ON MY DOORSTEP

A Brief History of the Wood Lane and Paddock Drive area of Parkgate, Neston, Cheshire

By Morag Youd

[This was a personal project completed during lockdown of information gleaned regarding Wood Lane through word of mouth and Internet/Facebook searches. Some friends have shown interest in reading it and I was asked if I would be willing for it to be made more generally available. There is no guarantee that the information is factually correct and if I have omitted any sources of the information I apologise. Morag Youd]

A Stroll Down Wood Lane

Wood Lane extends from the junction of Park Street and Leighton Road in Neston, crossing Earle Drive and continuing till it meets Boathouse Lane.  The section of the lane from the Neston end of Wood Lane, till it meets with Earle Drive, is currently not made up (ie untarmacked) and is unadopted, though there are signs of cobbles below the surface and a line of sandstone kerbstones which appear to constitute the edge of a pavement along its eastern edge.

To each side of the lane there are properties of a variety of ages, the oldest being a windmill which between 1732 and 1737 was built alongside an older mill (no longer there) built in 1729.

While most of Wood Lane from its start in Neston to its end at Boathouse Lane is untarmacked, the section from Earle Drive to its junction with Paddock Drive is tarmacked and contains a variety of properties, mainly along its eastern edge.  This tarmac was applied when the houses and bungalows in Paddock Drive were built.

The lane soon reaches the first of 3 entrances to Park(s) Fields.  Park Fields, which consist of two connecting fields, the nearest to Neston consisting of a recreation (sports) area of 12 acres (“the football field” as it is known locally), the connecting field to this being of 29 acres (known as the “Cow Field”).  Park Fields was granted in perpetuity in 2007 to the local people by the council who own these fields, for recreational use.  The Friends of Park Fields was set up as society, who, with the contribution of local people who are members, and grants they have obtained, maintain the fields with the council and mainly voluntary help wherever possible.  The football field is used for football practice and training several times a week.  The Cow Field is used by walkers, cyclists, dog walkers and horse riders.  Parts of the field were prepared and seeded in its first year with annual flowers such as poppies, cornflowers, corncockle and corn marigold which were supplemented with, and will be replaced by, perennial flowers, representative of Cheshire meadows of the past, such as cowslips, ladies’ (yellow) and white bedstraws, scabious and other meadow flowers.  Park Fields, over several years now, have been given Green Flag awards (a benchmark standard for publicly accessible parks and green spaces in the UK).  The fields have also been awarded the “Queen Elizabeth Fields in Trust” award and the plaque for this is displayed on a large granite stone in the Cow Field.  An appeal is currently being launched for accessibility for all to the fields.

Wood Lane continues till it meets Paddock Drive, a small cul-de-sac of bungalows and houses built in 1972.  From the entrance to Paddock Drive, in the direction of Boathouse Lane, Wood Lane becomes unmade and is full of many potholes.

The lane continues past the Paddock Drive entrance, continuing alongside Park Fields to their furthest boundary, at the side of which a footpath/cycle path leads to Brooklands Road in Parkgate and the Wirral Way (the old railway line, now a footpath, cycle path and bridleway which stretches from West Kirby to Hooton Old Station).  To the other side of Wood lane at this point there are currently some fields with horses and a small-holding.

Wood Lane then passes Brook Lane, which, as its name suggests, is often wet and in times of heavy rain a brook flowed/flows down this lane (thus no doubt its name) and has frequently flooded this section of Wood Lane.  Over several years attempts were made to solve the flooding problem here and in 2020 underground drains were installed.

(Brook Lane is flanked by houses on both sides and then turns into a footpath which meets Leighton Road, on the opposite side of which is another smallholding and Oak Farm stall selling eggs and other farm produce.)

Continuing past Brook Lane, Wood Lane passes pastoral land used for crops and livestock until it reaches Boathouse Lane which leads from Chester High Road to the “sea” front at Parkgate, now silted up.  In some parts along this stretch of Wood Lane there are indications of cobbles here and there below its surface, again indicating that the lane was used as a transport route.  In recent times because this part of the lane is constituted part of a national cycle path, SUSTRANS (Sustainable Transport – British Cycling Association) has tried to improve the surface of this unadopted section of Wood Lane by the application of limestone chippings.

