The Ravenhead Garden Suburb
by Peter Keen

Members might have missed a recent article in the St. Helens Star concerning the so-called 'Ravenhead Garden Suburb'. The article describes how Pilkington Brothers set out to improve the housing conditions for their work force by providing suitable housing. Begun in 1909, building continued until 1915 when work ceased to allow men and materials to be utilised in the war effort.

A year or so later a more ambitious scheme was drawn up and seven hundred acres of land was purchased for the purpose, stretching from the Griffin Inn, along Burrows Lane to Eccleston Lane Ends, along St. Helens Road to Prescot Lane (as it then was) to Knowsley Road. Taylor Park and the area around Eccleston Hall were excluded from the plan. After the formal approval of the plan to build 4000 houses in February of 1919, work commenced in October of the same year.

In common with other building schemes of the era, materials were delivered on site via temporary railways, a short branch of two miles being built, commencing at Garden City Siding  near Knowsley Road.  Permission was granted for a connection to be made to the Eccleston Branch of the London and North West Railway and a line was built in sweeping curves to gain height across what is now Grange Park Golf Course. Motive power was provided via a small saddle tank locomotive which hauled building materials from the Greengate Brick and Tile Works.

Progress  was made between November 1919 and November 1920 and Eccleston Gardens (pinpointed on map), Broom Road and Grange Drive were completed on the southern side of the estate. In addition nine pairs of bungalows were built on the north side of St. Helens Road.

For some reason, not given in the article, the whole project was then abandoned and the Pilkington Garden Village Limited was wound up. Despite this, further building took place in Willow Road and Maple Grove, off Dunriding Lane, being completed in 1922. The railway was taken up and the locomotive went to work at Pilkington's Ravenhead Works.

The land intended for the suburb is now occupied by the Triplex Works, Grange Park Golf Club, Carmel College (at the top of the map), Prescot Cricket Club and various farms.

Why was this area of the town designated for better quality housing?  The final extension of the northern end of the Sankey Canal to Ravenhead served two purposes, it allowed the transport of coal outward from local pits to markets but then allowed access for coal based industries to locate themselves on the coalfield, thus reducing costs. Over the years space around the canal had been occupied by extensive industrial development and low quality dwellings to house the workers needed for the industries, so land further from the town centre had to be used. The proposed suburb therefore owed its location to the Sankey Canal and the development along its banks.

Why was the scheme prematurely terminated?  Answers please to the Editor, Canal Cuttings.

Below is a GoogleMap showing the development beside the A58.

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