WaterlooHeritage Trail

In the eighteenth century the land herewas mainly an expanse of rough pastureupon which local farmers grazed theircattle. However an extensive shoreline,good sea air and fine nautical viewsprovided the natural ingredientsnecessary for the town’s urbantransformation. These attractions led tothe building in 1815 of a hotel along withsix cottages. Opening the following year,the guesthouse was named the RoyalWaterloo Hotel in commemoration ofWellington’s triumphant victory at thebattle of Waterloo. It is now the Royal

Hotel on Marine Terrace. (1) Today onlya handful of hotels and public houses canbe found in Waterloo, such as the GradeII-listed Victoria Hotel situated nearbyon Great George's Road. (2)

It is strongly believed that the growingtownship took its name from the RoyalWaterloo Hotel, although an earliername for the area, Crosby Seabank,continued to be used for some years. Thehotel's clientele were no doubt well-to-do with an interest in fresh air and seabathing– a fashionable pastime amongstthose with means. Waterloo thus beganits life as a small but stylish seaside resorton the Lancashire coast.An early glimpse of Waterloo's growthcan be gleaned from an 1824 directorythat listed the principal thoroughfaresand residents. Only three roads arementioned: South Street (later to beSouth Road), Marine Terrace and at itsrear East Street, indicating its modest sizeat that time. Also mentioned are threelodging house keepers, a postmaster whodoubled as a grocer, and an agent for theletting of houses. These small butsignificant clues provide evidence toshow that Waterloo was becoming quite the tourist trap.

The Royal Hotel Marine Terrace (1)

The Victoria Hotel (2)

To travel to Waterloo visitors wouldhave stepped aboard the daily coachservice that ran between here andLiverpool. Alternatively they may havemade use of the canal barge known asThe Lancashire Witch. The vessel ranthree times a day between Liverpool andCrosby, with passengers presumablyalighting en route and travelling via roadto Waterloo.

Further along Great George’s Road theTown Hall was constructed in 1861 foruse by the Local Board. (3) From itsearliest days the 'large room' there wasfrequently hired out for grand forms ofentertainment, such as in 1863 when the

Northern Cricket Club hired the Hall forits Christmas Ball. Across the way can beseen the historic National School

Building dating from 1841, one of theoldest surviving educational buildings inSefton. (4) The Victorian era also saw awave of construction throughout thetown, including the completion of OldChrist Church (5) and many attractiveresidential terraces.

Town Hall - Great George’s Road (3)

National School Building (4)

Old Christ Church (5)

A short walk away, Potter's Barn standsat the junction of Crosby Road Southand Cambridge Road. The red sandstonegate house, coach house and stableswere based on a strategic outpostutilised during the original battle ofWaterloo, known as La Haye Sainte.These buildings were constructed by theLiverpool merchant William Potter muchlater, in 1841. They were to be the firstin a magnificent plan to build a grandcoastal estate but unfortunately, hisbusiness ran into financial difficulties andthe project advanced no further. (6)

On returning back to the centre of thetown, notice the impressive five lampswhich surround Waterloo’s iconicCenotaph. This solemn memorial datesfrom 1921 and commemorates thesacrifice of the many local residents wholost their lives serving their countryduring the First World War. (7)

Even in the mid-19th century Waterloo’sfields outnumbered its buildings, and theneighbourhood had a distinctly semi-ruralcharacter. The sights, sounds and smells ofthe country, along with horses andstabling would have not been uncommon,especially as many of the well-to-do hadtheir own carriages. Small businessestrading in cattle, pigs and poultry wouldhave prospered as the demand for milk,meat and eggs increased alongside thepopulation. Indeed, the terrace at SouthView, probably built in the 1850s, wascertainly named because it had such avast and uninterrupted southerly viewacross to Potter's Barn and Seaforthbeyond. (8)

The Cenotaph (7)

The early inhabitants of these propertieswere soon joined by neighbours in thehandsome houses of Walmer Terrace,built during the 1860s in Walmer Road.(9)

By then Waterloo was evolving into asizable and prosperous township witharchitecture to match. Set back furtherinland in the vicinity of Waterloo Parkthe rather Gothic Braunston Lea and thesplendid Italianate Stone House. Thecoloured brickwork and outstandingstained glass windows within Park Terraceare of particular interest . (10)