HISTORY

The origins of Parkgate as a settlement seem to have originated when land was enclosed by Roger de Montalt (1200 – 1260) who was steward to the Earle of Chester creating a Deer Park about 1260.  The Deer Park (Neston Park, Parkgate or Neston Deer Park as it is variously named) was situated on Park(s) Fields flanked by a boundary along Wood Lane (much as it is today), with another boundary along the field edge (the current footpath/cycle path to Brooklands Road) and the boundary on the estuarine side being in the region of the current Moorside Lane in Parkgate.  The Neston edge of the boundary is less clear but may have been the current field edge on that side of the current football field.  The park continued as a hunting park until it was sold to new owners about 1600.  It was about this time that Parkgate settlement as an anchorage or fishing village began to take shape. (Parkgate Society.co.uk – Parkgate History).

Wood Lane as stated in  “Parkgate Street Names” by Parkgate Society) leads from Neston to the historic woods of Leighton and was a boundary of the ancient Neston Deer Park (approx 1250 -1600) to a point where a track leads down to Brooklands Road.  Beyond this point it enters the township of Leighton.  Leighton had extensive woodlands around and beyond Boathouse Lane and many people of Leighton were employed as woodsmen. ( “Parkgate Street Names” by Parkgate Society). These woodlands could be the origin of the name “Wood Lane”.  It is also interesting that one of the roads in Neston is named “Woodlands Road” and possibly this is also the source of this street name and of course the road named “Leighton Road”.

In 1729 a brick-built windmill was built alongside Wood Lane at the section between Neston and Earle Drive. A few years later, between 1733 and 1737 another windmill, now a private dwelling, was built at the side of the older mill between Wood Lane and what is now Leighton Road.  There is now no sign of the older mill and modern properties have now been built beside the existing mill. ( “Timeline for CH64” – Neston.org.uk)

Parkgate Race Course

Races had been held in Neston as early as 1729 on a  course at Windle Hill but early in nineteenth century racing began in Parkgate and on16 June 1829 the Wirral Cup was won by a Mr Herbert’s “Julia”.

The racecourse was an oval and covered the length of Parkgate on land known as Park Fields, extending from the Leighton boundary on one side through to Wood Lane on the northern side.  Racing certainly continued into the 1830s and 40s although there are few references to it in local newspapers after about 1846. In the 1840s the Smith family who lived in Wood House in Wood Lane used to provide refreshments for racegoers at Parkgate. However on Saturday 9th June 1881 racing was revived by the Wirral Hunt Club and renamed the Wirral Hunt Steeplechases.  Over time they suffered many complaints of unruly behaviour and drunkenness and the final meeting at Parkgate was held on Saturday 18 April 1896, after which the races transferred to Hooton Park for their 1897 meeting.  (Racecourses, Here Today Gone Tomorrow on www.greyhound derby.com)   

Paddock Drive was probably the site of the paddocks for the racecourse when Parks Fields, adjacent to Wood Lane was used for horse racing meetings. ( Parkgate Society, Parkgate Street Names)

Though racing stopped on Park Fields a long time ago, gymkhanas were still held there until very recently.  Even still, occasional “steeplechases” take place here.


A New Vicarage

In 1759 a new vicarage for Neston Parish Church (St Mary’s and St Helen’s) was built in Wood Lane as the vicarage in Neston as the vicar, the Reverand Richard Gleadowe wanted a more modern house then the old vicarage which stood on the site of what is now Tescos.  Named “Woodlands”, the vicarage is the first property on the left in Wood Lane from the Neston end.  Its name may reflect the purpose of Wood Lane, ie the lane to the woodlands and may also explain why Wood Lane was sometimes known as “Vicarage Lane”.  In 1903 another vicar, the Reverend E.C. Turner considered Woodlands too large a house and a new vicarage was built on Parkgate Road. “Woodlands” has been altered over the years, the original left side no longer exists and much of its land has been sold off. (Source – “Timeline for CH64” – Neston.org.uk and Neston 1840 – 1940 edited by Geoffrey Place, 1996)

The Coming of the Railway.

