Toponymy

The name Gateacre was first used in the mid-16th century to refer to the area that had previously been part of the townships of 'Little' and 'Much' Woolton.^[3] The origin of the name is not fully known, although there are two parallel theories on where it may have come from. The first explanation suggests that the name may derive from 'gata' – meaning path or 'the way' in Middle English – to the 'acre field' of Much Woolton (which approximately encompasses what is modern day Woolton).^[3][4] An alternative suggestion is that the name may have developed from the Anglo-Saxon term gāt-æcer, which means a "newly cultivated plot where goats are kept".^[3]

Origins and early history

The origins of modern-day Gateacre date back to at least the 12th century, to the historic townships of Much Woolton and Little Woolton.^[5] Much Woolton was centred on the nearby village of Woolton, with Little Woolton covering an almost entirely rural area adjacent to it. The area that would later become Gateacre was situated on the boundary between the two townships. The present day Halewood Road and Grange Lane approximately sit on the path of a former packhorse trail, which went from Hale to West Derby.^[4]

The ownership of the land changed numerous times over the next several hundred years, with Gateacre remaining a primarily rural area. There are records of several buildings and tenants on the land,^[5] although it wasn't until the mid 16th century that Gateacre was referred to, as a place in its own right.^[3]

The oldest surviving buildings in Gateacre are Grange Lodge, which dates to the late 17th century, and the Unitarian Chapel, which was built in 1700 for the local English Presbyterian congregation.^[6] Although Gateacre remained a mainly rural area until the nineteenth century, maps from the eighteenth century do show the crossroads in the centre of the Village. Subsequently, Gateacre was likely a central point for travellers across the region and it is during this period that both the Black Bull and Bear & Ragged Staff (today known as just the Bear and Staff) Inns emerged, providing shelter and accommodation for those travelling through the village.^[4]

Nineteenth century and rapid growth

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Gateacre became a rural retreat for the wealthy business classes of Liverpool, Widnes or Warrington.^[6] Villas and rural cottages were constructed during this time, using sandstone and brick from the local quarry in Woolton,^[7] and many of these buildings survive.^[8]

Gateacre began to grow as a village in the 19th century. Employment in the area expanded beyond agriculture, with the opening of the Gateacre Brewery mid-century^[9] and a local telephone exchange in 1889.^[10] Gateacre railway station also opened in 1879, on the Cheshire Lines Committee's North Liverpool Extension Line, providing the area with a direct link to Liverpool Central station.^[11][12] It was during this period that there was a shift in architectural styling, with mock-Tudor becoming popular.

In the mid-to-late nineteenth century, several notable residents moved into Gateacre, including Sir Andrew Barclay Walker (the man who built the Walker Art Gallery as a gift to Liverpool) and John Hays Wilson (who was the Chairman of the Liverpool Council Water Committee).^[8] In 1877, Walker provided land adjacent to Halewood Road for the construction of a new Church of England school, with the school's previous premises on Grange Lane being converted into a reading room (The building is today home to the Gateacre Institute).^[13] Following Wilson's death in 1881, the people of Gateacre erected the Wilson Memorial Fountain in honour of his work for Liverpool.^[13] The monument was located in a prominent position on the village green, which was at the time owned by Walker. In 1887, four years after the monument was erected, Walker decided to give the green to the local council, in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. He commissioned his nephew Count Gleichen to sculpt a bronze bust of the Queen to be placed upon it.^[8]

Twentieth century and incorporation into Liverpool

Gateacre was officially absorbed into Liverpool in 1913, although the area was at the time still relatively rural.^[12] In the 1930s, Alderman John Village Gardens was designated. In the post-war period and, in particular, the 1960s, large scale housing developments occurred throughout Gateacre. New housing estates were developed off Grange Lane, while the increased demand for rehousing in the city led to the construction of cheap pre-fabricated housing around Belle Vale Road. In 1957, Gateacre Comprehensive School (today known as Gateacre Community Comprehensive School), the UK's first purpose-built comprehensive school opened on Grange Lane. The school relocated to Belle Vale in 2011.

As the urban sprawl of Liverpool continued, a new shopping centre was constructed in what is now Belle Vale and the area was soon engulfed within the city.^[12] In order to protect the area's historic buildings, Gateacre was subsequently designated a conservation area in the city, whilst the natural assets around Gateacre Grange were protected through the city's first tree preservation order.^[12] On 15 April 1972, Gateacre railway station closed to passengers, with the last freight trains running along the line in 1975. Despite hopes that the station would be re-opened, the tracks were removed in 1979 and the line now forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail.^[11]

In 2008, as part of Liverpool's year-long celebrations as the European Capital of Culture, Gateacre became home to Tudorlambanana, one of 125 replica Superlambananas created throughout the city. Located in the centre of Gateacre Village, Tudorlambanana was designed by students at Gateacre Community Comprehensive School based upon the distinct mock Tudor architecture in the area.^[14]

Buildings