The religious life of the neighbourhoodwas encouraged by the building of manychurches and chapels throughout the19th and early 20th centuries. Somehave sadly disappeared from the

landscape, but many excellent examplesremain such as that of St. Mary the Virginwhich stands adjacent to Park Terrace(W G Habershon, 1877-86). (11)

Walmer Road (9)

Park Terrace (10)

St Mary the Virgin (11)

By 1901, there were 9,839 residents and2,052 inhabited houses within Waterloo.Many large properties had become thehomes of mercantile and professionalfamilies, a number of which had beenbuilt in Waterloo Park, along CrosbyRoad North and South and also in theneighbourhood of Christ Church. (12)

The key access route of South Roadmust have been a very busy place andquickly developed into Waterloo'sprincipal thoroughfare. It was where therailway station was sited, the banks, theshops and of course the public houses.South Road’s heyday may have passed,but there is much to remind us of it.

Most of the present buildings date fromthe late 19th and early 20th centuries,with the exception of the Liver Hotel onthe corner with Crosby Road North(13). This dates from the early 19thcentury and has been a popular meetingspot for generations.

Above the more modern shop frontagescan be seen some interesting decorativedetail that provides some insight intoWaterloo's earlier prosperity. Worthyexamples include the erstwhile WaterlooConstitutional Club on the corner withCurzon Road built in 1894. (14)

Curzon Road itself is named after theConservative statesman GeorgeNathaniel Curzon (1859-1925) who wasthen the local Member of Parliament. Heserved as Viceroy of India between 1898and 1911, and was created MarquessCurzon of Kedleston.The 20th century saw far less buildingand development than in previous eras,but there have been many changesnonetheless. A notable addition is thePlaza Cinema in Crosby Road North.

The Liver Hotel (13)

Waterloo Constitutional Club (14)

It opened its doors for the first time on 2 September, 1939. Remarkably thecinema was ordered to close on the verysame day due to restrictions imposed bythe threat of war. It reopened shortlyafter the declaration of war to helpmaintain public morale and has been apart of Waterloo's cultural life ever since.(15)

In 1900 an electric tram service began torun between Seaforth and Crosby whichundoubtedly brought much business toSouth Road. Back then a shoppertravelling from Seaforth to the shopshere would pay a fare of one old penny.

Returning to South Road you cannot failto notice the Tudor-inspired Old Bankpublic house. This was built as a branch ofthe Westminster Bank, whose originalcoat of arms can still be seen upon thenight safe deposit box set within the wall.It has an attractive mix of buildingmaterials; the main storeys are ofsandstone with an overhanging gable and second floor clad in decorative half-timbering. The building dates from thelate nineteenth century. (16)

The Church of St John (built in 1865)occupies a large plot on St John’s Roadand would have at one time provided aplace of worship for Waterloo’s growingpopulace. This Grade II-listed buildingwas designed by the Lancashire architectWilliam Culshaw whose firm wasresponsible for a variety of buildings,playing a part in the look of everythingfrom hotels to workhouses across theregion. (17)

The Old Bank (16)

St John’s Church (17)

Waterloo Park (12)

South View (8)

WATERLOO HERITAGE TRAIL

The aim of a heritage trail is to promote awareness of the architectural

and historical development of a particular place. This trail focuses on the town

of Waterloo in north-west England and the atmosphere and rich variety of

building styles which make up its unique character.

Situated on the coast of the River Mersey about five miles to the north of

Liverpool, Waterloo is one of that great city's many suburbs. Nowadays

Waterloo is very much an urban conservation area, but just over two

centuries ago things looked very different.

Potters Barn (6)

Acknowledgements:The leaflet has been produced in conjunction with Historic England to promote Waterloo’s richhistory and built heritage. Work has been assisted by Jim Gentles of the Friends of the WaterlooSeafront Gardens. The images contained within the trail have been provided by Daniel Longman,Simon Markland and Kyle Taylor.© Historic England. All photographs © Daniel Longman, Simon Markland and Kyle Taylor.

www.visitsouthport.com

The Plaza Cinema (15)

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Waterloo Rail Station

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Standing just around the corner at thejunction of Oxford Road and WellingtonStreet, St. John's School House was builtin the 1870s. It stands as a testament tothe increasing number of young familiessettling in Waterloo at that time and thestrong Victorian belief in a moralupbringing and good education. (18)

Walking towards East Street the muchaltered Volunteer Canteen survives fromthe 1820s. The 'Volly', as many localsknow it, was originally a private house.