In 1866 the Parkgate railway, running from Parkgate to Hooton was built, cutting through the Race Course at its western end.  Some twenty years later the line was extended to link West Kirby and Hooton, It closed in 1962. (“Neston and Parkgate” by Jeffery Pearson, 1985, Countvise)

First World War

Army units camped at Park Fields ‘for a few months ‘before leaving on their grim business’. ( “Neston and Parkgate” by Jefferey Pearson)

In July 1914 a Bleriot monoplane piloted by Henri Salmet and sponsored by the Daily Mail, landed on Parks Field and took passengers for trips around the area.  Boys from Mostyn House and Territorials who were camping on Parks Field witnessed this event.  This was 1 week after Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been shot and killed in Sarajevo which led to the Great War of 1914-1918. (Neston 1840 – 1940, edited by Geoffrey Place 1996). 

Second World War

During  the Seond World War Park Fields were leased to a local farmer by the council for agricultural purposes to help with the war effort and this continued for many years after the war ended.  The fields were certainly used for cattle grazing since I moved to this area in 1986 and continued until the local farmer decided not to continue with the lease. (“Neston and Parkgate” by Jefferey Pearson)

The first bombs to drop on Cheshire fell on 29th July 1940; they were high explosive bombs but mostly fell on farm fields, causing little damage. However, they left several large craters in Wood Lane and people from as far away as Birkenhead travelled there to see them.

Woodcote in Wood Lane served as the officers’ mess for Z Company, 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers who were based in what was formerly Leighton School (later the Parkgate Hotel) in Boathouse Lane for nine months in 1941. The Company used Wood Lane for their drills, often with local children as an audience.

A Food Office was established by the Neston Food Control Committee at Woodhill in Earle Drive at the junction with Wood Lane. (Neston at War: 1939-1945, edited by Geoffrey W. Place,1999)

 Murder in Wood Lane

On the fateful night of 18 December 1945, James Palmer who had been demobbed from the Merchant Navy then sent to HMS Mersey in Neston, having arrived in Liverpool, travelling to Hamilton Square in Birkenhead, then taking a bus to Neston, found himself sitting next to Moreen Branagan aged about 35. She worked at the Holywell Hotel in Parkgate and had recently moved to lodgings in Moorefield Drive.   The bus was crowded and he could not get to his cigarettes and Moreen proffered him one of hers, after which they started a conversation. They agreed to meet the following day at the Red Lion and went to the Brewers Arms in Park Street, Neston where they stayed till closing time.  They left the Brewers Arms arm in arm and walked down Park Street.  They started to kiss at the side of a wall but it would appear that things went too far and Moreen told him he “shouldn’t have done that”.

The next morning, 19 December 1945, Moreen’s body was found  in “Lover’s Lane” (Wood  Lane) near her lodgings, about 10 minutes away from Park Street, near a summerhouse in the grounds of a property named Roseacre near to the entrance of Woodburn.  A woman who lived in Woodburn reported that at about 10.35 she had heard what she thought was 2 men arguing in Wood Lane and about a minute later, heard a woman’s voice call “help” followed by a gurgling sound.  When the doctor arrived at 10.30 am the following day Moreen was still warm.  Moreen had been strangled, she had several abrasions around her face and elsewhere.  There were signs of a sexual nature and she had skin under her fingernails indicating she had tried to fight off her assailant.

