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of Liverpool's council estates.
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Estates
House building virtually stopped during the First World War,
1914-1918, and this meant that at the end of the war there not
enough houses for everyone. In 1919, for the first time, money
was given to local authorities to help them clear slums and
build new houses.
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Liverpool was a pioneer in building such houses. This
financial assistance gradually increased and as a result
a number of new estates were built by the council, on
what were then the outskirts of the city.
Left: Map showing new housing
estates on the outskirts of Liverpool. 1 Fazakerley 2
Walton - Clubmoor 3 Larkhill 4 Knotty Ash 5 Edge Lane
Drive 6 Elms House, Old Swan 7 Mossley Hill 8 Springfield,
Allerton. |
Types of houses varied and were referred to
as "parlour" and "non-parlour" houses. "Parlour" houses had
two separate rooms on the ground floor - a "parlour" and a
"living room". "Non-parlour" houses just had a "living room".
But all the houses had a larder, bath and inside toilet, hot
water, a gas heated wash boiler, gas and electric points and
gardens. Although the accommodation was much better, the rents
were much more than people were used to paying. A ground floor
flat, with two bedrooms in a pre-war tenement cost 6s 9d (33p)
a week, but a three bedroom "non-parlour" house could cost
13s 1d (65p) and a three bedroom "parlour" house 16s 1d (80p).
In 1934 an unskilled labourere could earn about £2.11s (£2.55)
a week, but many people did not have permanent jobs and regular
wages.
Norris Green
| The Norris Green estate is about 3 ½ miles from the
centre of Liverpool and development of the site started
in 1926. 7,689 houses were built and 28 ¼ miles of roads
and sewers laid. The houses were built first and spaces
left for amenities, such as shops, churches, cinemas,
schools, a library and a swimming baths. Unfortunately
it was quite a long time before these were built and in
some cases they were not built at all. People who had
been moved from their homes in the city centre found their
rents were higher and because there were no shops or schools
at first people travelled back into the city to shop or
go to school. |
Aerial
view of Norris Green estate, 1939. |
Plan
of Larkhill estate |
Larkhill
Larkhill was one of the earliest estates to be built after
the First World War. 2,045 houses were built on an area
of 231 acres. The old house, Larkhill, which gave its
name to the estate, was kept for use as a public library
and an ornamental lake was made into a public garden. |
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Dovecot
The Dovecot estate was built on either side of Prescot
Road and work started in 1930. A crescent of shops,
with a public hall and library was built.
The Knotty Ash estate was built on the site of an Army
Hutment camp, which had provided temporary homes
for families at the end of the First World War.
Right: Plan of Dovecot estate
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20 Forthlin Road
Council house building continued after the Second World War
and in the early 1950's 330 houses were built on land near
the Police Training College on Mather Avenue. One of these
houses, 20 Forthlin Road, has a special place in Liverpool's
history. In 1955 the McCartney family, with their sons Paul
and Michael moved there from Speke. Paul McCartney met John
Lennon and the Beatles were formed. In the early days the
group rehearsed in the house and some of their hits, including
"Love me do" and "I saw her standing there" were written in
the front parlour.
The house is now a National Trust property and open to the
public. Click on the photos below for lager images.
Speke
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Speke was planned in 1936 as a complete town for 22,000
people, living in 5,700 houses and flats. An industrial
estate was also planned, with schools, a civic centre,
a cinema, an "open-air music garden" and a stadium and
pleasure beach on the banks of the River Mersey. Unfortunately
building work was interrupted by the Second World War
and not completed until 1957.
Left: Photograph of a model of
the Speke estate |
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