Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Now and Then Illchester Sqaure - The Dock Cottages

The Picture isn't exactly on the same line,
But its the General Area where the Cottages Would have Been.
The Black and white Top Picture is looking across the field
left to right from where the colour picture was taken.

Read More About them Click Me

When the weather is very dry, and the grass is short (like in 1995), you can actually see the outline of the foundations of where Ilchester Square once stood.

There are very few pictures about on the internet of Ilchester Square which is surprising, but some residents bought pictures of the Coronation parties in 1953 from the Birkenhead News, which I have seen and they are very clear and in black and white.
Somebody somewhere must have copies of these.

Pictures of the square were also featured in the Birkenhead News in the early 1970's when demolition was being discussed. There was a report by the council referring to "Social Misfits" which the Birkenhead News picked up on and went around interviewing residents about it.

More recently, an episode of Merseybeat (the first in the final series) was filmed in Ilchester Road, Tyrer Street and Buccluech Street.

Here is a picture of the remaining flats in Ilchester Square as seen from Ilchester Road:

I lived for a few years with my nan in Severn Street, just round the corner would of been late 60's I am sure there was a pub either in the square or nearby that the locals called the 'bloodtub'. Does anyone remember that?

aye yes sarab the pub is actually called the The New Dock there is a thread about that here.. Click here for thread

There is even 1 or 2 memebers on here who are regulars at the "Tub".

Picked these up at the archives last Friday.

good finds chris

Thanx Soundlad. I am trying to fit my memories of the area together. Was Beaufords called 'Frankensteins'?

Stewart Street? That was changed to something else wasn't it?

Trying to work out on those plans if the toilets were communial and on the landings? Probably were because even a lot of the posh houses never had inside bogs in those days.

I remember going into Ilchester square to deliver something. Scared stiff my van would be robbed plus the wheels off it. Perhaps it was an urban myth but it had a very bad name.

Damn, can't quite see. The legend says "F, water closet"...then something else. Looks as if it's in the flat. Why don't you pop into the archives & find out. Plan is B804/1. Who knows what else you might find out? I'm just sorry I'm so far away, otherwise I'd be in there all the time!

I've either read it or it was passed down that they were communal toilets. I seem to remember either reading or being told that they never flushed but put buckets of water down or had a hose or something. Might just be old timers disease on my part?

I do believe that sometimes they were extremely nasty because some of the residents had never come across a proper toilet before.

I'm sure there's at least 1 person on here who's got a copy of "Up Our Lobby". That should mention it.

Chriskay, I have a copy of that book.will have a look now and see if I can find anything.

The lavatory was reached through another door from the back kitchen,to use the word "toilet"would be to bestow far too much dignity on what was simply a brick cubicle with a boarded box set against the outer wall. In the centre of the box was an approprately shaped hole. When ones bodily functions were performed it was an easy step or two to the tap at the sink to fill the ever present bucket and to hurl the water with as much force as one could muster, into the hole. The more force used the quicker the waste would be forced-down the outlet pipe,a far cry from the present day luxury of a siphon system.

However, I did find this also.


One ground floor set of rooms in each block was designated as a communal wash house for that block,many times I have stood in the steam-filled room with it`s huge boiler inti which our mothers would plunge the family wash. The clothes would be "boiled",then at the appropriate moment,transferred to a tub. Here they would be swirled around with a three-legged contrvance.