Houses on the south Liverpool street are highly sought after
A lot of people don’t even know the street exists(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Known for its pubs, restaurants and independent shops, the picturesque south Liverpool neighbourhood of Woolton is also home to one of the city’s most idyllic streets. Set back just behind the Gateacre Unitarian Chapel, in Gateacre Brow, lies Sandfield Road with most of its terraced houses dating all the way back to the 19th century.
While most houses along Sandfield Road follow the same uniform style, a small section of the street, known locally as the ‘hidden gardens’, boast some of the most impressive homes.
One of the residents along the slightly secluded section of the street is Louise Campbell who never even knew the street existed despite growing up in Woolton.
When she first found out about the street, she said: “I giggled and thought, ‘Oh, this is like a little piece of heaven’.
Sandfield Road(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“You don’t feel like you’re on a normal street, with all your little trees and flowers, everyone looks after their gardens, and everyone takes pride.”
However, Louise said it isn’t just the beauty of the surroundings that makes the street so special but the people that live in Sandfield Road that make it the place it is.
She said: “Everyone within Sandfield Road has a story to tell. I’ve been here for about nearly three years and even if it was 12 at night and I needed to speak to someone urgently, I know I can knock on any door. It’s got old values and everyone is super, super friendly. It’s a little bit like a soap opera from time to time.”
Just down the road is Collette Crowley who loved the street so much she wanted to move there decades earlier.
She said: “I looked at Walnut Cottage [at the top of Sandfield Road] 27 years ago and put an offer in for £70,000 and was gazumped. The other year it sold for half a million pound. So, I’ve always liked this area for many many years.”
A lot of the houses date back to the 19th century(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
After finally managing to buy a property on the street, she has made it her home and in recent times has played an integral role in the small Woolton community.
She said: “There’s an awful lot of concern about what they’re going to build there [on the old site of Travis Perkins]. I set up a community group for all of the residents of the road and everybody joined in and is of the same mindset that it’s got to be really in keeping with the rest of the street.”
One of the street’s long-standing residents is 87-year-old Pat who has lived at her property for decades. In fitting with the strong sense of community on the street, she said only a matter of hours earlier she called on one of her neighbour’s plumbing expertise.
She said: “I think what makes the road is the people. They’re friendly, helpful and, as you can see, I’m not exactly young, so there is always someone coming round to say ‘are you okay?’ “