Ogden Close in West Derby is no ordinary suburban street
Ogden Close, West Derby(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Just off Muirhead Avenue sits a beautiful, historic and perfectly-preserved garden estate where the homes “look like little dolls’ houses”. Arranged in a quadrangle, the properties in Ogden Close, West Derby, are set around a well-maintained communal garden. They are everything you could wish for in social housing – spacious, aesthetically appealing and designed with families in mind.
But this is no ordinary suburban street. Everyone here has a connection with the army, navy, air force or the Royal Marines. Unlike nearby estates, the homes are not owned and maintained by local authorities or housing associations. Ogden Close is owned by Haig Housing, a charitable trust which specialises in housing provision for armed forces veterans and their families.
The close is named after Thomas Ogden, the son of the famous Liverpool businessman who founded the Ogdens tobacco factory in Everton. Ogden Junior paid for half of the cost of building the homes in Ogden Close and a plaque saw erected on the estate in honour of both him and his father.
Thomas Ogden memorial plaque at Ogden Close in West Derby(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
The estate was built in 1929 during the interwar housing boom when ‘homes fit for heroes’ were constructed to ensure war veterans and their families had suitable accommodation to live in after the terrible privations of World War I.
Liverpool’s visionary city architect Sir Lancelot Keay would go on to lay out a series of ‘garden estates’ in Norris Green, West Derby and Tuebrook along the length of the newly-created Queens Drive. As the city’s 19th century slums were cleared, Keay’s vision was to create well-proportioned family homes with gardens, hot running water and electricity.
Ogden Close was created with those ideals in mind. Designed by Grey Wornum and Louis de Soissons, the homes in the close were originally intended to house elderly disabled war veterans. Today, they are occupied by military veterans and their families across a range of ages.
This week, the ECHO visited Ogden Close to meet some of its residents and learn more about the fascinating history of the street which was designated a conservation area in 1971. Liz, 58, has lived here for 25 years after moving back to Liverpool from Germany where her husband was posted with the army.
Liz told us: “It’s really lovely living here. When I moved in, my friend said to me, ‘oh they’re just like little dolls’ houses’ – and it’s true.” Liz knows a lot about the area’s history and found out what it used to be like living here by speaking to longtime residents.
She says that back in the day, there used to be a washhouse around the back of the estate where neighbours would do their laundry. There were also two full-time employees who would stoke the boilers to heat the street’s water supply before central heating was introduced.
Original gas lamp fitted outside a home in Ogden Close(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
When Liz moved in, things were a lot more regimented than they are now. “When we first arrived,” she says, “the men used to do their morning march around the square and kids weren’t allowed to play on the grass. I was the only one with kids at the time and they were really strict when the kids were little. I used to get a letter once a week telling me off for letting the kids on the grass.”
Now, things have loosened up a little. On our visit to Ogden Close, we saw a couple of snowmen had been built on the green and, these days, kids who live on the estate can play there to their hearts’ content. There are several young families who live here including the sons and daughters of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans.
Ex-RAF serviceman Ged, 67, is the Voluntary Estate Manager for Ogden Close. He has lived here with his family for 18 years. He told us: “In the old days it was frowned upon for kids to play out, but we’ve changed the dynamic of the place now. There are a lot of young people leaving the forces with families and, after Afghanistan, there was a bigger demand for family homes.”
It is Ged’s job to report any problems with the buildings and grounds on the estate acting as the “eyes and ears” of the trust. Because of the street’s status as a conservation area – which means it is protected by law against undesirable changes – extra planning controls are in place to maintain the condition and appearance of the properties.
Residents are not allowed to make any changes to the front of the properties. This means no satellite dishes are allowed and they must adhere to a colour scheme when painting front doors and windows.
Ogden Close, West Derby(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
The houses have been modernised since their construction. In 1971, everyone on the estate was asked to move out while renovations took place. Haig Housing provided each family with their own caravan to live in and they were parked up in the communal garden.
These days, changes are more incremental. Each year, a new modernisation project is completed. In 2024, the trust spent a reported £350,000 on fitting new windows in keeping with the original style. It is working on ways of making the estate more environmentally sustainable by introducing cavity wall insulation and solar panelling to the homes. There is always something to mend or improve. While we are visiting, a couple of workmen arrive from Leeds to fix some pointing on one of the houses.
Like Liz, Ged thinks Ogden Close is a fabulous place to live and is happy to be back in his home city after many years spent away working with the air force. “It’s great being here. My kids were able to go to school with their cousins which was really nice after being away from family for so long.”
He loves living in a home with character. “Modern houses are all the same,” he says. “There’s something quirky about these ones. And there’s the forces community spirit here too that you just don’t get anywhere else. I’ve got the navy on one side, the army on the other and the royal marines across the square. Everyone looks out for each other.”
As you would expect with a street like this, the homes are highly coveted. A spokesperson for Haig Housing told us that although it owns over 50 estates across the country, the trust has to turn away eight out of nine applicants because they don’t have enough homes to go around.
In order to be eligible to live here, veterans must have served a minimum of four years in the forces. Ged thinks it’s a good option for anyone who is eligible. “People can’t afford deposits and mortgages these days,” he said. “I’d encourage anyone who is struggling to look into it. We’ve got a great community here.”