Merseyside village named as one of poshest places to live in Britain

The coastal location is one of the country’s most desirable villages, according to research by estate agent Savills.
A view of Alt Road in Hightown. Image: GoogleA view of Alt Road in Hightown. Image: Google
A view of Alt Road in Hightown. Image: Google

A coastal community in Merseyside has been named as one of Britain’s 54 poshest villages.

Hightown, which is ten miles from Liverpool, is historically part of the estate of the Blundell family of Little Crosby and many houses still pay a nominal ground rent annually to the Whitlock-Blundell estate.

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Home to the Blundellsands Sailing Club and connected to Liverpool by the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, the area has a mixture of character properties and newer builds.

The average house price in Hightown is listed as £299,304 and the popular village only currently has four available properties listed for sale on Rightmove.

Hightown was named as one of Britain’s most desirable places to live in new research from estate agents Savills as part of a piece published in The Telegraph.

What does Hightown have to offer?

Archives from Sefton Libraries show that Hightown beach is the site of a former wartime military base known as Fort Crosby.

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The fort, demolished in the 1960s, was situated midway between Hightown and Hall Road and housed prisoners of war during World War II. Remains of many of the buildings, pathways and fences can still be seen today.

The village is served by Hightown railway station and there is a local pub, post office, shop, pharmacy, hairdressers, GPs and dentist.

There is also a local bus service.

The beach and sand dunes at Hightown.The beach and sand dunes at Hightown.
The beach and sand dunes at Hightown.

The Hightown Club, established in 1907, offers a variety of sports including cricket, tennis, rugby and squash and also has a function room for hire.

The Blundellsands Sailing Club in Hightown on the River Alt, has a club house, boat yard, slipway and moorings on the river.

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The club welcomes novices and those experienced in sailing. Flocks of migrant geese visit the area and heron feed at the River Alt’s edge at low water. The club says members have occasionally seen Kingfishers.

Sunnyfields, a family-run nursery and butchers, is also in Hightown and sells rare breed meat and local produce including honey.

The nearby Pheasant Inn has been named as one of the best gastropubs in the UK.

Altcar Training Camp in Hightown is owned and managed by North West Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association as one of the UK’s facilities for small arms marksmanship training.

What’s been said?

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Councillor Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s cabinet member for communities and housing, said: “It comes as no surprise that Sefton finds itself once again on a list of the best places to live in the UK.

“We are a borough that is rich with stunning beaches, vibrant town centres and excellent transport links to our North West neighbours.

“Hightown is a beautiful village with a rich history and breath-taking views of Liverpool Bay. Not only does it make a lovely place to call home but for those simply visiting, I would recommend it as one of the best places to take in our famous sunsets.”

Frances Clacy, research analyst at Savills, said: “The pandemic really boosted the appeal of village life.

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“We’ve seen relocation from cities and towns as well as increased upsizing within the same village, and downsizing from country house to village cottage.

“This has led to strong house price growth and the level seen in prime villages (+10.5%) over the past 18 months is the highest it’s been since December 2010.

“But, there has been a clear trend of stronger demand for those villages that offer good local amenities, transport links as well as the usual village perks of a pub and a post office.

“In particular, those leaving behind town or city living will put greater importance on a village meeting these criteria so that their shift in lifestyle is less dramatic.”