Lymm Maps WM

“MR LEVER BUYS A TOWN”

This headline in the national press in April 1911 was certainly aiming for dramatic impact and was not far from the
truth. The story was referring to the soap magnate’s outright purchase of Lymm’s Beechwood and Oughtrington Estates
from the Dewhurst family. Five months later a large portion of that estate, the subject of this catalogue, was back on the
market, presumably surplus to requirements.

Tucked into the back of the 130 page auction catalogue market in 1919 along with a number of other properties
were two maps, one of the whole Lymm area (98cm x that failed to sell or weren’t offered at the earlier auction.
127cm) another focused on just the village centre (72cm Lymm Lake, the Dingle area and Lymm’s waterworks
x 68cm). With all of the auction lots shaded in colour it had also been part of the April 1911 purchase but negoti-
is clear even at a glance that the headline was hardly an ations were already underway with Lymm Urban District
exaggeration. Whole rows of shops, streets of houses Council that would, in time, enable them to take owner-
and vast swathes of farmland were to come under the ship of all of these sites. Importantly this would ensure
hammer. It is important to remember too that Lever’s that public access to these popular visitor amenities could
original purchase had included many more properties be maintained.
and plots. The main purpose of his acquisition had
been to gain access to potentially lucrative brine depos- There must have been hundreds of copies of the auction
its in the Heatley area, which explains why the maps catalogue produced and one can imagine the maps being
show very little land for sale in that area. As well as this carefully unfolded and laid out for scrutiny on countless
he had purchased many of Lymm’s grandest houses desks and tables around Lymm and the wider area as
including Beechwood, Oughtrington House and Ought- prospective purchasers considered their options. For this
rington Hall. Only the last of these stands today, as the publication, for practicality, we have condensed the maps
core of Lymm High School. These were not included into booklet form but Lymm Heritage Centre holds two
in the September 1911 auction, eventually coming to copies of the original catalogue, including the maps.
These are available for inspection on request.

Key to Maps

Enlargement of p3
Lymm Village

Enlargement of
Lymm Village
with key overlay
p4

Whitbarrow Road area
p5

Village Centre p6

Church Road area p7

Whole Estate Map p8

Whole Estate Map p9
with key overlay

Statham p10

Cherry Lane p11

Oughtrington p12

Higher Lane p13

Broomedge p14

Burford Lane p15

3

Whitbarrow Rd area p5 Village Centre p6
Church

4

Whitbarrow Rd area

5

Village Centre

6

Church Road area

7

8

Heatley p16

Statham p10 Oughtrington p12
Cherry Lane p11
Higher Lane p13

Burford Lane p15

Broomedge p14
9

Statham

10

Cherry Lane

11

Oughtrington

12

Higher Lane

13

Broomedge

14

Burford Lane

15

Heatley

16