The template for Woolton was laid in the late 18th century thanks to quarry owner James Rose, who created cultivated farmland and parkland, built a windmill and mill house, and beautiful imposing sandstone mansions. He also had a hand in building Church Road, Rose Street and Rose Brow and several of the village's finest houses are on Church Road. At the village end of the road are listed terrace houses, some with attractive latticed porches, while further up are grander early 19th century houses built by James, who established Woolton Quarry and was known as 'the King of Woolton'. These include his own house, Beechwood, and Rosemount, which was built for his mother. Beechwood is an example of an early 19th century stone house, built in the 1830s with the roof being repaired around 1984. With 2 storeys, 6 bays, the end 3 bays form symmetrical composition. Cornice over the ground floor with top frieze,and blocking course adding to the aesthetics of the cornice plus end flat incised pilasters with wreaths in frieze above. The Central Doric porch with the window above have architrave, frieze and consoled cornice. William Durning a wealthy Liverpool wine and spirit moved to Beechwood (Archbishops House) in 1864, where he died in 1881 leaving a widow Margaret and £20,564.
The 1911 census shows Beechwood, Church Road, Woolton having 24 rooms. Arthur
Stanley Mather 68, Solicitor, and Frances Mather 66, married 44 years. 10
children in total with 9 still alive. Children and grandchildren in
residence, totalling 7 Mathers and seven staff, viz: Cook, Parlourmaid,
Under Parlourmaid, 2 Housemaids, Kitchen Maid and Nurse. The Liverpool Echo of the 4th of July 1917 has Mrs
Mather advertising for a parlourmaid, "Church of England, age about
25, 4 in family, 5 maids"? Frances Mather died in 1921 with Arthur Stanley Mather living for another eight
years, before dying on the 15th of January 1929 at the age of 86. He was buried in the
churchyard of St Peter's alongside his wife and left an estate valued
at £108,794, equivalent to £6.5 million today. One of the main thoroughfares of South Liverpool is Mather Avenue and is named after Arthur Stanley Mather, who was also an alderman.
Following Alderman Mather's death the house was purchased in 1929 for Dr, Downey, the Archbishop of Liverpool. It was only in the Ordnance Survey maps edition of 1936 that it was shown as the Archbishop's House. By 1952 it had a private Roman Catholic Chapel in its grounds.
The house is now in Acrefield Park, with the current housing estate built in the house's grounds. Doyle Properties list the development as such; 'The Archbishops House, Woolton, is a Grade II Listed building. It was once home to Archbishop Downie who served as the Archbishop of Liverpool from 1928 until his death in 1953. When it was purchased in 1983 it was in a state of neglect. It was restored and renovated into 11 apartments and was completed in 1989. They range from 1 – 3 bedroom spacious apartments and no two are alike'.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/02/historic-liverpool-dwellings-baycliffe.html
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