| Port Sunlight | |
|---|---|
 An example of Port Sunlight village architecture | |
  Port Sunlight Location withinMerseyside | |
| Population | 1,450 (2001 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ338847 |
| • London | 176 mi (283 km)[2] SE |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIRRAL |
| Postcode district | CH62 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-WRL |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
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Port Sunlight is amodel village in theMetropolitan Borough of Wirral,Merseyside, England. It is located between LowerBebington andNew Ferry, on theWirral Peninsula. Port Sunlight was built byLever Brothers to accommodate workers in its soap factory (now part ofUnilever); work commenced in 1888. The name is derived from Lever Brothers' most popular brand of cleaning agent,Sunlight.
Port Sunlight contains 900 Grade IIlisted buildings, and was declared aconservation area in 1978.[3] Port Sunlight has been informally suggested forWorld Heritage Site (WHS) status[4] to protect it from development and to preserve the unique character forfuture generations; however, it is not yet on the current UK "tentative list" for future consideration as a WHS.[5] In the2001 Census, its population was 1,450.[1]
In 1887,Lever Brothers began looking for a new site on which to expand its soap-making business, which was at that time based inWarrington. The company bought 56 acres (23 ha) of flat unused marshy land inCheshire, south of theRiver Mersey. It was large enough to allow space for expansion, and had a prime location between the river and a railway line. The site became Port Sunlight, whereWilliam Lever built his works and amodel village to house his employees. William Lever (who was created abaronet in December 1911, and was raised to thePeerage of the United Kingdom as the 1st Baron Leverhulme in June 1917, and was further advanced to being the 1stViscount Leverhulme in December 1922) personally supervised planning the village, and employed nearly thirty different architects. Between 1899 and 1914, 800 houses were built to house a population of 3,500. The garden village had allotments and public buildings including theLady Lever Art Gallery, a cottage hospital, schools, a concert hall, open air swimming pool, church, and atemperance hotel. Lever introduced welfare schemes, and provided for the education and entertainment of his workforce, encouraging recreation and organisations which promoted art, literature, science or music.
The aims of Lord Leverhulme, as he became, were "to socialise and Christianise business relations and get back to that close family brotherhood that existed in the good old days of hand labour." He claimed that Port Sunlight was an exercise inprofit sharing, but rather than share profits directly, he invested them in the village. He said, "It would not do you much good if you send it down your throats in the form of bottles of whisky, bags of sweets, or fat geese at Christmas. On the other hand, if you leave the money with me, I shall use it to provide for you everything that makes life pleasant – nice houses, comfortable homes, and healthy recreation."[6]
The historical significance of Port Sunlight lies in its combination of model industrial housing, providing materially decent conditions for working people, with the architectural and landscape values of thegarden suburb, influenced by the ideas ofWilliam Morris and theArts and Crafts Movement. Each block of houses was designed by a different architect. The backs of any of the houses cannot be seen, and each house is unique. In terms of architectural features, there is half-timbering, carved woodwork and masonry, pargetting (ornamental plaster work) moulded and twisted chimneys and leaded glazed patterns. Some houses were built inFlemish style, with bricks imported fromBelgium.
Port Sunlight is on the eastern side of theWirral Peninsula, at the western side of theRiver Mersey. The area is approximately 10.5 km (6.5 mi) south-south-east of theIrish Sea atNew Brighton and about 8 km (5 mi) east-north-east of theDee Estuary atGayton. The area is between 10 and 23 m (33 and 75 ft) above sea level.[7]
Neighbouring places | |
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One of the great buildings in Port Sunlight is theLady Lever Art Gallery. A keen art collector, Lever travelled all over the world and liked to show the villagers the art he collected. Opened in 1922 by PrincessBeatrice, the art gallery shows Lever's collection and modern-day artwork. The collection includes a range of furniture, paintings, sculptures and ceramics.
Other notable buildings include theLyceum, the Gladstone Theatre (which hosts local amateur dramatic productions), Hesketh Hall (which housed the local branch of theRoyal British Legion until 2013, when it was converted into 13 flats)[8] and the "Bridge Inn"public house.
The village containsChrist Church, aUnited Reformed Church, and opposite is a small primary school. Church Drive Primary School is open to people living outside the village and residents. There is awar memorial byGoscombe John in the village centre in memory of soldiers that died inWorld War I. Port Sunlight has a water feature. The open air swimming pool is now a garden centre and cafe.
Hulme Hall was built as a women's dining hall, but is now in use as a local community centre and hosts events.
The Cottage Hospital, opened in 1907, was closed for many years but refurbished and reopened in 2008 as the Leverhulme Hotel.
Until the 1980s, all residents were employees of Unilever and their families. During this decade the houses were first sold privately. The former village school is now aworking men's club.
ThePort Sunlight River Park, on the banks of the River Mersey betweenCammell Laird Shipyard andBromborough Dock,[9] opened to the public in 2014.[10] The park is opposite Otterspool promenade and offers a view of Liverpool's waterfront, including theAnglican Cathedral and theRoyal Albert Dock. It is an open, natural space that has been created on the former landfill site at Bromborough Dock.[11] The site has been taken over byThe Land Trust, 'a charity that is committed to the long term, sustainable management of open space for community benefit'.[12] Walkways allow the public to appreciate the wildflowers and other wildlife; there is also a wetland area.[10]
The area is served by bothBebington andPort Sunlight railway stations, on theWirral Line of theMerseyrail network. There are regular train services toChester,Ellesmere Port and toLiverpool viaBirkenhead.
Port Sunlight was widely celebrated. In 1912, it became the subject of a hit West End musical comedy,The Sunshine Girl, at theGaiety Theatre, London. It starredPhyllis Dare, one of the most popular pin-ups of the Edwardian era, and was written byPaul Alfred Rubens. The show introduced thetango dance to British audiences. In 1919, Lever Brothers made a 40-minute-longsponsored film,Port Sunlight, to promote the town and factory.
The Sunlight Cottages inGlasgow are rare surviving relics from the series of Great Exhibitions held inKelvingrove Park in 1888, 1901 and 1911. These rambling, asymmetrical cottages were constructed in 1901 as replicas of two of the Port Sunlight houses. Designed in an idealised Elizabethan half-timbered style by Exhibition architectJames Miller, the houses are picturesquely sited high above the Kelvin. Donated to the city of Glasgow by Lord Leverhulme after the close of the Exhibition, the cottages have been used as park workers' housing ever since.[13][14]
Port Sunlight was also used as a filming location for the British television seriesPeaky Blinders numerous times.[15]
Hulme Hall was the venue for drummerRingo Starr's official debut as a member ofThe Beatles on 18 August 1962.[16][17] It is also the site of the band's first ever broadcast interview. The interview was with localdisc jockey Monty Lister and recorded forRadio Clatterbridge on 27 October 1962.[18]
Fiona Bruce, host (2008 to present) of the long-running British television showAntiques Roadshow, grew up in Port Sunlight. In her introduction to an episode of the programme (Series 35 Episode 2)[19] set in the village, she stood in front of her childhood home and explained that her father was a managing director of a division of Unilever.
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