Stockbridge Village
Encyclopedia
Stockbridge Village is an area in Liverpool
, England
. The area adopted its current name in 1983 following the regeneration of the Cantril Farm housing estate, which was originally laid out during the 1960s but deteriorated rapidly due to crime and unemployment.
in new residential areas beyond the city's borders, with other families from inner-city Liverpool moving to other overspill places like Huyton
, Kirkby
, Halewood
, Skelmersdale
and later, Runcorn New Town.
The land on which Cantril Farm would be built was purchased by Liverpool council in 1961 for a sum of £132,500.
The first homes on the estate were ready for occupation during 1965, but initially the estate lacked facilities such as public transport, health care and shops, these facilities not being provided until a couple of years after the first residents arrived on the estate. Mobile shops were located on the estate until permanent buildings were erected. The first pub
on the estate was opened in 1968, around the same time that the first bus routes were established. Subways
were also erected to underpass the busiest roads on the estate for pedestrian safety. Small supermarkets
were also erected in the late 1960s
and the Withens Shopping Centre opened in 1970.
St Jude's Parish Church was opened in 1972 at a cost of £40,000. St Albert's Roman Catholic church opened in 1966, and later on Cantril Farm Methodist Church opened. A second Parish Church, St Brigid's, opened in October 1967.
The autumn of 1968 saw the opening of two primary schools on the estate - St Albert's and St Brigid's.
Cantril High School was also opened to serve pupils aged 11-16.
A total of nine tower blocks were built in the late 1960s, but three of those have now been demolished.
However, the estate was in deep decline by 1980. There was a riot on the estate in 1981. By 1982, unemployment on the estate was at 49% among males and 80% among young people. burglary
and violent crime were rife on the estate. Shop units were becoming vacant. Household spaces were also becoming vacant as families were wanting to leave the estate and the vacant properties were difficult to let to new tenants. Two school buildings on the estate were wrecked in arson
attacks and had to be completely rebuilt. Car theft was a serious problem, as were arson attacks on parked vehicles.
Stockbridge Village Trust Limited was established on 18 February 1983 as a non-profit-making Private Company limited by guarantee. The estate within the Borough of Knowsley, which was owned by the Borough Council, was conveyed to the Trust on 6 April 1983, at the District Valuer’s valuation of £7.42M. This resulted in the Cantril Farm Estate being split, with two-thirds owned by the Trust, and one third owned by Liverpool City Council. The estate was renamed Stockbridge Village.
The estate was plagued by unemployment, car crime, burglaries, rioting and vandalism during the 1980s as it was one of the most hard-hit parts of Liverpool during this era. It has since been regenerated, with most of the housing stock either improved or replaced.
Three of the estate's nine tower blocks were demolished, along with some 600 maisonettes and 340 low-rise flats. The remaining properties were refurbished. The layout of the estate was altered to improve vehicular access. The shopping and recreational areas of the estate were also improved or replaced.
All council properties on the estate were transferred to the Village housing association
in 1995.
grew up on the estate and lived there from 1967 until 1986. His father Mick Quinn senior now runs a pub in the area.
Footballer Ian Bishop
was born on the estate. He later played for Everton
, Manchester City
and West Ham United
.
Former Liverpool
striker David Fairclough
grew up on the estate after moving there as a child in the 1960s
.
Comedian/actor Craig Charles
grew up in the area.
Musician Paul Rutherford
, a member of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
(whose Relax
and Two Tribes
hits topped the UK charts in 1984), also grew up on the estate after moving there from an inner-city slum area during the 1960s.
All of the members of The Farm
, a successful pop
group who achieved fame at the turn of the 1990s
, were from Cantril Farm and named their band "The Farm" in honour of the estate they came from. Their most famous hit is All Together Now
, a top 10 hit which was released in November 1990.
Joey McLoughlin
, a professional cyclist who won the Milk Race in 1986, was born at Cantril Farm and grew up on the estate as the youngest of 10 children.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The area adopted its current name in 1983 following the regeneration of the Cantril Farm housing estate, which was originally laid out during the 1960s but deteriorated rapidly due to crime and unemployment.
History
The district was built in the 1960s as Cantril Farm to rehouse some 15,000 people from inner-city slum clearances, and consisted of mainly council-owned properties which included several high-rise blocks of flats. It was part of a deal to rehouse some 200,000 people from inner-city LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in new residential areas beyond the city's borders, with other families from inner-city Liverpool moving to other overspill places like Huyton
Huyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
, Kirkby
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
, Halewood
Halewood
Halewood is in Merseyside, England and is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. The district lies near Liverpool's southeastern boundary, bordered by the suburbs of Hunts Cross and Woolton....
, Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
and later, Runcorn New Town.
The land on which Cantril Farm would be built was purchased by Liverpool council in 1961 for a sum of £132,500.
