It’s easy to forget sometimes that there’s more out there apart from the city, and the North West is full to the brim with quaint and picturesque spots that are well worth a visit. Feeling the need to escape for the day? Check out our guide to the prettiest towns and villages near Liverpool to check out if you’re bored of the same old views of concrete or your bedroom walls.
1. Bidston
When it comes to pretty villages near Liverpool, Bidston lies between Birkenhead and Wallasey, and is known for its walks including up to Bidston Hill, offering a great few hours out on a fine day. For plenty of greenery, visit Bidston Court Gardens and Bidston Moss. There are plenty of pretty stone houses in the village, as well as key attractions such as Bidston Windmill, Bidston Lighthouse and Bidston Observatory, with the latter having amazing panoramic views looking out towards the River Mersey and beyond. The observatory was also the site of some of the most important scientific research for 150 years, including research into time and tides.
🚗 How to get there: 15 minutes by car.
2. Sefton Village
Walkers flock to the village of Sefton, which cuts through the site of the moat of Sefton Old Hall – a recognised national monument. There is a spectacular church and houses in the village as well as being plenty to do during a day out at this Liverpool suburban spot. The village not only offers quaint walks, but also a pub known as The Punchbowl, which is a favourite among locals and tourists, oozing in rural charm and rustic character. Perfect for resting your legs once you’ve wandered the village and nearby areas.
🚗 How to get there: 22 minutes by car.
3. Port Sunlight
One of the prettiest villages in Wirral, Port Sunlight can be found south of Birkenhead and is incredibly picturesque for those looking for a lovely stroll. Known for its lovely architecture, old streets and Arts and Crafts cottages, Port Sunlight is bursting with history. The village was built to house Lever’s Sunlight Soap factory workers but today is home to a museum, an art gallery and parkland. Port Sunlight Museum details the village’s history, and the neoclassical Lady Lever Art Gallery showcases 19th-century decorative arts. Popular among tourists, you will also find a few places to eat and drink such as the cute Tudor Rose Tea Rooms and the Rose & Crown pub.
🚗 How to get there: 15 minutes by car.
4. Little Crosby
Not far from the home of the well-known coastal sculpture, Another Place, which consists of 100 cast iron figures facing towards the sea, the small neighbouring village of Little Crosby offers great views, walks and plenty of rural character. The charming village contains notable attractions such as The Courtyard Café; Crosby Hall Educational Trust and The Well Barn. You’ll also find local beer makers Rock The Boat Brewery here, whose beers are stocked in a number of pubs in Crosby, Waterloo, Liverpool City Centre and Wirral. For a bit of a nature fix, you can also explore Little Crosby’s local woodland areas such as Moss Wood and Bens Gorse Forest.
🚗 How to get there: 25 minutes by car.
5. Meols
Looking out towards the Irish Sea, Meols can be found not far from West Kirby and its beach is as picturesque as beaches come, especially when the sun rises and sets. The village on the northern coast of the Wirral Peninsula was named originally by the Vikings, but pronounced ‘Mells’. For added confusion, north of Liverpool in the West Lancashire area of North Meols, it is pronounced ‘Me-ols’.Whilst being a mainly residential village, there is a small yachting and fishing community on its Irish Sea shoreline. Take a stroll down the Meols Parade and you’ll find a few places to make a pit stop at, including for fish and chips. You are at the seaside, after all.
🚗 How to get there: 20 minutes by car.
6. Frankby
Best known for Frankby Hall, which looks straight out of Downton Abbey or a similar period drama, this Wirral village boasts an impressive collection of houses and buildings. You’ll find Frankby Hall, which was built in 1846, within Frankby Cemetery. Other notable places to visit in Frankby include Royden Park which has its own miniature railway and meres, plus within the grounds is a large Mock Tudor house known as Hill Bark, which was re-erected between 1929 and 1931. Check out the hamlet of Larton which features more rural walks for you to follow.
🚗 How to get there: 20 minutes by car.
7. Croston
Around 20 miles away from Liverpool, Croston is famously known for being a picture-perfect village and a serial winner in the North West in Bloom awards, so it’s only fitting the spot features in the villages near Liverpool list. The Lancashire village is roughly halfway between Chorley and Southport and happens to be twinned with the French area of Azay-le-Rideau, situated in the Loire Valley. With such a close connection, Croston even has its own boules league and celebrates Bastille Day in July with an event on the village green. Despite the French connection, this is a cute, traditional English village with pretty rows of red brick houses, a charming church, a 15th-century packhorse bridge over the babbling River Yarrow and good pubs to enjoy a feast in, too.
🚗 How to get there: 48 minutes by car.
8. Withnell Fold
A little more further afield than Croston is Withnell Fold, which is situated between Blackburn and Chorley. This Lancashire village is covered in cobbled streets, dotted with stone terraced cottages as well as Grade II-listed building, Withnell Fold Hall. This is one of the villages near Liverpool that is also known for its industrial history too. Withnell Fold was a model village where the workers of the paper mill were housed, and one of the chimneys of the old paper mill can still be found in the village today. You’ll also find the Withnell Fold Nature Reserve nearby, which is a great place for walking, as well as spot the Liverpool to Leeds Canal running through the village.
🚗 How to get there: 50 minutes by car.
9. Llandudno
Located in North Wales an hour and a half from Liverpool, Llandudno is a quaint seaside town boasting stellar views with ancient tunnels and a 19th-century pier. Have a stroll on its beaches, stay in a charming B&B or explore the shops, pubs and restaurants on Conwy’s High Street. For example, The Jackdaw is even on the Michelin Guide!
🚗 How to get there: an hour and a half by car.