I.M. Marsh Campus

The IM Marsh Campus is a former university campus in south Liverpool. It was, until 2021, home to the School of Education, Leisure and Sport Studies and the School of Teacher Education and Professional Learning (both part of the Faculty of Education, Health and Community (EHC)), of Liverpool John Moores University.

IM Marsh Campus

Type	Public
Active	1900 as Liverpool Physical Training College–July 2021
Location	Liverpool , England , United Kingdom 53.370214°N 2.9206°W / 53.370214; -2.9206
Campus	former Urban
Website	https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/visit-us/directions/im-marsh (former LJMU)

It formerly housed the majority of the university's sporting facilities including: sports hall, two gymnasiums, fitness suite, climbing wall, tennis courts, hockey astroturf and three large playing fields.^[1] All the facilities were operated by Marsh Sports.^{[citation needed]}

History

The Liverpool Gymnasium College, later the Liverpool Physical Training College, was founded in 1900 by Irene Mabel Marsh (hence the IM Marsh Campus) as a physical education teacher training college for women.^[2][3] It was initially at a site at 110 Bedford Street, expanding into adjacent buildings, until Irene Marsh bought Barkhill House in 1919.^[4] It was renamed the I.M. Marsh College of Physical Education in 1947, and became co-educational in 1987. The campus briefly became part of the University of Liverpool, until being transferred in 1981 to Liverpool Polytechnic which later became Liverpool John Moores University.

Location

Based in the green suburb of Aigburth in south Liverpool approximately four miles from the city centre, it was the only LJMU campus outside of the city centre. It is well connected to the city and the rest of the United Kingdom through three local train stations (Aigburth Station, Mossley Hill Station and West Allerton Station), several bus routes operated by Merseytravel, and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Former facilities

The I M Marsh Campus' swimming pool and sports hall

• Learning Resource Centre
• Computer Resource Centre
• Science laboratories
• Design and Technology laboratories
• 2 Gymnasiums
• Climbing wall
• Fitness Suite
• Sports hall including 8 badminton courts, 2 basketball courts, five-a-side football pitches, Tennis Courts
• Hockey pitch sized all weather AstroTurf
• 3 Outdoor Netball courts, Tennis Courts
• Large Drama Studio
• The Egg Dance studio
• Sudley Dance studio

Notable former students and staff

• Ian Usher (1982–1985 B.Ed. (Outdoor Education) - traveller, adventurer, writer and speaker. Sold "entire life" on eBay in 2008.^[5]
• Lindsey McAlister, MBE (1978–1979) - theatre director in Hong Kong
• Ellinor Hinks, 20th century physical educator, photographer and film maker

2011 and on

On 30 March 2011, LJMU announced their intention to sell the campus and relocate the faculty to the city centre.^[6] This has had the foreseeable effect of rendering it as not as up to date as other LJMU campuses, as funding has not kept up with that of other campuses.

In 2022 the Bark Hill villa was saved from demolition after it was listed.^[7]