We have so many beautiful spots here in Manchester, and the wider North West, whether you’re after a fresh, green ramble or a quaint town or village to soak up some heritage and partake in some retail therapy. Now, the Merseyside model village Port Sunlight, just an hour’s journey from Manchester, has been named one of the best villages to visit in the UK by Which?.
Coming in fourth after Wells (Somerset), Avebury (Wiltshire) and Corfe Castle (Dorset), Port Sunlight was heavily praised for its architecture, charm and community. Which? said: “Port Sunlight was built by the Sunlight Soap mogul William Hesketh Lever to house his workers in a community of cottages and leafy boulevards. This concept of an ideal village, just a 15-minute drive from Liverpool, continues to draw visitors with its fascinating mix of architectural styles across 900 listed buildings.
“Despite its small size – it has fewer than 1,500 residents – Port Sunlight got five stars for attractions. One to see is the Lady Lever Art Gallery, a beautiful, neo-classical building home to a fine collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings.”
That five-star rating for Port Sunlight on attractions came alongside another five stars for peace and quiet, four stars for attractiveness, and three for scenery, giving it an 80% score overall – neck and neck with Corfe Castle.
Port Sunlight also beat out competition from countless other hamlets for the title of the best UK village to visit, including Grasmere (Lake District), Llangollen (Dee Valley, Wales) and the idyllic Arundel (South Downs), representing the North West as a treasure trove for beautiful places.
Driving to Port Sunlight from Manchester takes around an hour as it sits on the Birkenhead arm of Merseyside – across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Of course, this means if you fancy nipping over when you’re already in Liverpool, it’s just a hop, skip and jump away via the Queensway Tunnel – in fact, if you carried on you’d reach another North West gem: Chester.