The first homes on the estate were ready for occupation during 1965, but initially the estate lacked facilities such as public transport, health care and shops, these facilities not being provided until a couple of years after the first residents arrived on the estate. Mobile shops were located on the estate until permanent buildings were erected. The first pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
on the estate was opened in 1968, around the same time that the first bus routes were established. Subways
Subway (underpass)
In England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and some Commonwealth countries , the term subway normally refers to a specially constructed underpass for pedestrians and/or cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.The term is also used in the...
were also erected to underpass the busiest roads on the estate for pedestrian safety. Small supermarkets
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
were also erected in the late 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
and the Withens Shopping Centre opened in 1970.
St Jude's Parish Church was opened in 1972 at a cost of £40,000. St Albert's Roman Catholic church opened in 1966, and later on Cantril Farm Methodist Church opened. A second Parish Church, St Brigid's, opened in October 1967.
The autumn of 1968 saw the opening of two primary schools on the estate - St Albert's and St Brigid's.
Cantril High School was also opened to serve pupils aged 11-16.
A total of nine tower blocks were built in the late 1960s, but three of those have now been demolished.
However, the estate was in deep decline by 1980. There was a riot on the estate in 1981. By 1982, unemployment on the estate was at 49% among males and 80% among young people. burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
and violent crime were rife on the estate. Shop units were becoming vacant. Household spaces were also becoming vacant as families were wanting to leave the estate and the vacant properties were difficult to let to new tenants. Two school buildings on the estate were wrecked in arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attacks and had to be completely rebuilt. Car theft was a serious problem, as were arson attacks on parked vehicles.
Stockbridge Village Trust Limited was established on 18 February 1983 as a non-profit-making Private Company limited by guarantee. The estate within the Borough of Knowsley, which was owned by the Borough Council, was conveyed to the Trust on 6 April 1983, at the District Valuer’s valuation of £7.42M. This resulted in the Cantril Farm Estate being split, with two-thirds owned by the Trust, and one third owned by Liverpool City Council. The estate was renamed Stockbridge Village.
The estate was plagued by unemployment, car crime, burglaries, rioting and vandalism during the 1980s as it was one of the most hard-hit parts of Liverpool during this era. It has since been regenerated, with most of the housing stock either improved or replaced.
Three of the estate's nine tower blocks were demolished, along with some 600 maisonettes and 340 low-rise flats. The remaining properties were refurbished. The layout of the estate was altered to improve vehicular access. The shopping and recreational areas of the estate were also improved or replaced.
All council properties on the estate were transferred to the Village housing association
Housing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
in 1995.
Notable people
Footballer Micky QuinnMicky Quinn
Michael "Micky" Quinn is a former footballer. He was predominantly a centre forward during a career in which he scored 228 goals from 515 games in the Football League.- Club career :...
grew up on the estate and lived there from 1967 until 1986. His father Mick Quinn senior now runs a pub in the area.
Footballer Ian Bishop
Ian Bishop (footballer)
Ian Bishop is a former footballer who played as a midfielder.He was born on the Cantril Farm housing estate in Liverpool and on leaving school in July 1981 he joined Everton, turning professional for the 1983-84 season under the management of Howard Kendall - who had taken over during the same...
was born on the estate. He later played for Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
Former Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
striker David Fairclough
David Fairclough
David Fairclough is a retired English footballer, most famous for playing for Liverpool as a striker during the 1970s and 80s.-Life and playing career:...
grew up on the estate after moving there as a child in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
.
Comedian/actor Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
grew up in the area.
Musician Paul Rutherford
Paul Rutherford
Paul Rutherford is the former backing vocalist, dancer and occasional keyboardist with 1980s pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood , one of the group's two openly gay singers....
, a member of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
(whose Relax
Relax
Relax may refer to:In music:Albums*Relax , a 2003 album by Blank & Jones*Relax , a 2011 album by Das RacistSongs* "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood...
and Two Tribes
Two Tribes
"Two Tribes" is the second single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records in May 1984 . The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome....
hits topped the UK charts in 1984), also grew up on the estate after moving there from an inner-city slum area during the 1960s.
All of the members of The Farm
The Farm (band)
The Farm were a British band from Liverpool, popular through the early 1990s. Their album Spartacus reached the top position on the UK Albums Chart when it was released in March, 1991.-History:They formed in early 1983....
, a successful pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group who achieved fame at the turn of the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, were from Cantril Farm and named their band "The Farm" in honour of the estate they came from. Their most famous hit is All Together Now
All Together Now (The Farm song)
"All Together Now" is a song by Liverpudlian pop band The Farm from their album Spartacus, and is said to link many of the band's favourite themes, socialism, brotherhood and football....
, a top 10 hit which was released in November 1990.
Joey McLoughlin
Joey McLoughlin
Joey McLoughlin is an English former professional cyclist from Liverpool. He grew up on the Cantril Farm housing estate in Liverpool, the youngest of 10 children...
, a professional cyclist who won the Milk Race in 1986, was born at Cantril Farm and grew up on the estate as the youngest of 10 children.