Beechwood, Woolton

[andyleics003]

Thanks for the latest responses.  I believe my great aunt was only with the Mathers for a few years - her family was from Burton upon Trent, and she returned there circa 1919. The names in Mr Mather's will aren't known to me I'm afraid.

The information everyone has provided is very much appreciated, I have learned quite a lot about Beechwood and maybe there is more yet to come!

Andy

[StintonLomas]

Have you seen any oldmaps showing the site and layout of the buildings?

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/342277/387058/12/100674
The "teardrop"shape to the S of tthe building is obviously the main approach for visitors/guests

Gmaps shows that there is a building on the site, the plan view of which closely follows that oldmap.

https://goo.gl/maps/m9vsHrdkQe3LwMMe6

This is the Streetview of it from Acrefield Park. The main approach as noted above.

https://goo.gl/maps/RCX84c9EngfESrQ58

[andyleics003]

Thanks for this. I don’t subscribe to old-maps so can’t access a magnified view but maps.nls.uk has some old 25 inch OS maps of Woolton which show what you describe.

I have a couple of old photos of Beechwood but they are both taken from the direction of what is now Acrefield Park. It would be interesting to see some views of the property from other directions,  particularly any from circa 1920, as much of the land surrounding the house has now been developed.

Andy

[StintonLomas]

You don't need to subscribe, just use the zoom out  on the top left of the map until it does show and click on the LH blue square top right to remove the blue cast.
That particular map is the 1907 1:2500

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/342277/387058/12/101104

Is the 1927 1:2500

The 1936/37 oldmap calls it Archbishop's House, which it remians until the 1:2500 maps run ouit on the '65/'70 version.

I wonder which Archbishop lived there.
David Sheppard, the former cricketer, became the Anglian A/bishop in '75 and of course there was also an RC Archbishop Derek Worlock from '76.

[andyleics003]

Hi

The archdiocese of Liverpool purchased the house in 1929 after Alderman Stanley Mather had died. The first Archbishop to live there was a Dr Downey. I don’t know how long the Roman Catholic Church kept the house but I think a number of successive archbishops live there.

Andy