By the 1880s however, it had become apub known as the 'Canteen Vaults' andby 1906 it had assumed its presentname. It is believed the change relates tothe fact that the long demolished chapelnext door was utilised as a drill hall forvolunteers during the Boer War. (19)

Much of Waterloo’s early residentialdevelopment was mainly along thecoastline, taking advantage of the riverviews. Much of what was to becomeWaterloo's 'front', as it is known, was bythen complete. Adelaide Terrace andMarine Crescent were finished by thelate 1850s, with Marine Terrace nearly so.These fashionable residences attracted amyriad of interesting residents. (20)

No. 2 Marine Terrace was once home toJames Dunwoody Bulloch (1823-1901)an undercover Confederate agent inLiverpool during the American Civil War.He was involved in the building of theCSS Alabama which caused havoc to

some of the country’s busiest shippingroutes. He was also an uncle of thefuture US President Theodore Roosevelt.No.17 was a home of Edward Smith,captain of the ill-fated RMS Titanic whichwas lost on her maiden voyage in 1912.He perished along with over 1500passengers and crew when the vessel hitan iceberg in the freezing waters of theAtlantic.Continuing to the end of road, thehandsome terrace at Beach Lawn wascompleted in 1878 and No. 13 washome of shipping magnate ThomasHenry Ismay (1837-1899). He controlledthe famous White Star Line that owned

the doomed RMS Titanic and was a verywealthy man. Ismay was so proud of hishouse that he displayed his initials withinits fine ironwork. (21)

Also amongst Beach Lawn’s varied andinteresting residents were George andAnne Goodison. George was a talentedcivil engineer of some repute who wasresponsible for the laying of a sewagesystem in the suburb of Walton. Sosuccessful was his endeavour thatGoodison Road was named after him,which in turn provided the inspiration forEverton FC’s ground of Goodison Parkin 1892.

His wife Anne Goodison was a keencollector of antiquities and amassed avast collection of more than 1,000Egyptian artefacts. Anne housed many of her antiquities in her own personalmuseum at the family home, but afterher death in 1906, the items were soldto a private buyer who donated them toa local museum. The vast collection isnow held by The Atkinson Museum andArt Gallery in Southport.

Nowadays the four charming terraces onthe front offer visitors a whistle-stopvisual tour of 19th century architecturalstyles, with typical Georgian, Regency andVictorian properties to be found here,along with a slice of the Gothic in theform of Mockbeggar House on HarbordRoad. The majority of these are listed atGrade II and some are adorned withblue plaques.

Waterloo was catapulted into the worldof modern art in 2005, when the artistAnthony Gormley's 'Another Place'landed on the sands. The permanentinstallation, featuring 100 life-sized castiron figures, was placed upon the beachand has since become a popular touristattraction. It could be said that after allthese years, the town has returned to itsorigins as a place people visit for itsshore. (22)

Such human intervention to beautify thelandscape is nothing new. In the 1930sthe four Victorian greens shielding theshore were transformed by the Councilinto the public gardens we have today:Marine, Crescent, Adelaide and BeachLawn Gardens. Much of the workundertaken during their transformationwas carried out by unemployed localmen who were taken off the 'dole' bythe Council during a period of nationaleconomic depression. Of exceptionalinterest are the Ingleborough–sourcedlimestone rockeries in Marine and BeachLawn Gardens. These originally hadwater features powered by pumps.

Though the fountains are long gone, thepavilions, paths and eye-catchingstonework still remain from the 1930splans. (23)

Waterloo has had a long and fascinatinghistory dating back over two hundredyears. Many buildings associated with thetown’s story still stand and, despite somealterations here and there, they provide afascinating insight and understanding ofWaterloo’s rich coastal heritage.

Landscaped gardens along the front (23)

The Iron Men (22)

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St John’s School House (18)

The Volunteer (19)

Adelaide Terrace (20)

Beach Lawn (21)

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