WikiWirral its great, register, enjoy and welcome.
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,509
Posts1,034,178
Members14,906
Most Online113,173
Sep 9th, 2025
Who's Online Now
4 members (3 invisible), 6,066 guests, and 364 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,811
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
Monkeh, Caro11, Monroe, jonmac, Rmad1997
14,906 Registered Users
New General Forums
Magnet fishing
by Dilly - 2nd Oct 2017 11:43am
New Wirral History
Looking for lost streets
by CloverBee - 12th Sep 2025 2:20pm
what was this building in Claughton Road
by derekdwc - 1st Sep 2025 12:10pm
461 Collingwood, Black Horse Hill, West Kirby
by diggingdeeper - 3rd Mar 2009 9:30pm
Top Posters(30 Days)
bert1 5
Topic Replies
461 Collingwood, Black Horse Hill, West Kirby
by KevinFinity - 13th Sep 2025 10:05pm
Looking for lost streets
by CloverBee - 13th Sep 2025 4:49pm
Temporary relocation of Birkenhead Market
by diggingdeeper - 12th Sep 2025 12:12am
Are there any grants available for a new boiler?
by tomcat77 - 5th Sep 2025 11:19am
Tree surgeon recommendations
by CarterUSM - 4th Sep 2025 1:24pm
Magnet fishing
by diggingdeeper - 3rd Sep 2025 1:32am
what was this building in Claughton Road
by diggingdeeper - 2nd Sep 2025 6:46am
What are they doing at four bridges?
by Excoriator - 29th Aug 2025 3:32pm
Purple Aki found dead
by Softy_Southerner - 27th Aug 2025 10:21pm
September
M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
Top Likes Received
bert1 29
Mark 4
casper 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 4 of 4 1 2 3 4
diggingdeeper #313544 27th Apr 2009 9:36pm
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Offline
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
well done guys nice info! d.d. can you put the map up?

Last edited by TRANCENTRAL; 27th Apr 2009 9:37pm.

[Linked Image] Please do not adjust your mind, there is a slight problem with reality
Google Ads
TRANCENTRAL #313549 27th Apr 2009 9:42pm
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
Serpently

Attached Images
BirkenheadOleo1889.jpg (71.9 KB, 224 downloads)
Birkenhead Oleo Works Canning Street 1889

There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
diggingdeeper #313552 27th Apr 2009 9:47pm
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Offline
Green Meanie
Wiki Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,487
Likes: 1
thanks kid nice one!


[Linked Image] Please do not adjust your mind, there is a slight problem with reality
oggie #324143 29th May 2009 9:41pm
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
This building was known as the "Morpeth Mill" on WW2 plans, on the same block was a Foundry, two Pubs (The London Hotel and possibly The Egerton) and an Air Raid Shelter.

I haven't found out anything about Morpeth Mill as yet, this was found in passing on another project.

The chimney does not look like it was there when this was the Oleo Works as the buildings are completely different shapes, so it highly likely the Oleo Works were demolished and replaced with this Mill.

#414225 9th Jun 2010 8:28am
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4
Beginner
Offline
Beginner
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4
This building after the Warwas Norman Foods


geoffrey horgan
diggingdeeper #414270 9th Jun 2010 1:44pm
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 472
Likes: 2
Smartchild
Offline
Smartchild
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 472
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
This building was known as the "Morpeth Mill" on WW2 plans, on the same block was a Foundry, two Pubs (The London Hotel and possibly The Egerton) and an Air Raid Shelter.

I haven't found out anything about Morpeth Mill as yet, this was found in passing on another project.

The chimney does not look like it was there when this was the Oleo Works as the buildings are completely different shapes, so it highly likely the Oleo Works were demolished and replaced with this Mill.


The original Oleo Works haven't been demolished, simply much added to over the years. If you go back to page 1, in the first pic you can see a clear difference beween the original building on the right-hand side and the later extension on the left. Pic 3 shows that the chimney is at the back of the older part of the works, so it would have been part of the original building.

The factory seems to have been built in the late 1880s, but oddly it doesn't appear in Trade Directories until 1893, when it's listed as Birkenhead Margarine Works (A Ogston & Sons). Just before WW1, it belonged to British Margarine Supplies Ltd and is named as Morpeth Refinery. Part of the premises is identified as a palm kernel store, so there's not much doubt that the works were originally built to process oils & fats for the production of margarine, as other posts have suggested.

marty99fred #414288 9th Jun 2010 4:30pm
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
Here are some maps of the oleo works area throughout time, I have more detailed maps for 1950's onwards but ran out of steam.

Attached Images
oleo-1875.jpg (136.29 KB, 125 downloads)
oleo 1875
oleo-1882.jpg (14.56 KB, 130 downloads)
oleo 1882
oleo-1889.jpg (150.33 KB, 130 downloads)
oleo 1889
oleo-c1900.jpg (12.14 KB, 132 downloads)
oleo circa 1900
oleo-1912.jpg (129.02 KB, 133 downloads)
oleo 1912
oleo-1936.jpg (143.14 KB, 137 downloads)
oleo 1936
oleo-1938.jpg (12.13 KB, 138 downloads)
oleo 1938
oleo-1955.jpg (168.2 KB, 141 downloads)
oleo 1955
oleo-1966.jpg (8.75 KB, 141 downloads)
oleo 1966
oleo-2010.jpg (14.87 KB, 143 downloads)
oleo 2010

There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
diggingdeeper #414312 9th Jun 2010 6:38pm
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 708
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 708
My memory of my Norman Foods visit (page 3) would have been in the '50s, so dd's map of 1955 confirms this. Thanks.

Bri

bri445 #414344 9th Jun 2010 8:42pm
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,515
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,515
Welcome to the machine Astra.


See you in cyberspace!
Ducko #1085022 1st Mar 2024 5:14pm
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
These former oleo works are currently being demolished. I'll post pictures later.


There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Ducko #1085023 2nd Mar 2024 12:51am
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,549
Likes: 34
.

Attached Images
P2000024.JPG (68.86 KB, 21 downloads)
P2000026.JPG (51.58 KB, 22 downloads)

There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Page 4 of 4 1 2 3 4

Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Looking for lost streets
by CloverBee - 12th Sep 2025 2:20pm
Tree surgeon recommendations
by CarterUSM - 4th Sep 2025 1:24pm
what was this building in Claughton Road
by derekdwc - 1st Sep 2025 12:10pm
Purple Aki found dead
by Softy_Southerner - 27th Aug 2025 10:21pm
Are there any grants available for a new boiler?
by Longnails - 25th Aug 2025 9:34pm
For Sale & Free
Member Spotlight
phillhere
phillhere
Greasby
Posts: 60
Joined: October 2008
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
Are there any grants available for a new boiler?
by Longnails - 25th Aug 2025 9:34pm
What are they doing at four bridges?
by Excoriator - 25th Jul 2025 12:23pm
Temporary relocation of Birkenhead Market
by mikeeb - 29th May 2021 1:01pm
News : New Topics
Purple Aki found dead
by Softy_Southerner - 27th Aug 2025 10:21pm
Allotments Sell-Off
by diggingdeeper - 5th Aug 2025 8:27am
New Enthusiast Forums
Tree surgeon recommendations
by CarterUSM - 4th Sep 2025 1:24pm
Power steering line repair or fabrication
by phillhere - 18th Aug 2025 12:25pm
Popular Topics(Views)
10,590,446 CW Chat room thread
5,802,117 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,572,169 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5