Tawd Vale Scout Camp

On an overcast drizzly day in October 1932, as a wolf cub about to move up to the Scouts, I was fortunate to be able to attend the official opening of the Lathom Park Scout Camp,as it was then known, the ceremoney to be performed by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, accompanied by other Dignitaries. A special train picking up at other stations en route took us to Burscough Junction,where on alighting,we were soon marshalled into parade order for the march to the camping ground and were lead by a Bagpipe band. A low mist and occasional drizzle obscured the countyside making it less interesting for us,but at that age we did not worry that much about the weather, and after all, it was a day out for us and a completely new experience for some of the group.

I do not recall much of the ceremony as we younger and smaller ones were not near to the centre of the action.  I recall that the site was extremely muddy.

We were allowed to explore the grounds which had been made ‘campable’ by Rover Scouts who had devoted long hours of their leisure time to this project. I recall that the Quarry,accesible at ground level realy attracted us as we had never seen such a scar onthe landscape, it was full of water at the time and was later used as a swimming pool by the hardier and more proficient swimmers. The two wooden buildings already errected were the all important Latrines and the ‘Providor’, the latter to supply the needs of campers who had misjudged their dietary requirements for this energetic experience. The ‘Providor was run by a Mr Mahood (an Ormskirk name).

Thinking back,this venture was quite remarkeable when one realises that the idea evolved at the time of the great depression,the early thirties. However, thanks to the generosity of local businesses and local benefactors,not forgetting the contributions of those in the movement in the form of weekly ‘subs’, the ground was purchased at the time when elements of the Lathom Estate were coming under the hammer.

At the present time when history is ‘in’, it is hard to believe that nothing was revealed to us about the history of the estate, the landowners dating back to the 12th century from the de Lathoms the Stanleys and the Bootle Wilbrahams and the role of Lathom in the Civil War. It could be that our leaders knew little as it never appeared on the History Syllabus of even local schools. Some may have heard of the brave Countess of Derby succesfully defying the Parliamentery troops during the siege, this event may have overshadowed the all important lives of the Stanleys and the influence of Lathom as the ‘Powerhouse of the North’.

I camped there during the Easter weekends of 1937 and 1937 on our groups reserved site alongside the River Tawd which supplied our washing needs. Since the second World War it has continued as an outlet for boys within the Liverpool boundary and groups from further afield. Jamborees have been staged there as have the more adventurous activities which are part of modern day scouting. It is considerred to be one of the ideal locations in the country.

The above article was contributed by Mr Stewart Black a long time member of Ormskirk Historical Society. Readers may wish to add their own recollections of the early days at Tawd Vale