A reward of £1000 was offered to catch the killer and on 21 December 1945 James Palmer was arrested at his home in Glasgow.  Forensic evidence presented to the court included some broken glass – a watch face with 2 red fibres – proved to belong to Palmer’s watch, the fibres matching a macintosh worn by Moreen Branagan.  Palmer had abrasions on his forehead when he was found two on his forehead which he claimed were from his cap being too tight and two on his hand when he was found, he claimed were from breaking coal with a wee hammer.  A watch hand was also missing and then found in the sleeve of the naval uniform he was wearing on the night. Nail parings from Palmer were found to contain blood as did items of his clothing.  Soil samples taken from the site were examined and the same soil was found on Palmer’s coat and identified as being from Wood Lane, the site of the murder.  At first Palmer claimed he had not killed Moreen Branagan but later changed his plea.  Palmer who was 34 was sentenced to death on 8 February 1946 with a strong recommendation for mercy.  He was later reprieved.

Housing development

Most of the properties currently in Wood Lane were built during probably the latter part of  the 1800s  and throughout the 1900s though some newer properties have been added more recently.  The windmill which still stands is possibly the oldest standing property, having been built 1732 – 1737 as mentioned previously. Some time before  1900, a  house was built on the land on which Paddock Drive now stands.  This property was first known as “Belcarrig” , then “Lackawanna” and later “The Paddock”.

The property known as “The Paddock” changed hands several times in the first half of the twentieth century, with sales recorded in the years 1901, 1902, 1928 and 1933.

1901

In the Conveyance for the sale of “The Paddock” dated 4 December 1901 between Reginald Willian Uvedale Corbett of the first part Lionel Corbett and Edward Corbett of the second part and Algernon George Grenfell of the third part “ in the following terms:-

“AND the Purchaser for himself his heirs and assigns and to the intent and so as to bind not only himself personally but also (so far as practicable) all persons claiming title under him to the land assured DOTH hereby COVENANT with the Vendor his heirs and assigns or other the (sic) person or persons for the time being entitled to the estates comprised in the said Settlement that the purchaser his heirs or assigns will not at any time erect or establish on the land hereby assured any factory sewage chemical water pumping or other works which could by any possibility prove or become a nuisance or annoyance to the adjoining owners or occupiers for the time being or might as a result drain the neighbouring wells nor erect or establish any works involving the building of a tall  chimney or chimneys or other erections which might affect the value of the neighbouring hereditaments either for the purpose of building sites or otherwise”

…” COVENANT by the said W H H Quinsey not to erect any messuage or dwellinghouse on the said land edged pink in such plan which when completed should be of a less value than One thousand pounds but that stipulation should not apply to any lodge or gardners (sic) cottage in connection with any messuage or dwellinghouse on the adjoining land of the W H H Quinsey and also that the said W H H Quinsey his heirs or assigns would not at any time without the consent in writing of the said A G Grenfell his heirs or assigns carry on or permit to be carried on upon the said land edged pink any trade or business whatsoever  Also to observe the covenants and restrictions contained in an Indenture or Conveyance dated the 4th day of December 1901 and made between Reginald Uvedale Corbett of the first part Lionel Corbett and Edward Corbett of the second part and Algernon George Grenfell of the third part and on the part of the said A  G Grenfell his heirs and assigns to be observed and would at all times keep the said A  G Grenfell his heirs executors and administrators effectually indemnified against all actions proceedings costs and damages expenses claims and demands whatsoever in respect of the said covenants and restrictions or any of the and also within twelve calendar months after the 30th December 1901 to erect and complete fit for habitation upon the land edged green on the said plan a messuage or dwellinghouse which completed should be of the value of One thousand pounds at least …”

1933

Extracts from a Conveyance of freehold land and premises known as “The Paddock” situate at Neston in the County of Chester between R J Hough Esq to R N Cornelius Esq dated  21 December 1933 –

