Guide to Irby

While there aren’t many schools in the village of Irby itself, Irby Primary School – rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted – is a tremendous place for children aged 4-11 to attend school and get the best start to their education. 

However, there are plenty of options for an outstanding route through education from preschool through to A-Levels – including Ganneys Meadow Nursery School and Family Centre for 2-5 year olds and St John Plessington for ages 11-19.

All parents want their children to succeed – and schools are one of the main things stated as a reason for families to move to an area. With Irby, children have a great opportunity to attend some brilliant schools, making it an extremely attractive area for young families.

You can check out the available schools in and around Irby here.

The village of Irby is served by two well regarded doctor’s surgeries and a dental practice. NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), whose oversight Irby medical services fall under, state that their mission is to: ‘commission high quality services which enable the people of Wirral to improve their own health and wellbeing.’

The village is also just over a mile from Arrowe Park Hospital – which provides A&E facilities – and is also within relatively short drives from the Clatterbridge NHS hospital and the Spire Murrayfield private hospital. 

Irby residents can therefore rest assured that all of their medical care needs will be met by fantastic local provision and you can find out more about the NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group here. 

Despite its small size, Irby has some fantastic places for lunch or a quick bite to eat and coffee with a friend – including the highly rated Aroma café which serves a great coffee as well as catering for vegans, vegetarians and those requiring a gluten free option.

There are also the best loved British options of a pub-lunch from The Shippons or picturesque The Anchor Inn – or a Chinese or Indian takeaway.

While for a fine dining experience you may have to leave the village, you won’t have to go far, and there are hundreds of four and five star rated (Tripadvisor) restaurants in the surrounding towns and villages alone – and that’s before you get to the huge amount on offer in nearby Liverpool and Chester.

Irby’s nearest railway station is Heswall on the Bidston to Wrexham line which is operated by Transport for Wales, or West Kirby on the Wirral Line – operated by Merseyrail – which runs between West Kirby and Liverpool Lime Street; though, with both stations some distance from the village, rail travel can be inconvenient.

However, road connection is much better, and Liverpool is within a half hour journey, while Chester is reachable in around 35 minutes and Manchester in a little over an hour – making a commute by road possible to three thriving north west cities within or near the average UK commute time of 59 minutes.

Irby and the surrounding area has been a site of human habitation since prehistory, and was the site of the discovery of one of ‘the densest concentrations [of stone age artefacts] in the country’ including signs of flint tool-making and stone-lined pits the purpose of which remains unknown.

While the village is not as well represented in the interim, there is mention of Irby – specifically a mill there – in a rental agreement dated 1431. In various forms, the mill operated until 1878 but was eventually demolished in 1898. 

Irby Hall, built on the site of an older 11th Century structure, was constructed in the early 17th Century. While dry now, visitors can still see the prominent outer bank of the moat which surrounded the original building.

The Wirral Peninsula is a place of enormous natural beauty and the attractions near Irby rely on this fact to draw their visitors. Within a couple of miles of the village itself are Thurstaston Hill – which offers views of the Welsh hills, the River Dee and the Mersey – Wirral Country Park, with its riverside walks and spectacular natural landscape.

That’s not all, and there are woodland walks and fishing lake of Royden Park, a mid 19th Century sculpted wilderness which also hosts a miniature railway and a walled garden. For summer days, there is also Thurstaston beach with its soft sand, cliff walks, picnic areas and incredible views.

You can watch a film over at the Odeon Luxe, a state-of-the-art cinema nearby Bromborough, treat yourself to a day of pampering at the four star Leverhulme Hotel & Spa in Bebington, or travel just a little further away to the cultural and entertainment hubs of Chester and Liverpool – both less than a half hour drive away, and packed with things to do.

While the village itself may be a relatively sleepy place, Irby is surrounded by towns with theatres, museums, galleries, bars, nightclubs and more – all within an easy drive or, for later night entertainment, an affordable taxi ride of the village. This ensures you can maintain the lifestyle of a big city resident with all the benefits of village life at home.

Thingwall Road is the local hub of beauty therapy, stylists and more – with half a dozen salons offering a wide range of services – so whatever you need, from a total makeover to finishing touches before a night out or special event. Not only that, with the options available, it’s sure you’ll find something that matches your tastes and style within the village itself.

While salons may not be a primary draw for buyers or renters looking to move to Irby, it’s nevertheless good for potential residents to know that there is a thriving beauty industry with plenty of options for therapies and treatments without having to travel. 

If you’re looking for big brand stores, then Irby village has little to offer – instead the village provides more of a café culture than the standard retail filled high street; but all is not lost! For the dedicated shopper, you’ll find half a dozen retail parks dotted throughout the Wirral and within easy reach of the village.

Nearby are Marine Point Retail and Leisure Park and JunctionONE Retail Park, the Coliseum Shopping Park in Ellesmere Port, The Croft Retail and Leisure Park in Bromborough and a few more besides. Then there’s the fantastic shopping on offer in historic Chester, Liverpool city centre and the purpose built LiverpoolONE.

So while Irby may not be able to satisfy a shopaholic, there’s plenty on offer well within an acceptable distance for a good shopping expedition.

It shouldn’t be surprising that Irby has easy access to the usual large chain supermarkets, but there are also a tremendous selection of great independent stores in surrounding villages and towns. For example, there’s the popular Hoylake Pantry, an independent, zero waste shop that sells wholefoods and more – all single-use plastic free. There are 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.

In addition, there are also independent butchers and grocers in and around the village offering sustainable meat and produce – meaning Irby residents can choose to pick up their favourite brands, or take home something special as a treat.