Guide to Heswall

There are ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rated schools at all levels within five miles of Heswall – including Irby and Thornton Primary Schools, Higher Bebington Junior School and St John Plessington Catholic College, offering tremendous quality options within the range of am easy schoolrun, but there are routes including both good and outstanding schools all within a mile and a half. 

With fantastic options from early years all the way through to sixth form, residents of Heswall can be confident that their children will have a great learning experience, excellent education and the best start in life. You can find a full list of the fantastic schools available to Heswall residents here.

With half a dozen doctors surgeries and a choice of dental practices, Heswall is well provided for in terms of minor ailments and ongoing medical treatment.

While injuries, accidents and other misfortunes are far from our minds as we look for a community to call our own, it is always reassuring to know that where we live is well connected and Heswall certainly is – being within short journeys of both Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals.

Heswall’s medical facilities all fall under the NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), whose stated mission is to: ‘commission high quality services which enable the people of Wirral to improve their own health and wellbeing.’ You can find out more about the NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group here.

Heswall has a phenomenal choice of dining options available within the town itself – enough to keep even the pickiest of gourmands content – from traditional pub food to fresh seafood, and from the nation’s favourites: Indian and Chinese to Ethiopian and Pad Thai, there is a gastronomic world tour on offer without having to leave the town.

Not only that, between cafes, takeaways, diners and restaurants, there are more than forty eateries in the local area with between four and five stars on Tripadvisor – meaning you would be dining out for some time before you had to decide on your favourite, all without having to consider anything under a four star rating.

However, if you want to branch out a little, Heswall is also within a half hour drive of both Liverpool and Chester – cities with a fantastic choice of fine dining options – if you were to fancy a change.

Heswall is connected to Wrexham and Bidston on the Borderlands Line with two services per hour (fewer in the evenings, weekends and bank holidays) operated by Transport for Wales. There are interchanges available at Bidston for the Wirral Line and Liverpool, Shotton for North Wales, Chester and Crewe and Wrexham General for Shrewsbury and Chester.

If riding the rails is not to your liking, then you’ll be relieved to know that Heswall is within a few miles of the M53 which puts Manchester just over an hour away, while Liverpool is 20 minutes by car and Chester around the same distance. The town is therefore ideally situated for commutes to large cities, and the rest of the Wirral is also easily accessible.

Heswall has been an area of human habitation for around a thousand years, and was recorded in the Anglo-Saxon ‘Great Survey’ – otherwise known as The Domesday Book – in 1086 as Eswelle and its present day dame is probably an amalgamation of this earlier name and that of the 13th Century Sheriff of Chester Patrick de Haselwall who became its owner in 1277 – this can be seen in two 19th Century spellings of the town name: Hestlewelle or Hesselwelle.

Heswall Station, the town’s former railway station, was located on Station Road in the Lower Village and was part of a track that ran between West Kirby and Hooton. Opened in 1886, the station operated until 1956 and, eventually, the line that had served the station became a footpath known now as the Wirral Way.

For golfers, there will only be one attraction that will matter – the 6837 yard, 120 year old, 18 hole course designed originally by Jack Morris the nephew of St. Andrews architect Tom Morris. The club, whose resident professional is Tom Atkinson, coaches the Cheshire Junior County Team and is able to offer visitor tees.

If golf is not your thing, however, then you won’t need to go too far. The mock tudor model village of Port Sunlight and The Lady Lever Art Gallery are only a few miles away, as well as the Roman city of Chester, the fantastic variety of nature walks on the Wirral – including Eastham Country Park, a beautiful walk featuring a 500 year old oak and beside the Mersey (it is also dotted with information boards offering a little of the site’s extensive history).

For those residents that like to party, the nightlife of Heswall won’t offer the excitement of the nearby cities of Liverpool and Manchester, but it’s likely that nightclubs are not the reason people move to the town. However, the nightlife, concerts and more that are on offer in those cities are still under an hour away and should be enough to satisfy the most social of butterflies.

If your tastes are a little more sedate, however, you can catch a film at the Odeon Luxe, a state-of-the-art cinema in nearby Bromborough, treat yourself spa day at the four star Leverhulme Hotel & Spa in nearby Bebington, or look to the ample cultural options in Chester and Liverpool – both less than a half hour drive away.

With 20+ salons available in the town alone – most of which are rated above four-star on Google Reviews – there should be no way you can fail to grab a last minute appointment to ensure you’re looking your best for anything from an interview to a night out.

While nearby Birkenhead ranks in the top 10 for density of salons per square kilometre, Heswall has enough hairdressers, stylists, nail salons, tanning parlours and more to ensure you’ll find a regular salon for all your health and beauty therapy requirements.

It may not be a primary concern, but when looking for a community, it’s always good to know that there’ll be plenty of options for you to find ones that match your tastes and needs.

In addition to its ease of access to the shopping on offer in Chester, Liverpool and Manchester, where even a shopaholic should find satisfaction, Heswall is located within five to ten miles of at least four retail parks, ensuring you can enjoy a slightly more leisurely dose of retail therapy closer to home.

Bromborough has The Croft Retail and Leisure Park, Birkenhead has both the Rock Retail Park and Pyramid Centre, there are also the JunctionONE and Marine Point Retail and Leisure Parks only a short drive away and the Coliseum Shopping Park in Ellesmere Port. 

As with most towns and cities in the UK, Heswall is within a short drive of a number of supermarket chains with larger Tesco and Aldi nearby. However, for the more discerning shopper, there is also Vineyard Farm in Bromborough and Claremont Farm in Bebington – both of which offer sustainable, locally sourced fresh produce including vegetables, meats, cheeses and handmade sweet and savoury baked goods.

However, though the village has an abundance of nearby supermarkets, there are also a pair of fantastic independently owned butchers, as well as independent greengrocers and more – allowing residents the option of buying their favourite brands or something a little artisanal as a treat.