With its picture-perfect scenery and rich history, people from across the world have fallen in love with it
Charming Port Sunlight has welcomed visitors from across the world(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
If you fancy an escape from the bustle of modern Manchester, there’s an ‘olde world’ village in easy reach that could be the perfect destination.
Just an hour’s drive from the city, or slightly longer by train, brings you to the picture-perfect village of Port Sunlight.
The Wirral village was built at the end of the 19th century by industrialist William Lever, later Lord Leverhulme, as a model village to house workers of the Lever Brothers soap factory – the company which became the giant Unilever.
Each home was designed by one of the era’s top architects, and the result means Port Sunlight glows in timeless beauty all year round.
The village is well-loved by locals and tourists alike, and could be the perfect spot for a summer stroll.
Step off the train at Port Sunlight station, and the first thing you’ll probably notice is the unmistakable scent of freshly baked scones, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Port Sunlight(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
They are being made at a charming little café just across the way, Tudor Rose Tea Rooms. For many visitors, it marks the perfect welcome to one of the region’s prettiest and historically rich destinations.
“I have worked here for 18 years. I started with the old owner about a week after she opened and we became best friends,” says Penny Hassall, who now owns the café.
“When I had my eldest son, I was thinking about leaving. [The owner] said that she’d be lost without me, and if I stayed on, she’d make sure I got the place when she retired. She retired three years ago, this year.”
Penny’s café is a staple of the village – not just for its homely atmosphere but for its daily offering of legendary scones.
She laughs: “We make fresh scones every day, and they’re gorgeous. We have people walking out in a mood if there are no scones. Sometimes we’ll have queues to come in here because people want to see what’s inside.”
It’s these little experiences – tea with warm scones in a heritage setting, leisurely strolls along leafy lanes lined with beautiful cottages – that make Port Sunlight a haven for tourists and locals alike.
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Penny says: “It’s olde worlde and totally different – you wouldn’t find it anywhere else.” And she’s not wrong.
Today, the village’s rich history is preserved in lovingly maintained homes, immaculate gardens, and a layout that encourages curiosity and reflection.
“The buildings, how pretty it is, how well-kept it is” – these are the comments Penny hears most from visitors, many of whom have travelled from as far as America, China, and Japan.
She says: “You wouldn’t think it, but you get them coming from as far as America and China and places like that. It’s nice to see how they react to the village”
The sense of community remains strong here, supported by a calendar of local events that pull crowds from across the region.
Penny adds: “When there are community events in the village, they’re big and they bring in a lot of people. The new food and drink market has been really popular.”
Even when she’s not working, Penny, who lives down the road in Bebington, says she’s rarely away from the village.
“It’s my second home,” she said. “Even when we’re closed, I’m in the village. My kids love it here. People are nice and friendly. A lot of them are retired, so they’re all happy because they’re not having to go to work.”
From the colourful local park called The Dell – a ‘nice little walk’ where families picnic – to the bustling local events, Port Sunlight offers more than just scenery. It offers soul.
Further into the village stands Hulme Hall, a testament to the village’s multi-faceted past. Once a canteen for Lever’s female workforce, the hall has taken many forms over the years, including an art gallery, hospital, and even wartime refuge.
Hulme Hall(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Judy Squires, 70, the previous owner of the function hall, now assisting in its transition, said: “I’m just here to help the new owner settle in nicely. Mainly, the venue is for weddings and conferences. There are also lots of funerals because it’s a big space.
“It’s a Masonic temple, and there are three lodges here. There are sports events too – anything you can name.”
Its history is rich. “During the First World War, it was used for Belgian refugees and as a hospital,” said Judy.
“After the war, it was an art gallery and used to stock some of Lord Leverhulme’s artefacts. He used to go off to Africa and places and bring back masses of stuff.
“During the Second World War, the Canadian air force was billeted here, and it was, once again, used as a hospital. When that ended, it was turned into a function hall. It is the first place that Ringo Starr played.”
A stroll through Port Sunlight is a walk through British social and architectural history. And remarkably, not much has changed.
Judy says: “If you look at old photographs of the village, nothing much has changed apart from people’s clothes and some of the roads. The gardens are the same, and the houses are the same.”
From left: Kris Dawson, Lekha Mahendran and Judy Squires, staff at Hulme Hall(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Amenities like the Leverhulme Spa Hotel (once a hospital), The Bridge Inn pub, a garden centre, an art gallery and a museum continue to serve residents and visitors alike.
Judy notes: “There’s now an on-site cafe here, and there’s another new café which is opening up across the road. There’s also the Tudor Tea Rooms, which has been running for several years”.
It’s this unique blend of historical reverence, aesthetic charm, and living community that makes Port Sunlight more than just a pretty village. It’s a destination with depth.
Judy says: “Port Sunlight is amazing. It’s unbelievable. When the place was first built, it had its own hospital, its own fire station, boys school, girls school, and a swimming pool.
“Lord Leverhulme was a magnificent man and a philanthropist. What he provided for his workers was magnificent.”
For those who live and work here today, it remains a place of pride and joy. When asked if Port Sunlight is an enjoyable place to work, Judy’s response is simple and sure: “Of course.”
Whether you come for the history, the architecture, the gardens, or even the scones, Port Sunlight invites visitors to slow down, look around, and fall in love with a village that truly feels like stepping back in time.