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Port Sunlight - Combining Industrialisation and Garden City Utopia

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1887, William Lever decided to build a factory for his company. With the Industrial revolution in its peak, growing populations in Urban development there was a need for a model village.

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1880s

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1910. Town Planning Conference in London, (alongside exhibition in Prestwich proposals) Sir Patrick Abercrombie states, 'Port Sunlight....has exercised enormous amount of influence on English and foreign planning.'; Lever attempts to replicate Port Sunlight in Congo.

1911. World War 1 begins; all able men are gathered from the village to fight.

1914. Growth stops, and no more houses were built

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1910s

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1940s. Air raids cause severe damage to the village.

1947. Repars caused during WW2.

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1940s

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1978. Port Sunlight is declared a Conservation Area

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1970s

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2002 The Dell and The Diamond and The Causeway are registered at Grade II in the Register of Parks and Gardens in England.

2006 Opening of Port Sunlight Museum.

2006. Port Sunlight Village Trust launch conservation plan to retain its heritage.

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2000s

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1890s, A site chosen outside Liverpool. Located in the marshlands, between railway station and river.

1895. The purchased land was mapped out and assigned to multiple architects. A handful of houses present at the site pre development were repurposed to fit with the model village while the 'slum' areas were destroyed and its people relocated.

 

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1890s

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1921. WW1 Memorial Erected

1922 Lady Lever Art Gallery is opened by Princess Beatrice. 

1925 Death of Lord Lever (Founder).

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1920s

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1950. Viscount Montgomery of Alamein visits Port Sunlight.

1954. Plans launched to modernise the houses with insulation and indoor toilets, modern kitchens, and upstairs bathrooms. All the proposed were in keeping with the village ambition to be most up to date and provide all the necessary services to the people.

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1950s

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1980. The first houses are sold in the village. 1988. Centenary of Port Sunlight village.

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1980s

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2010. Restoration of the War Memorial.

2010. Port Sunlight Museum becomes Arts Council Accredited.

2017. Gas explosion causes significant damage to properties in Port Sunlight; Port Sunlight aims to achieve UNESCO heritage status.

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2010s

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1900. First houses and the factory are erected. By reviewing the layout of the town it is clear that it  referred to Ebenezer Howard's "Garden City" idea providing a strong contrast to the housing at the time, with a distinctive Arts and Crafts influence. Each district of the village had a distinctive style providing rich aesthetic variety to the people. 

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1900s

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1930, Lever Brothers merge with Margarine Union to form Unilever.

1938, Current version at the time considered to be the one closest to the original vision of Lord Lever.

1939, World War 2 begins.

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1930s

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1960. Port Sunlight becomes management by Unilever Merseyside Ltd

1962. The Beatles perform in Port Sunlight 

1963. Housing renovations begin, to bring the existing buildings to modern standards.

1965. Most of the houses and public and commercial buildings in Port Sunlight are listed at Grade II.

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1960s

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1999 Formation of Port Sunlight Village Trust. Ownership taken over from Unilever to Port Village Trust. Remaining houses not sold.

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1990s

By Roqaiya Ashraf, Louisa Evans, Liz Carrasco Alonso and Rolandas Laurinavicius
©2021 by QUB MArch. Proudly created with Wix.com

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