Relocating to West Cheshire or Wirral - where's best for families?

[luckymummy2010]

We are planning a move in about 18 months and its making my head spin! Have been looking at the Wirral and also the areas around Chester as possibles. I'm from the north west originally but have lived in the south east for over 20 years. My DP is from Surrey and has lived here all his life.

We currently live in a very nice village in Surrey. I actually love it generally and DD is at a really lovely rural school which only goes up to year 2 (hence the timing of our move). What I don't like about the area is that it?s very, very materialistic. It feels like having money is valued far above education, good manners etc - we are moving mainly to be nearer to family but I'd also like DD to grow up somewhere where "marrying money" isn't seen as a career! I?m a working mum and there aren?t many of them at DD?s school. On the other hand I do seem to be slightly addicted to living somewhere with nice local shops, cafes etc!

Schools are a very important factor in our move - ideally state schools but private is a possibility. Somewhere semi rural near a nice town would be ideal.

Any ideas or tips would be much appreciated. I have overloaded on Ofsted reports, property websites and Up My Street statistics! If you could chose anywhere to live in the Wirral or West Cheshire where would you live?

Thank you!

I'm surprised that someone has posted about Christleton schools not being good- both the primary and high schools are graded outstanding and very highly regarded in the area. It's a nice village with a pub, shop etc, but not overly endowed with cafe culture.

If you were willing to live in town, Hoole in Chester does have a cafe culture/independent shops kind of feel to it.

Chester is very convenient for travel if you need to commute.

More rurally, Tattenhall, Bunbury, Tarvin and Kelsall might be villages to consider.

I have friends on the Wirral,including some who work in schools there, and they have suggested that there are some quite stark differences between the grammar schools and non-selective schools, as you'd expect.There is a lot of competition to get children into grammar schools, with many who don't get in going to faith schools as a second choice. Heswall is probably fairly similar to the area where you are now.

Higher Kinnerton / Dodleston /Rossett etc are over the border, so you'd need to consider your high school options there (look for ESTYN reports), not OFSTED!)

Heswall (and a lot of West Wirral) is OAP territory and the housing isn't all that cheap - big houses down Oldfield Road/Gayton, etc are just about Surrey prices.

It's over 32 years since I actually lived on the Wirral (couldn't wait to get away), but I do go up regularly. West Wirral is very much like Surrey. I would choose West Kirby. More young people, beach/sailing/windsurfing/country park/Thor's Rock cafe's, etc. It's also on the trainline from Liverpool - Heswall Hills station is not in Heswall - it's a bus (an hour) to Liverpool, but nearer Chester. If you want your DD to get into the grammar school, then it's on the doorstep.

Surprised people listing heswall as a nice village location. I think its a big ugly sprawling town isn't it? Houses very expensive as well.

Lower heswall is naice and has a proper village, the rest is congested....given the choice id go for wk any day, but heswall was right for my family and there's lots on for kids, but overrated? Yep

However a lot of the wk is built on reclaimed land so I understand there is a fair bit of subsidence going on which is why we never looked there properly.

anybody seriously considering wk and environs should look closely at the plans for the golf course, we dodged a bullet on a couple of houses before we were aware of the proposal.

I don't know how to describe Heswall - it is not a village (though the Lower Village is!) but it is pretty small to be described as a town. Though it does have a bus station! No decent pubs in the centre either!

I didn't know WK had subsidence problems Where is the golf course proposed for, given the RL on Meols Drive?!

It's going to run from the fields behind moels, hoylake up to Carr rd industrial estate and back towards lartonwood, China farm lane.....basically hoylake to frankby will be one connurbation, there will be houses etc. I really wanted to live in frankby and had seen a house near oldfield farm....the views were amazing but I found out about the golf course after our second viewing as we were planning our offer. It freaked me out so much, we went for lower heswall which is already totally built up, but at least we're less likely to face any nasty surprises.

Think it will be good for hoylake, but the scale of it will put cause problems imo

I always wondered why houses on the flat were such good value, and asked a surveyor I know. Plus tiny gardens.

Oh, OK. There are quite a lot of streams round there, aren't there? I guess it wouldn't be so good for housing?

Do you go to the Black Horse? That was our Heswall regular when we were teens!

I live the black horse! Have decided it's definitely my new local, and there's nothing updated about it other than a plasma telly.

There's a lot of restaurants now on telegraph rd, few gastro pubs etc.

Yes, but no What's Cooking!

Glad you love the Black

Sad to see no more What's Cooking! Lots of little restaurants now and even been invaded by Pizza Express...still I get nostalgic about my misspent youth! Remembering nights spent in the Black and the Slack- also Friday nights in Hoylake (grin)

oops meant to be a

The Slack?

Leighton Court, Atmosphere, Rupert, Westwood Grange... All gone

Heswall is quite gastro....I like places like ring o bells and the anchor in irby....

Can I just ask....is farmers arms (frankby) dodgy?

Oh my goodness, reading this thread is making me feel so nostalgic! I also grew up on the Wirral - Barnston Primary School, West Kirby Grammar - lived in Heswall Hills, went to Guides, Youth Club at the Methodist church in the village. Rode horses along the beach, through Thornton Hough, had many a first date in 'What's Cooking' and then also the pancake place that opened opposite the old post office - or am I mixing that up with the place in Hoylake? Fab place to grow up - albeit sooooo long ago now. My parents still live there in fact - although we tend not to go back too often and just end up meeting up at my brothers house instead which is half way between us both. I'm in Surrey now.

Not sure my knowledge of villages in relevant any more but I would have Lower Heswall, Gayton, Barnston, Thornton Hough, Willaston and Irby all on my list. West Kirby also great.

Good luck!

OMG - I've just seen Grogsy's post - the Slack!!!!! How could I forget the evenings I spent in there post youth club pretending to be 18 whilst still a mere 16, drinking Bacardi and orange and playing darts........

Where was this magical place? What us it now? (I'm only here a year but love the Wirral can't imagine leaving)

The Farmers Arms is great for a drink - never eaten there. I didn't think it was dodgy, but maybe it is now! They used to do a great quiz with chips+curry sauce at half-time, but I haven't been in ages. We like the Irby Mill when we go up now.

Never heard of the Slack - maybe it was after my time, but we didn't go to Hoylake much - only to the Green lodge and occasionally Flat Foot Sams!

Yes bigTilly! The Lodge and Flatties on a Friday night- waiting for a bus in deepest winter without a coat to go to Hoylake . Why did we not wear coats??

Handbag- nights at the Slack with our fake student ID's drinking Barcardi or Malibu-oh the joys o being 16 again! The Slack was the Sandon Arms in Milner Road tucked away behind the main road. I haven't been back for over 20 years- is it still there?

Seasonal- can you take a peep and report back? You can be our eyes and ears!!

It's just been closed down for redevelopment - how did we never go in there? I even had a friend who lived down there!

I'm actually going up next week to sort DMs house if you want updates?!

Yes please bigTilly- You know my mum used to call me tillymint- even does to this day!
Good luck sorting out the house- take your coat it's always chilly up there compared to down south!

It was my fathers nick-name for me

And yes, it's always a few degrees colder even though DM was always banging on about the GulfStream or something!

Well I think its lovely and toasty but am Scottish ...

What's been shut down for redevelopment?
Happy to report back!

What was the place on the way into Parkgate - a pub / bar with a separate entrance next to a hotel. Was it the Admirals? Many a Friday night spent in there too!!!!

Oh yes, me too - was it Admirals Inn? I think we just called it The Admirals! I think the building's gone now!