South Liverpool: Woolton

	Woolton Village A view from Woolton Wood, including St. Peter's church. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, Woolton owes its more recent growth to the sandstone quarrying that began in earnest in the 19th century as a result of the demand by the nouveau riche for ostentatious dwellings and imposing churches. The village is a conservation area so that the original tiny workers' cottages have been appropriately cared for and are are now greatly sought after, with prices to fit. The district known earlier as Much Woolton covered a much larger area.
Much Woolton in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) The ancient name Wolveton points to a Saxon proprietor, Wolf, of whom, however, there is no record. [...] The chapelry comprises 930 acres, and is beautifully situated amidst hill and dale; the air is salubrious, and mansions of the wealthy abound. [...] The views are extensive from the higher grounds, including the course of the Mersey, the Cheshire hills, and the mountains of Wales. A large stone-quarry is wrought. The chapel, dedicated to St. Peter, is a handsome structure of stone, with a tower and small dome; it was erected in 1826, and enlarged in 1840.
Much Woolton in the Victoria History of the County of Lancaster (1907) This township [...] consists of park-like country on the southern slopes of a ridge which runs north-west and south-east. The village of Much Woolton with its residences, grounds, park, and golf-links occupies the greater portion of the township. The eastern portion is devoted to agriculture, crops of corn, potatoes, turnips, and hay thriving in the shelter of the wooded hillside. The good and wide roads are pleasantly shaded by trees. [...] A wake used to be held on the Green on Midsummer Day. A cross formerly stood in the centre of the village; the remains were standing until 1900. [...] Two windmills are shown in a plan of 1613, but only one now exists, and that is in ruins. There is a fine sandstone quarry.
	Mendips - the John Lennon House Beneath the blue suburban skies ... This was Lennon's Aunt Mimi's house on Menlove Avenue and his home from 1945 to 1963. It was bought for the National Trust by Yoko Ono and lovingly restored to an authentic 1950s condition, with period artefacts and Lennon memorabilia. Anyone who lived through the 1950s will find the time-warp eerily effective and Lennon's presence is palpable. Entrance must be pre-arranged through the National Trust.
	Strawberry Field Let me take you down ... The gateway to Strawberry Field, the Salvation Army children's home on Beaconsfield Road, immortalised in Lennon's song (the best song ever written, according to some) and an object of pilgrimage for Beatles tourists from all over the world.
	The Reservoir, Woolton The reservoir, on Reservoir Road naturally enough, marks the highest point at ground level in Liverpool at a vertiginous 292 ft (89 m). It was constructed in 1879-1902 and is a service reservoir, that is, one used as buffer storage to supply water on demand by gravity. It received water pumped from Lake Vyrnwy in Wales by underground cast iron pipes. The damming of the valley to produce the lake and the construction of the pipeline were major engineering feats, in which John Hays Wilson (of the Gateacre Village memorial - see item above) had a hand. All this, however, presumably failed to impress the people of Llanwddyn, whose village was flooded in the process. Reservoir construction in Wales for Liverpool's water supply continued with the flooding in 1965 of the village of Capel Celyn in Snowdonia to form Llyn Celyn. This was bitterly opposed by the Welsh, who were unsurprisingly outnumbered in Parliament, and was a seminal factor in the subsequent rise of Welsh nationalism. Controversy remains, and, as I write, Liverpool City Council are poised to issue a formal apology. It is not clear which side is intended to feel better as a result.
	Camp Hill Camp Hill is at the end of the ridge that runs out through Woolton. It is named after an Iron Age fort (of which almost nothing remains) and offers fine views over to Wales including the Clwydian Hills and, on clear days, Snowdonia and even the distant Aran mountains.
	Camp Hill
	Woolton Wood Near to its end, the Green Belt Trail passes through Woolton Wood at this point.
	St. Peter's Church, Woolton The present grand sandstone church, one of Liverpool's largest parish churches, was completed in 1887. It replaced an earlier chapel of 1826, described as built 'in the worst style of British church architecture'. It contains fine stained glass windows mainly by Charles Kempe but with two by William Morris. The top of the tower is reputed to be the highest point in Liverpool. The nearby church hall was the place where John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met at a fateful fête in 1957.
	St. Peter's Churchyard, Woolton The resting place of Eleanor Rigby, posthumously, though coincidentally, famous thanks to the exquisite McCartney song. Woolton Wood is in the background.
	Woolton Hall Woolton Hall was, like Croxteth Hall, built for the Molyneux family in 1704 by an unknown architect, though extensively modified later in the century by the famous Robert Adam. It is open for functions, but we were shown around by the friendly proprietors when we turned up (it was a very off-peak time, mind you). The inside has some impressive and atmospheric dark wood panelled rooms and an elegant Octagon Room, along with a few less in keeping modernisations. There are many portraits of old Molyneux family members and one of Robert Adam.
	Reynolds Park, Woolton The location of the mansions of a number of Liverpool worthies over the last 200 years, the land was finally bequeathed to the City of Liverpool in 1929 by the Reynolds family, who were big in cotton. Mainly woodland with a central open space, there is also a walled garden and topiary yew garden. The park is among those less frequented in Liverpool and is consequently a haven of peace and quiet. The path in the picture leads down to a point from where there are expansive views to the east.
	Reynolds Park in Autumn
	The Topiary Yew Garden, Reynolds Park
	Halewood Triangle Country Park The park opened in 1986 on land purchased following the closure of the Cheshire Lines Railway. It is one of Merseyside's few remaining native woodland areas.