Summary
House, later a physical education college. Early C19, extended in last quarter of the C19 by William Culshaw and Son, with some C20 alterations. The attached college building of 1953-1954 and west classroom block built by 1964 are not of special interest.
Reasons for Designation
Bark Hill, Aigburth, Liverpool, an early-C19 villa extended in the last quarter of the C19, with some C20 alterations, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as an early C19 neoclassical villa of some quality, with a statement full-height semi-circular bow to the front elevation and a colonnaded portico to the garden front designed to take advantage of expansive views across the River Mersey to the hills beyond;
* internally the historic layout is largely retained, with a central circular vestibule and first-floor room opening into a grand, top-lit staircase hall, also main reception rooms located on the south side to take advantage of the aspect;
* the vestibule and grand staircase hall are notable for the high quality of their decoration and detailing including a cantilevered main staircase, plasterwork, panelling and a raised lantern above;
* other notable fixtures and fittings include cornices, moulded architraves and panelled doors, and several timber mantelpieces;
* decorative ironwork to the garden front represents an increasingly rare survival of Georgian cast-iron work.
Historic interest:
* Bark Hill typifies the early-C19 popularity of high-quality villas set in private grounds as an ideal of a rural retreat, and within the suburban Liverpool context illustrates the connection between fine architecture and owners made rich directly or indirectly through their links with the Transatlantic slave trade;
* Bark Hill is one of the earliest of these fashionable villas surviving in one of the most exclusive residential areas of Liverpool, favoured by rich merchants and ship owners;
* Irene Mable Marsh ran her Physical Training College here in the early C20, pioneering the relatively new profession of female physical education teachers; her commitment to the most advanced standards of teaching ensuring the College’s national recognition as a centre of excellence.
Group value:
* Bark Hill has an architectural and functional group value with a number of other listed fashionable villas in the neighbourhood dating from the first half of the C19.
History
The original neoclassical villa of Bark Hill was built in the early C19, though the architect is not known. In 1809, Liverpool corn merchant Nicholas Robinson (1769-1854) had bought land from the Tarleton family in Aigburth, to the south-east of Liverpool, for £4,500. James Sheriff’s Map of Liverpool and Environs of 1816 labels the building in Aigburth 'Bark Hill, N Robinson Esq'. Robinson went on to build Sudley House (now Sudley Museum and Art Gallery, Grade II, National Heritage List for England entry: 1208320), a short distance to the north of Bark Hill, moving there in 1824. He was subsequently Mayor of Liverpool in 1828 to 1829.
Gore’s Directory of Liverpool for 1825, 1827, and 1829 all record the occupant of Bark Hill as Thomas Addison, gentleman. G Hennet’s map of Lancashire drawn in 1829 labels the house Bark Hill and J Bennison’s 1835 A Map of The Town and Port of Liverpool with their Environs labels it as Bark Hill, Thomas Addison. Addison (1776-1839) and his brother, Richard (d1836) were the sons of slave ship captain and owner turned merchant, John Addison. Both Richard and Thomas owned plantations and slaves in Jamaica for which they were compensated. In 1831 Richard Addison’s address was also recorded as Bank Hill (apparently a misspelling), Liverpool. There is no record that Thomas married or had children, so it appears that upon his death the house was inherited by Richard’s three surviving sons, Thomas, Richard and the Revd John Addison. They are still named on the 1840-1842 Garston Tithe Schedule, though the house had been advertised for sale in 1839.
On 7 May 1839 an advertisement in the Liverpool Mail offered two properties of the late Thomas Addison for auction. One was Bark Hill, described as late the property and residence of Thomas Addison Esq. It stated that the house 'commands a delightful sea and land view, and is on a scale comprising every comfort and convenience for a large family'. The 17 hectares of land were tastefully laid out in gardens, pleasure-grounds and two fields, the whole sheltered by a plantation. The property and its grounds are shown on the 1:10560 Ordnance Survey (OS) map surveyed in 1846, published in 1850. The scale is small, but at this time the house had a compact footprint with a projecting north front, a small, recessed east wing and a larger west wing. This footprint conforms with undated plans and elevations of the house (held in the Lancashire Record Office), which show a five-bay main house of two storeys with a basement, a single-storey billiard room to the east and a four bay west service wing of two storeys and basement with a small yard and structures at the west end. The north, front elevation shows the semi-circular bowed entrance. The south, garden elevation shows the portico and cast-iron veranda. Internally there was a large entrance hall with the main staircase and rooms to each side of a spine corridor. The dining room and drawing room were on the south side, with a morning room and butler’s pantry on the north side. The service wing contained a school room, servants’ hall with adjacent back staircase in the spine corridor, large kitchen, scullery and pantries.
