St.Helens used to be famous for its three B's - its Brewery, its Bible classes, and its Beecham's. Now it was better known its three P's - its Parsons, its Police and its Pilkingtons.  Suttonites would add a fourth - its Picturesqueness   

By 1926 Sutton was changing and could well be described as 'picturesque'. The locals were enjoying Sutton Park which had been created in 1903 when Colonel Michael Hughes sold 20 acres of his land to St.Helens Corporation for £2,628. A lodge, drinking fountain, bandstand and bowling green were created and it soon became very popular.

'Suttonites' were also enjoying Sherdley Park across the way from Sutton Park, although it was privately owned and there was a perimeter wall with gates that were kept locked at night. Landowner Michael Hughes (III) and his wife Edith spent more time in Sutton than his father did and the couple were keen to improve Sherdley Park. So from 1896 one hundred acres were added, almost 10,000 trees planted and the park lake enlarged.

However, Sutton throughout the centuries of township status and 140 years of being part of St.Helens Borough, could probably always have been described as being picturesque to some extent. During Sutton's large-scale industrialisation of the nineteenth century, it had retained a mix of industrial areas and coal mines juxtaposed with residential areas and green / open spaces. But the balance between them was shifting and it would continue to do so throughout the Twentieth Century.

St.Helens Reporter account of the the end of an era in Sutton

The pits were the largest employers in Sutton and in 1900 there were 6000 mineworkers but by 1991 with the closure of Sutton Manor Colliery, there were none. Of all Sutton's industries, coal mining was king and proved a very important part of both life and landscape in Sutton.

The economic and social changes of the twentieth century had a considerable impact and the influence of traditional 'lords and masters' in Sutton has disappeared. During the 1930s the Sherdley estate, which had dominated life in Sutton for hundreds of years, began to break up. Five farms and five cottages were amongst 310 acres that were sold off. Then in 1935 Sutton Hall on the southern edge of Sherdley Park was demolished. The estate was now down to 613 acres which included nine farms and Sherdley Park. In June 1949, Sherdley Hall, Sherdley Park and Home Farm were sold to St.Helens Corporation with the Hall, which suffered from subsidence, demolished soon afterwards. The council were now able to develop Sherdley as the largest public park in what is now the St.Helens Metropolitan Borough and the home of their flagship event, the St.Helens Festival (formerly St.Helens Show).

The population of St.Helens has rocketed over the past 150 years with a commensurate expansion of residential areas in Sutton. Landowner Michael Hughes (III) predicted more built-up areas and blocked proposals to build houses in front of the New Street cricket field. He then sold Sutton CC their ground for just £300, a fraction of its true value. He knew he wouldn't be able to stave off 'progress' after his death, but he did what he could to protect the character of the area.

A view north towards St.Helens with Sherdley Park in the background.
St.Nicholas's graveyard and the old cub hut are in the foreground.

The photograph above was taken from St.Nicholas church tower in April 1964 and vividly demonstrates how the area how changed in a short span of time. It looks north / north-west of the New Street church with Marshalls Cross Road and Sherdley Park at the top. There's nothing but fields past the graveyard and the burnt out cub huts in the foreground. Sherdley Park's old entrance gates can just about be made out at the top of the picture.

In a second photograph (below) taken in July 1963, which is a southerly view towards Mill Lane, there is a similarly open landscape, apart from the houses situated on one side of Mill Lane and Sutton Manor Colliery in the far distance. (Click on either picture for Google Earth versions of how they are now). The pit was then in its heyday, annually outputting over 300,000 tons of coal with over 1,000 miners and ancillary workers employed. Within a couple of years it would undergo a recruitment drive but despite the National Coal Board's adverts in the St.Helens Reporter in 1966 promising "permanent employment and a secure future", it would close 25 years later.

Looking south towards Mill Lane - Sutton Manor Colliery in the distance

As Sutton became more built-up, so the community became concerned for the protection of its green / open spaces. The story of Sutton Mill Dam is one example. Cellophane manufacturers British Sidac, who'd been in Sutton since 1934, now had ownership of the Dam and in 1976 applied for permission to fill it with inert waste. Brian Spencer - the present leader of St.Helens Council - and his wife began a campaign to prevent the dumping and whilst out petitioning bumped into neighbours who were collecting signatures of their own. They joined forces, meetings were arranged and the Sutton Mill Dam Action Group was formed.

After lengthy negotiations St.Helens Council acquired Sutton Mill Dam as well as Monastery Dam for a nominal sum. The original intention was for the Mill Dam to become an area of natural beauty without pedestrian access, as it was felt that this would lead to problems both for the wildlife and the Dam area itself. However, the Council had applied for a Derelict Land Grant from the Government and one of the criteria was that any work done must bring land 'back into public use', hence the present footpaths and bridges.

Prince Charles at Sutton Mill Dam - facing him is the late Eric Coffey who was then
secretary of Sutton Historic Society. He was succeeded by his son Chris.

The Council then commissioned Operation Groundwork (later to become the Groundwork Trust) to work on the Dam. A competition was held in Sutton primary schools to create a mascot emblem, which was won by a pupil of Willow Tree Primary. Also established was the Friends of Groundwork (FROGS). The campaigners did not want fishing to be allowed, due to the danger of wild fowl being snared with discarded hooks etc. However Sidac had already awarded fishing rights to East Sutton Angling Club. In fact the fishermen did a lot of work in keeping the Dam clean and they had the fishing 'Pegs' or platforms installed.

In May 1988, Sutton Mill Dam was officially opened as a wildlife nature park by HRH Prince Charles. This demonstrated what community action could do and also sent a message to industry that the days of dumping in Sutton's waterways were well and truly over.

Entrance to the Sutton Mill Dam from Clock Face Road

Green open spaces are flourishing in the Sutton district with the closure of the two former collieries at Clock Face and at Sutton Manor being seen as opportunities to develop them as public open spaces. With the support of agencies such as the Forestry Commission and Mersey Forest, the Clock Face Country Park / Maypole Wood and Sutton Manor Woodland have been developed as public access land where one can walk, jog, sit, cycle, ride a horse or fish.

The balance between providing houses for the local community and the retention of open, public space is always a tricky one, but the powers-that-be in St.Helens seem to be doing their utmost to ensure that Sutton remains a picturesque location for many future generations of Suttonites to enjoy.