Architecture.
He was a founder member of the
Fortress Study Group, and editor of
their Journal ‘Fort’
A fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Fellow of the royal historical Society
and Society of Antiquities and received an OBE in 1999.His academic life throughout his
University career was spiced with excursions into Architectural practice, notably during the
sixties.
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2.3 Some of the Early Houses Lost to Demolition.
Gorsefield
Gorsefield, designed
by Edmund Kirby,
stood at the junction
of Noctorum Lane
and
Budworth Road.
All that is left of this
era is Gorsefield
Cottage,
Gorsefield Cottage
Ulverscroft, designed by
Edmond Kirby stood on
Bidston Road near
Wexford Road. All that
remains today is the
name on a sandstone
wall. The house being
replaced with faceless
modern blocks of flats.
Ulverscroft
Bidston Court, designed
by Grayson &Ould,
who also designed part of
Port Sunlight village,
occupied a large plot
in Vyner Rd South.
This was deconstructed
and relocated to Frankby,
as Hillbark.
Bidston Court 1894
Bidston Court Gardens
Ramle, designed for
G R Glover by
Edmund Kirby lay in
Manor Hill.
A house was also
built in Wexford
Road for Mr Brown –
both now
demolished
Ramle
House for Mr Brown
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3.0 Trees and Landscape
One of the most prominent features of the area is its dominating tree cover and mature tree
planting. Although new development has occurred over the last 40 years, the greenery of
the area is still a prime characteristic. The distinctive features of Noctorum remain to this day
with its position on high ground, the mix of architectural style, the generous tree cover, the
high random rubble sandstone walls with continuity of colour and texture, and its several
unmetalled roads and narrow lanes.
3.1 Wirral Ladies Golf Club
At the centre of the proposed Conservation area lies the Wirral Ladies Golf Club.
The Club was instituted in February 1894. In the years before the end of the nineteenth
century golf was becoming a very popular pastime, with clubs being established all over the
country. There was no prospect of ladies being permitted to membership in the foreseeable
future. The wives and family of members of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake
pressurised their men folk and land was leased on the Noctorum Ridge to form a nine hole
course for ladies. This was extended in 1907 to 18 holes and the land subsequently
purchased outright from the earl of Shrewsbury in 1927 thus securing the future of the Club
The club forms an extensive green heart to the Conservation area and is readily accessible
via public footpaths .
The extensive gardens of Bidston Court are open to the public with their mature trees and
shrubbery contributing positively to the landscape and historic interest of the area.
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3.2 The Lanes and Roads in the area abound with mature trees.
Vyner Road South
St David’s Lane
View of the Ridge from Woodchurch
View of the Ridge from Prenton
3.3 Sand stone wall abound in the area
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Noctorum Lane
3.4
Map of Sandstone Walls in and around the Conservation Area
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4.0 Negative Aspects
Study of the historic maps indicates that the original layout of the are was much more
spacious.
This important quality of the area has been somewhat eroded by sub-division of plots and
pockets of development such as Vyner Close and Inveresk Court flats. Nevertheless, the
Greenery of the area is still a prime characteristic.
Inveresk Court
Vyner Close, off Vyner Rd South
Establishment of a Conservation area would help control such negative development
and preserve the heritage of the Ridge.
Appended is a Map of the Suggested Boundary of the
Conservation Area
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5.0 Suggested Conservation Area Boundary
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