I visited Liverpool's best place to live and fell in love with the quaint village

The annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide features 72 locations around the country chosen by judges based on a variety of factors, from the scenery and the quality of pubs, shops and restaurants to the standard of schools, community feel and transport links. The prestigious list even takes into account broadband speeds, culture and access to green spaces.

Taking to the top spot for the North West was Woolton, a picturesque village in the heart of South Liverpool. While most people probably know it as the hometown of John Lennon and the location of the famous Strawberry Fields, it is a sought after location thanks to its beauty, grand houses and independent eateries.

I’m lucky enough to have spent a lot of time in the lovely suburb, as my boyfriend’s family live just a stones throw away from Lennon’s childhood home. As someone who is originally from the Wirral, I genuinely knew nothing about the area until I met my partner and was immediately impressed the first time I visited.

One of Liverpool’s oldest areas, Woolton boasts the most beautiful terraced houses and I often say if I could choose to buy a house anywhere, it would be here - though they are definitely out of my price range. My partner and I love to walk around and choose our favourite properties before strolling into the village itself to grab a coffee.

While Woolton is small, it has pretty much everything you need including eateries like One Percent Forest and Botanico, a popular curry house, the Elephant pub, a Sainsbury’s, Post Office and more. The village even has its own farm shop, which I definitely think adds to its charm.

On a sunny day, you can expect the Elephant’s beer garden to be heaving and the small children’s playground in the village to be filled with kids. But, the quaint area never feels chaotically busy and is ideal for those who want to avoid the city centre.

While Woolton Picture House has been closed for some time now, the historic site is one of my favourite features of the area. The venue is Liverpool’s oldest independent cinema and sadly closed in 2020, though there is talk of it being ‘sensitively transformed’ in the future.

If you’re after tranquil green spaces, a short walk away is Calderstones Park - possibly my favourite park in Liverpool - or you can take a stroll to Allerton Towers or Woolton Woods and Camphill.

Before visiting Woolton, I had always said I never wanted to live in a suburb again (growing up on the Wirral was dull at times) and would always prefer city centre life. But, it’s since become my ideal place to live and I have to wholeheartedly agree with the Sunday Times’ judgement.