MEOLS DRIVE
The Meols Drive Conservation Area was designated with the aim of conserving the architectural quality and the spacious tree lined character of the surroundings of the Royal Liverpool Golf Course. In particular, it aimed to preserve the unique collection of late Victorian and Edwardian public and domestic buildings found along Meols Drive. The new conservation area was an extension of the pre-existing King’s Gap Conservation Area and aimed to fulfill many of the same functions, in particular protecting the setting of the Golf Course and the course itself.
Prior to the coming of the railway in 1866 the land on either side of what is now Meols Drive consisted of open fields and sand dunes with a scatter of farmhouses and cottages housing a small rural population. The ‘Drive’ itself was simply the route linking the twin settlements of Hoylake and West Kirby.
In 1878 the railway was extended from Hoylake to West Kirby and following the opening of the Mersey tunnel in 1886, the improved transport links with Liverpool encouraged residential development in the area. Prosperous cotton brokers, financiers and the like were able to move to Meols Drive yet still be within easy reach of their work. The proximity of the sea and the adjacent golf course, established in 1869, were added attractions, offering recreation to the wealthy business men who moved to the area. Many of the substantial properties built by these men still line the Drive and its nearby roads today. Set in large plots with mature trees, they and their gardens contribute to the open character of the area.
To cater for the new residents or to capitalise on the area’s health giving qualities, a range of public buildings appeared, many built in red pressed Ruabon brick with terra cotta detailing. First, in 1886, came the West Kirby Children’s Convalescent Home, now the Residential School. The adjacent Presbyterian Church (now URC) was constructed in 1900. In 1895 the Royal Liverpool Golf Club clubhouse opened on Meols Drive and in 1898 came new District Council Offices in Market Street. The Grade II listed St Andrew’s Church designed by the Chester architects, Douglas and Fordham was begun in 1889 – 91 and completed by Douglas and Minshull in 1907-9. At the Hoylake end of the Drive came the Congregational Church of 1905-6, by Douglas and Minshull and listed. Impressive commercial buildings also appeared, including the former North and South Wales Bank, in the Hoylake Quadrant, which opened in 1900. Finally, to provide for the educational needs of girls the West Kirby Girls High School (now the Grammar School) was built in Graham Road in 1912.
The main phase of development ended with the First World War, but more properties, still of a fairly substantial nature, appeared in the years between the wars. The Art Deco Hoylake Station, listed Grade II, replaced an earlier station in the late 1930s. Facing this came the Post Office building, also dating from the 30s and bearing the initials of George V. Since the last war the area has seen many of the larger properties disappear, with houses or flats being built in their gardens. Despite this the Conservation Area still retains its character as a prosperous late Victorian and Edwardian suburb. To view a map of the Conservation Area click here.
