Introduction to Woolton Park and its environs (continued)

So by 1840 the Gateacre Hall estate had been reduced from 42 to about 25 acres - though the Halls' 3 acre strip had been added to it; and a new boundary line - much of it still visible - was established for the east of 'Reynolds Park', interestingly also along a steeper bank on the hillside still visible at the retaining wall and steps with a 2½ ft drop between Reynolds Park and Reynolds Park field. By this time too the 4 acres attached to Hillcroft, including the sites for Summer Hill and Mount Aventine, belonged to James Gore (1784-1872) the builder, who also owned three quarters of the Woolton Mount parcel (at this date only Acrefield itself had been built, with grounds of ½ an acre.)

By the time of the first 6 inch Ordnance Survey in 1846/7 a stage of development had been reached at which the road frontages had been taken up and 'houses in the country' had been built by Liverpool business men with ample 'pleasure grounds' (about 5 acres average) and a certain amount of farming was going on, or at least there were cows and horses in fields called pastures.

In September 1847 Robert Roskell of Gateacre Hall, watchmaker of Liverpool, died at the age of 74 and in the next few years the estate was broken up as he had quite a large family as well as a business.

At this time Liverpool had a buoyant economy and it must have been clear to Roskell's heirs that there was an opportunity for selling the land for building superior houses. One house, the first, could have been a private venture; but to make use of the available area to the best advantage a plan and scheme would be needed. We may surmise that some form of partnership to exploit the possibilities would be formed, primarily between the owners and an experienced builder and contractor, but with legal expertise and financial support available. 'The Walton Park Co.' is shadowy and now elusive* but it could have been the name under which such a partnership operated. In the deeds of Baycliff we find that it was 'The Walton Park Co.' who sold the house to the first owner occupier, but that was in 1870-72 and it was the last, or last but one, house to be sold. That the developers formed themselves into a Company in the later 1850s seems more than likely. Members might have included several of Robert Roskell's heirs, James Gore the builder, Mr Hindle the attorney, since Woolton Park was referred to as 'Hindle's Road' in a letter to the Much Woolton Local Board in March 1868.

continued . . .