“The Paddock” land and property was sold on 1 February 1902 “… consisting of that piece of land or parcel of land situate in the township of Great Neston in the County of Chester formerly known as Lidgate and stated to contain the whole 3 acres 2 roods and 31.5 perches stature measure or thereabouts and having a frontage of 672 feet or thereabouts to Wood Lane (otherwise call Vicarage Lane) …” between Algernon George Grenfell of the one part and Willian Henry Hardman Quinsey of the other part … and that piece of meadow land of field situate in the Parish of Neston in the County of Chester formerly the most south western portion of a field situate on the west side of Leighton Road 5 acres and 16 perches more or less … bounded on the North Eastern side by the remainder of the said field containing 5 acres 19 perches of thereabouts on the North Western and South Western sides by proprtry of the Vendor called “The Paddock” formerly called “Benlcarrig” then as “Lackawanna” fronting to Wood Lane Neston aforesaid and on the South East by land now or formerly belonging to W J Nelson … in a Conveyance dated 17 October 1928 between Dorothy Dixon and Norah Quinsey and the Vendor on the other … to hold the same unto the Purchaser in fee simple subject as to the premises first and secondly hereinbefore described to restrictive covenants contained in the Conveyance of 2 February 1902 as to the premises secondly hereinbefore described also on the restricted covenants contained in and Indenture made 2 December 1901 between Reginald William Uvedale Corbett and Edward Corbett of the second part and Algernon George Grenfell of the third part and the Purchases hereby covenants with the Vendor but by way of indemnity only that he will at all times hereafter duly observe the said restrictive covenants and will keep the Vendor and his representative effectually indemnified against all actions whatsoever in respect of the said restrictive covenants or any of them”

This Conveyance dated 21 December 1933 was witnessed and signed by Robert Irvine Hough and Richard Cornelius Neville

The property was not sold again until after the war when, on the 1st August 1958 Richard Neville Cornelious sold The Paddock to David Maurice Jones for the sum of £7,500.

In 1970 the property was sold to developers.

16th February 1970 – sale of “The Paddock” to J G Brearey Limited

Conveyance signed and dated 16 February 1970 between David Maurice Jones and J G Brearey Limited 1970

1 June 1970 – sale of the Paddock to Roger Malcolm Developments Ltd

Conveyance signed and dated 1 June 1970 between J G Brearey Limited of Village Road, Lower Heswall, Wirral, Chester and Roger Malcolm Developments Ltd of Malcolm House, Empire Way, Wembley, Middlesex and a legal charge dated 1 June 1970 for a mortgage to the sum of £42,000 dated 16 August 1970 on vacation of the said dwellinghouse by Mr D M Jones.

Paddock Drive

A small estate of detached bungalows and houses was constructed on the site, completed in 1972

Plot 13, No 27 Paddock Drive was bought by Mrs Janet O’Meara with the following covenants.

Property bought by Mrs Janet Glendower O’Meara from Malcolm Development Ltd with R Reservations and Exceptions specified in the First Schedule and to the restrictive covenants  and provisions made in Clause 3(ii) AND TOGETHER with the benefit of the Easements and Rights specified in the Second Schedule TO HOLD unto the Purchaser in fee simple 3(i) For the benefit and protection of  the remainder o the Vendor’s Paddock Estate AND so as to bind the property into whosoever hand the same may come the Purchaser HEREBY COVENANTS with the Vendor that the Purchaser and any persons driving this title under the Purchaser will at all tines hereafter oversee and perform the actions set out in the Third Schedule (ii) The Purchaser covenants with the Vendor by way of indemnity only to perform the restrictive covenants and provisions referred to in the Conveyance dated 1st June 1970 by J G Brearey Limited to the Vendor so far as they relate to the property hereby conveyed and are now subsisting and capable of taking effect …”

Exceptions and Reservations included:

    • Free passage and running of water and soil through the drains, sewers and watercourses in and under the property which serve other parts of the estate
    • The right for the Vendor and owners for the time being of other properties on the said Estate to be able to enter upon the property for the purpose of maintaining repairing or renewing any building abutting the property or drains, sewers and watercourses the person exercising such right to cause as little disturbance as possible and making good any damage caused
    • The rights assigned to NW Gas Board and its successors be observed as stated in the Deed of Grant dated 27 August 1971
    • Until such time as the Estate roads are taken over by the Local Authority under the provisions of Section 40 of the Highways Act 1959 a right of way at all times with or without vehicles over the roads on the said Estate and on foot only over the footpaths of the said Estate
    • Not to erect any building or structure or fence or hedge in the area in front of the house nor allow anything to be planted there which could be described as or forming a hedge or boundary line or which would interfere with the open plan frontages or the development of the said Estate nor plant there any shrubs or trees except (a) shrubs and plants within six feet of the house and (b) such other individual shrubs or trees as shall have been first approved by the Vendor
Friends of Park Fields

