In a progressive world, and especially in such a progressive part of it as Port Sunlight, one cannot hope to give a record which will for long represent existing facts. The arrangements which have been made for the benefit of the inhabitants of this village have necessarily been altered or modified. At the present time the buildings for general use include Christ Church (No. [6] and Pls. [31-33]), an admirable Late Gothic building in a central position, the Schools, which accommodate about 1,600 children, a Lyceum, a Cottage Hospital, a Gymnasium (No. [29]), an open-air Swimming Bath (Pl. [26]), Post Office (Pl. [19]), a Village Inn (No. [36] and Pl. [24]), Village Stores, a Fire Station, the Auditorium, to seat 3,000, the Collegium (No. [11]), the Gladstone Hall (No. [26]), the Hulme Hall (No. [25]), Co-Partners’ Club with billiard rooms and bowling green (No. [8]), a Village Fountain, and, finally, the Hulme Art Gallery (Pl. [29]), which is destined to hold the Public Library as well as fine collections of Pictures, Pottery, and Furniture.
27. PARK ROAD BY POETS’ CORNER.
Port Sunlight has been an object of attraction to visitors for years, and this is not only due to the interest and variety of its cottage houses, and as a model for town planners the world over, but to the whole-hearted endeavour to meet all the practical and social needs of everyday life which is expressed in its various public buildings. But another source of great and enduring attraction lies in its Art Gallery. Here it outdistances every other village of the kind, for this Art Gallery holds no fortuitous collection of odd things, but carefully chosen examples of fine art got together by expert knowledge. The pictures, china, furniture, etc., would alone bring many visitors to study such a superb and finely-housed collection of works of art.
Tree Planting.
DOUGLAS AND FORDHAM,
Architects.
28. BRIDGE COTTAGE.
We are apt to forget that a newly created village or town does not reap all its benefits at once. Not only as regards the results of growth in trees and shrubs, the development of gardens, and the mellowing influences of time and tone, but also in relation to all the amenities of social life, we must wait for those influences which can only come in a gradual process. The subject of trees alone, of the best method to deal with living growth, is not finished with for some time, if ever. Some of the avenues at Port Sunlight are charming now, and show an admirable balance of effect between trees and buildings. Down the avenue of poplars one of our sketches (Pl. [3]) shows how delightfully the Club and the Library peep out, and how well the vista leads up to the Post Office beyond—so in some of the winding roads the effect even in summer is just right. But trees keep growing, and unless the houses are to suffer they will have to be cut down and some removed entirely. Then, again, the Diamond (Pl. [2]) (which in spite of its name is a great oblong open space), bordered by groups of cottages and bounded at one end by the new Art Gallery, will very well bear all the height the trees will ever reach. This is a very fine open space, and borders of big trees will help, and never belittle it. Possibly the secret of successful planting amongst cottage houses is to have plenty of slow-growing evergreens, and forest trees only at intervals. It is quite certain that if the garden spaces at Port Sunlight were punctuated with decoratively placed evergreens, and inclosed by living borders of box or yew, the result would be both pleasing and long-lasting. The open spaces now secured should make for ever pleasant oases amongst the long lines of houses, and even if all the tree avenues had to go, there would still be left much to excite the envy of those who have to live in our dirty old towns.
