The Garston Hotel was built in 1853, at the junction of St Mary’s Road, Seddon Road and Dock Road. Built alongside the former Garston Dock Station on the Cheshire Lines Committee Railway (CLC). Customers of the Garston Hotel would have ranged from the local population, to the many nearby dock workers and of course, passenger’s using the Railway Station.
Garston had an extremely busy and complex network of railway lines and sidings. The line that ran along side the Garston Hotel, originally connected the former CLC Railway from Liverpool via Cressington & Grassendale Station with the network at Church Road junction, Garston Junction and Speke Junction, part of the LNWR, which became today’s West Coast Main Line to London. Interestingly, the Speke bound carriageway of the new Garston Way bypass (A561), was built on the footprint of the old CLC Railway track bed, where the former Garston Dock Station once stood. Click maps to view larger versions.
The Lancashire Sheet CXIII.SW & SESurveyed: 1904 to 1905 & Published: 1909Map of Garston, showing the extent of the Railways along with the Old Garston Dock Railway Station and Garston Hotel. (Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.)
The Garston Hotel & pub was in it’s time, a rather grand and attractive stone building, serving the people of Garston their beer for around 150 years. According to an advert in the Liverpool Daily Post on Tuesday 24th May 1859, the Garston Hotel prided itself on its Billiard Room, with it’s Two first-class Tables, along with their bowling green and Gardens. The advert went on to say that, this ‘proved to be conducive to the pleasure and comforts of those Ladies and Gentlemen who may honour the Proprietor with their patronage’.
Sadly, the hotel finally closed in the early 2000’s, becoming victim to several fires, all thought to be caused by arsonists. As a result of the fire damage, the Garson Hotel was finally demolished in May 2006.
A page with closeup, from the Liverpool Daily Post, dated 24th May 1859, includes an advert for the Garston Hotel. (Curtesy of the British news Archive).
left: A ‘Railway Clearing House map’, dated 1913 of Garston and Allerton.
Right: A Cheshire Lines Railway Map. The Lines in Red, show the Railway Lines operated by the Cheshire Lines Railway Company (CLC), in Liverpool and the North West.
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