place name
Continues the developer’s theme of naming streets after localities in the north of Britain, in this case Birkenhead in Cheshire. Other examples include Argyle Street after Argyll in Scotland; Belgrove Street, formerly Belgrave Street (Warwickshire); Crestfield Street, formerly Chesterfield Street (Derbyshire); there were also once Manchester and Derby Streets here. Before its development, this area was part of a collection of gardens and meadows to the east and west of Gray’s Inn Road known as the Battle Bridge Estate. The arrival of Euston Road (then, New Road) in the mid-18thCentury cut right through the estate, the area to its south was owned by William Brock before being sold in 1824 to Thomas Dunstan, William Robinson, and William Flanders whose ambitious plans for it included a theatre, galleries, reading rooms as well as gardens and pleasure grounds. Like many developments, the plans never came to pass however, and it was developed for residential use instead. This street was built from 1825 by developer W Forrester Bray, and up until 1938 was called Liverpool Street. It was possibly renamed to avoid confusion with the much more famous Liverpool Street and railway terminus in east London.