The next resident was James Howell, a cotton broker, and by 1861 the occupant was John Lightfoot Newall, another cotton broker and a magistrate. In 1871 the house was owned by Charles Langton (1823-1900), a marine insurance broker. Charles was great grandson of Thomas Langton, owner of several slave ships between 1766 and 1772, and his father, Joseph, was first manager of the Bank of Liverpool and had married Ann Earle, a member of one of Liverpool’s leading slave trading families. Charles was a Director of Union Marine Insurance Co Limited (1863-1913), sat on the boards of various other companies, was involved in charitable work, and was a noted Victorian collector. He lived at Bark Hill with his wife Jessie and four of their children, along with eight live-in staff. Shortly after moving in he extended the house. Plans were drawn up by William Culshaw and Son in May 1874 for a single-storey extension to the west end of the service wing containing a new servants’ hall, large scullery, pantry and larder. The original back staircase in the spine corridor was replaced with a staircase on the north side (on the site of the original servants’ hall) and an attic storey was added to the original two storey block, with a higher parapet for the south elevation of the main house. A small, two-storey extension was also proposed on the site of the east billiard room containing a drawing room, two bedrooms and a dressing room, WC and housemaid’s closet. It appears that this was not built as a plan dated 1879 shows proposed alterations to the billiard room to add a square bay window on the south side. However, W Culshaw and Son again drew up plans in 1880 for a drawing room with a square bay window on the site of the billiard room with bedrooms above and a single-storey ante room with a roof lantern on the north side. In 1881 plans were drawn up for an apsidal conservatory reached from the room now labelled as the drawing room. It is shown at the south-east corner on the 1:2500 OS map surveyed in 1890, published in 1893, as is the extended footprint.
The Liverpool-based architect William Culshaw had previously been in practice with Henry Sumners, but in 1873 he set up practice with his eldest son, Alfred. Gore’s Directory of Liverpool first listed the practice as William Culshaw and Son in 1874, the practice name continuing to be used after William’s death the same year.
In 1919, Bark Hill was purchased by Irene Mabel Marsh (1875-1938), a pioneer and leader in women’s physical education in the early C20. Marsh was the founder and first principal of Liverpool Physical Training College, whose establishment in 1900 arose from her belief in the need to offer opportunities in the north of England to girls to train as teachers of physical education, then a relatively new profession for women. Her innovative approach to the development of the curriculum included gaining considerable knowledge of German and Swedish models of physical education, which were then more advanced and holistic in approach than their British equivalents. Her commitment resulted in the standing of the Liverpool college becoming nationally recognised. In 1920 Marsh moved the junior part of her college to Bark Hill, taking advantage of the 18 acres of land for playing fields and further development of buildings. The 1:2500 OS map revised in 1924-1925, published in 1927, labels the building Liverpool Physical Training College. The footprint is very similar to that of the late C19, with the exception of a small extension to the north side of the conservatory, but at an unknown date in the C20 the four bays at the west end of the service range were heightened from single storey to two storeys and an attic. The north side of the east extension was also raised to two storeys and the adjacent morning room in the original villa was extended outwards.
In 1947 the college was renamed the I M Marsh College of Physical Education in acknowledgement of Irene Mabel Marsh and became the first state-maintained specialist institution of its kind for women in the country.
In 1953 to 1954 a large U-shaped college building was designed in a neo-Georgian style by the County Architect. The building (not of special interest) abutted the east end of the earlier house in place of the conservatory. It is shown on the 1:2500 OS map published in 1954.
By 1964 a two-storey classroom block (not of special interest) had also been attached to the west end of the house.
In 1981 the college became part of Liverpool Polytechnic (later Liverpool John Moores University), along with F L Calder College, which moved to the site. It became co-educational in 1985. Bark Hill became known as the Barkhill Building and the U-shaped college building became known as the Mossley Building. In 2021 the campus was vacated by the University, who have moved the courses taught there to a new city-centre site.