In 2007, after the farmer renting the Cow Field no longer required to lease the field, it was left fallow and the council had to decide what was best to do with this and the football fields.  Many proposals were put forward, eg sell the land for building, set up a number of football pitches, a cricket ground, etc but in the end after much consultation, the council agreed that both fields would be gifted to the local people in perpetuity for recreational use.  The lease for Park Fields terminated in 2007.  A group named Friends of Park Fields was set up and after many meetings a management plan was set up in 2009 with the intention of enhancing the natural open space for the benefit of the whole community.  Over a number of years wild flower planting and other maintenance has taken place with the help of volunteers, benches have been donated and placed into the field.  Funding and grants have been sought and obtained from a number of sources.  Green Flag status has been awarded and there are ongoing plans to keep improving the fields for both recreational use and educational purposes.

(Source:  Friends of Park Fields)

2011 – 2020

The sodium lights in both Wood Lane and Paddock Drive were replaced with more efficient street lighting.

20 mph speed signs were erected in both Wood Lane (from its junction with Earle Drive to Paddock Drive) and Paddock Drive.  Derestriction signs were placed in Wood Lane to Boathouse Lane.

2024

While most of Wood Lane from its start in Neston to its end at Boathouse Lane is untarmacked, the section from Earle Drive to its junction with Paddock Drive is tarmacked and contains a variety of properties, mainly along its eastern edge.  This tarmac was applied when the houses and bungalows in Paddock Drive were built.  It seems strange that while Paddock Drive is an adopted road, it can only be approached from Neston by the said unadopted tarmacked section.   A new street sign for Wood Lane was erected in 2020 at its entrance from Earle Drive, but this sign was then removed and replaced by “Wood Lane (Unadopted)” signage by the local council – Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC).  This status of Wood Lane is currently in dispute by several local residents who believe that the tarmacked section was adopted by the operating council, either during or after the construction of Paddock Drive (ie from Earle Drive to the entrance to the Paddock Drive (adopted) cul-de-sac road) but no firm evidence has been found.  With the lane between Earle Drive and Paddock Drive being currently of a good standard having been part funded by the council on the section of lane abutting Parks Field which they own, the rest being funded by residents of Wood Lane and Paddock Drive, the council was recently approached regarding adoption but the cost of  (I have been told) £400,000 is prohibitive and it is therefore very unlikely that unless historical written evidence is found that the lane will ever have adopted status.

When I moved here in 1986, Wood Lane, which then had very little vehicular traffic, consisted only of Wood Lane, Brook Lane and Paddock Drive residents’/visitors’ vehicles, some occasional local farm traffic, the post van, the once daily milk delivery, the occasional gymkhana traffic (whose participants and audience parked in the football field), and a very occasional vehicular delivery.  Few people parked in the lane which was then a quiet backwater and a pleasurable local saunter.

Today, in 2024, Wood Lane has become a regular thoroughfare for much increased traffic of all types, including delivery services due to the increased use of on-line shopping.  Because of the opening up of Park Fields to the general public and the designated cycle path (it is also a footpath and bridle way) from Boathouse Lane along Wood Lane to the cut through to the Wirral Way and Brooklands Road, walkers, horse riders, cyclists and dog walker, local and from elsewhere, come here  to enjoy the facilities offered. Compared to when I moved here in 1986, when walking along Wood Lane would mean I was very unlikely to meet any traffic other than a few walkers or horses and a very occasional vehicle, it is now a rare occurrence to walk along this lane during the daytime without meeting several, and an increasing number of, vehicles and the increased numbers of walkers and cyclists from outside the local area attracted by the enhanced and more freely accessible facilities.