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#everysinglestreet [12/06/21] Eldonian Village and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Graham Holland    

The Eldonian Village was built in the early 1980s on the site of the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery on Vauxhall Road. This factory, and the nearby British American Tobacco plant on Commercial Road, closed in 1981 with the loss of 3,000 local jobs. There had already been a regeneration scheme in 1978 near Eldon Street and Eldon Place where the Portland Gardens Co-operative built 130 new homes alongside a sheltered accommodation scheme.

The first phase of the new village covered the area between the railway to the west, Vauxhall Road to the east, Chisenhale Street to the south, and the Stanley Dock branch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal to the north. The second phase of the project extended the village further north from the canal branch to Boundary Street. 

There’s a community centre and church, a centre for the housing association, shops, and a post office. Many of the roads are named after people who contributed to, and supported, the Eldonian Village project. Paul Orr was Lord Mayor of Liverpool at the time. David Sheppard was the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool and Derek Warlock was the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool. 

You can read more about the Eldonian Village in this slide presentation by Year 12 student RK at Archbishop Blanche School.

I’ve written previously (01/01/21 All the roads off Leeds Street and the ghost of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal) about the route of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and how it originally terminated at Old Hall Street in the city centre.

When this section was decommissioned the end of the canal was reconfigured for a new terminus at Leeds Street. Over time the canal branch down to Stanley Dock made this section redundant and it was eventually filled in, leaving Chisenhale Street and Burlington Street bridges as the only visible evidence of the canal’s original route. 

There’s a flight of five locks on the branch of the canal connecting the main canal and Stanley Dock. From there the narrowboats can navigate through the docks, along the new section at the Pier Head, and into Albert Dock. I was fortunate enough to catch a couple of narrowboats using one of the locks, and filmed them opening the gates. 

Underneath Boundary Bridge you can see the original 1836 stone span and where it was widened in 1861 to cope with the extra road traffic.

Stats

  • Saturday 12th June 2021
  • 32 streets
    Archbishop Worlock Court, Ashfield Street, Barmouth Way, Bishop Sheppard Court, Burrows Court, Canalside Grove, Cemeas Close, Colin Drive, Eldonian Way, Fitzpatrick Court, Fleming Court, Francine Close, Herm Road, Houlgrave Road, Jack McBain Court, James Dunne Avenue, Landor Close, Little Court, Lockfields View, Marnell Close, Michael Dragonette Court, New Hedley Grove, Newport Court, O’Reilly Court, Paul Orr Court, Railside Court, Snowdon Lane, St Albans Court, Steel Court, Steinberg Court, Telary Close, Vauxhall Road.
  • Total: 4,067 (71.63%)
  • Remaining: 1,611

Photos on Facebook

All of the photos from this run are in a publically viewable Facebook album.

To view them click here.

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Great North Run

I’m running the Great North Run for the first time on Sunday 12th September, raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. My mum has Alzheimers so this charity is close to my heart. If you can spare a couple of quid to help me reach my target I would be extremely grateful.

justgiving.com/fundraising/grahamsgreatnorthrun2021

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