Details
House, later a physical education college. Early C19, extended in the last quarter of the C19 by William Culshaw and Son, with some C20 alterations. The attached college building of 1953-1954 and west classroom block built by 1964 are not of special interest.
MATERIALS: the house and extensions are stuccoed brick with slate roofs.
PLAN: the original five-bay villa is of two storeys and a basement with a central, full-height, semi-circular bow to the north elevation containing a circular entrance vestibule and a central garden entrance with a portico. The original four-bay west service wing is of two storeys and a basement with a later-C19 attic storey added and a C20 four-bay west extension of two storeys, an attic and basement, or lower ground floor (replacing a later-C19 single-storey and basement extension). The small later-C19 and C20 east wing is of two storeys and a basement (replacing the original single-storey billiard room). The main entrance vestibule leads through to a large, top-lit staircase hall with rooms placed to each side of spine corridors.
EXTERIOR: the building stands in Aigburth on the north side of the River Mersey, with the main elevations aligned north-south. The south, garden front has views across the river and Cheshire to the Welsh hills beyond. It is designed in a neo-classical style faced in incised stucco (painted).
The front elevation of the original villa faces north. It has a plinth with outer corner rectangular pilasters, a moulded architrave between the ground and first floors, a plain eaves frieze band and moulded cornice with an entablature parapet above. The vertical rectangular windows are plain with projecting sills on the ground floor and a sill band on the first floor, with unhorned sash frames. At the centre is a projecting full-height, semi-circular bow, flanked by stepped bays. The semi-circular bow has rectangular pilasters on the ground floor supporting an entablature with a dentil cornice which is continued onto the flanking single bays. Between the two central pilasters is the main entrance doorway with curved, panelled double doors and a panelled over-panel. Set between pilasters to each side is a curved window with metal-framed lozenge and diamond glazing with orange glass to the small diamonds. The flanking single bays each have a narrow window with narrow side panes to the sashes and similar windows to the one-bay returns. The first floor of the semi-circular bow has a six-over-six pane sash window above the door and blind windows to each side. The left-hand flanking bay has a sash window with narrow side panes and that to the right-hand flanking bay has six-over-six panes. Both have blind windows to the one-bay returns. The ground floor of the left-hand recessed outer bay has a flat-roofed projection with paired pilasters, moulded entablature and parapet and a large, square-headed window with a timber eight-light mullion and transom frame. The first floor has a central six-over-six pane sash window. The right-hand recessed outer bay has a central six-over-six pane sash window on both floors and a second similar window to the left on the ground floor. In front of the central three bays is a wide, modern flight of steps and raised area with a ramp to the left, with tubular metal railings.
To the left, the three-bay east wing projects slightly and overlaps the original outer corner of the villa. It has rectangular corner pilasters, a moulded eaves cornice and parapet and three plain vertical rectangular windows with horned sash frames on both floors. Those on the ground floor have twelve-over-twelve pane sashes and the smaller first-floor windows have six-over-six pane sashes.
To the right, the west wing is of eight bays. The four left-hand bays are slightly inset from the original house, with a band between the basement and ground floor, moulded eaves cornice and a parapeted attic storey with four windows. The ground- and first-floor windows have six-over-six pane horned sashes, with two multi-pane basement windows and the attic windows have multi-pane timber casements. The four right-hand bays project slightly with an eaves parapet, a recessed attic storey with three segmental-arched dormer windows and an outer parapeted bay with a window. The four first-floor windows have six-over-six pane horned sashes and the ground-floor windows have two-over-two pane horned sashes. The four basement windows and three dormer windows have timber casements and the fourth attic window has a multi-pane timber casement.
The south elevation of the original villa is of five bays with a raised ground floor with a central portico and cast-iron veranda to each side, a plinth band, outer corner rectangular pilasters, a slightly projecting central bay on the first floor, a moulded eaves cornice and an entablature parapet above. The vertical rectangular windows have a sill band on the first floor. The flat-roofed portico has a flight of four steps, with a cast-iron scraper on each side, and four part-fluted Greek Doric columns supporting an entablature with a Doric frieze of metopes and triglyphs, with two rectangular pilasters to the wall behind. The plain, square-headed doorway has glazed double doors and a rectangular overlight. The two bays to each side have tall windows with four-over-four pane horned sashes. They are fronted by a delicate cast-iron veranda; the slender, pierced iron structure has a slightly-sloping glazed roof and is enriched with stylised acanthus leaves, swags, wreaths and Greek key motifs. The central first-floor window has a surround set on the sill band with rectangular pilasters supporting an entablature with a Doric frieze. To each side are two plain windows. All the windows have six-over-six pane unhorned sashes. Beneath the veranda are two blocked openings on the left-hand side and a built-up basement doorway on the right-hand side.
