Beginnings of Port Sunlight – A Glimpse into Its Victorian Heritage

The story of Port Sunlight is tied to a Victorian soap manufacturing company, that went on to become the globally recognized multinational company Unilever PLC. The company was founded by the Lever Brothers, William and James, in 1884. The company quickly became one of the largest in the international soap business, and its key product, Sunlight Soap, was the world’s first packaged and branded laundry soap product.

With a rapidly expanding business, William Lever bought 56 acres of marshy land in 1887, and created a model village to house his employees. It was named after the now internationally renowned soap product, Sunlight, and the first workers moved to Port Sunlight in 1888.

A patron of the arts, industrialist William Lever built the model village to reflect the styles of the time. Port Sunlight was built to be a Victorian model village, but also to use the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement, with a variety of design features and elements. Green spaces and parks gave Port Sunlight its luxurious atmosphere, and the blend of Flemish style housing and unique architectural elements gives Port Sunlight its signature ambiance.

Turn of the Century and Expansion

Port Sunlight was not the first model industrial village. The idea may have sparked from Robert Owen’s New Lanark (1800) in Scotland, or Sir Titus Salt’s Saltaire (1851). But Port Sunlight was one of the most elaborate right from the start. Over 30 architects worked on the village, and between 1899 and 1914, over 800 houses were built. The village could house up to 3,500 workers, and gradually, the village expanded to include amenities and welfare provisions to create a more rounded life for the inhabitants.

Buildings such as the Gladstone Theatre, Hulme Hall and the Lyceum were built during this time, as was a school for the workers’ children. Later, in 1922, William Lever built the Lady Lever Art Gallery, in memory of his late wife Elizabeth, who had passed away in 1913.

Lever’s aim with Port Sunlight was to create a community to socialise and create close family bonds. He used the profits of the company to invest in the village, not holding back on the expenses to create finer designs and construct high quality buildings.

The Village Today and Historic Significance

By the mid 20th century, Port Sunlight had built a reputation for being a monumental heritage site in the UK, and in 1978 it was officially recognized. The village was declared a Conservation Area, for its historic value and aesthetics. Today, over 900 buildings in Port Sunlight have a Grade II listing, and they are preserved in their state by the Port Sunlight Village Trust. The vision of William Lever is intact, and now it is one of the hottest destinations for tourists seeking quaint Victorian heritage trails.

The blocks of houses, all of which have a unique design, retain many of the original features that were constructed over 100 years ago. The handcrafted woodwork, signature pargetting, masonry work, twisted chimneys and leaded glazed patterns are maintained in their original form. Walking tours and interactive exhibits bring these to life, and show you all those finer eccentricities and nuances that distinguish Port Sunlight from other industrial worker settlements across the UK.