To the right, the three-bay east wing continues the moulded eaves cornice, but does not have a parapet. At the right-hand corner is a modern rectangular, stucco stack. The wing abuts the 1950s brick college building (not listed) at right angles. On the ground floor is a rectangular bay with three large windows separated by rectangular pilasters supporting an entablature with a baluster balustrade for a first-floor balcony. The windows have two-over-two pane horned sashes. The first floor has a central balcony doorway with glazed double doors and glazed rectangular overlight flanked by windows with six-over-six pane unhorned sashes. To the left of the ground-floor bay is a projecting doorway to the basement and in front of the bay is a flight of steps with an inner solid, stuccoed balustrade down to the basement level, where there is a louvred door.
To the left, the west wing continues the moulded eaves cornice over the three right-hand bays, with a plain eaves band over the three slightly-recessed left-hand bays and a raised lift plant bay to the outer corner bay. The right-hand bay abutting the original main house has a panelled, rectangular pilaster to each side. The ground-floor window has a surround with a projecting sill with shaped console brackets and fluted rectangular pilasters supporting an entablature with a Doric frieze. The first-floor window above has a projecting lintel and sill band. Beneath is a basement window with a decorative cast-iron railing with curved corners around the area. The ground- and first-floor windows to the five other bays are plain with projecting sills. All the windows have six-over-six pane sashes. The raised outer corner bay has a multi-pane timber window and the attic has five segmental-arched dormer windows with timber casements.
INTERIOR: the original villa and shorter west service wing largely retain their historic layout of rooms on the ground and first floors. The large kitchen on the north side of the service wing has been sub-divided with light-weight partitioning, but the original walls of the approximately square room survive. On the first floor there has also been some sub-division of rooms, mostly using light-weight partitioning. Fixtures and fittings which remain include moulded architraves and four-panelled or six-panelled doors. The majority of the ceilings have been obscured by modern under-drawn ceilings of lightweight panels with inset lighting, but where original ceilings are visible in public spaces, reception rooms and family rooms there are high-quality enriched or moulded cornices. A few timber mantelpieces remain, including one with bulls-eye corner blocks in a south bedroom in the villa.
The circular vestibule has a deep, moulded skirting and an enriched dado rail with an enriched cornice and inset central roundel with an enriched cornice and acanthus-leaf rose. The external door has a moulded architrave. The internal doorway opening into the staircase hall has a moulded architrave with entablature and consoles. The door has two lower fielded panels and two glazed upper lights. The doorway is flanked by two large round-headed niches.
The full-height staircase hall has an enriched, dentil and astragal cornice to the ceiling and beneath the first-floor landing. The panelled and enriched ceiling has a raised rectangular roof lantern with panelled sides. The open well staircase is cantilevered with shaped tread ends to the steps and a curtail step, a cast-iron balustrade with acanthus leaf enrichment and a swept mahogany handrail. Four-panelled doors with moulded architraves lead off the hall, staircase and first-floor landing to rooms. The doorways to the spine corridors have six-panelled doors, as does the narrow former dressing room on the south side of the first-floor landing.
The two ground-floor reception rooms on the south side of the villa have interconnecting, four-panelled double doors (a later-C19 addition). The east room has an enriched cornice; the ceiling of the larger west room is obscured by a modern under-drawn ceiling. The open-well, back staircase on the north side of the service wing has cantilevered concrete steps with a cast-iron balustrade of slender, square-section balusters and a swept mahogany handrail.
On the first floor the circular room over the vestibule has a moulded cornice, moulded door and window architraves with panelling beneath the window and a four-panelled door. The bedrooms and dressing room on the south side of the villa have cornices where the ceilings are visible. The first-floor rooms on the south side of the east wing also have moulded cornices.
The later-C19 east wing has been partially altered in the C20 and the later-C19 outer bays of the west service wing have been rebuilt in the C20 with a staircase against the west end wall and a lift in the south-west corner.
