Guide to Parkgate

There are seventeen schools in the area in and around Parkgate which were rated as ‘outstanding’ at their last review. This includes schools at each level from preschool all the way to A-Levels or college age, as well as two schools which provide for children with special educational needs.

This means that parents in the popular Parkgate area are able to guarantee an outstanding education at all levels and has made the village a popular place in which to rent or buy for young families.

You can find out all about the schools available in the village of Parkgate and the surrounding area here.

Parkgate has two medical centres in the village as well as the option of a few more in nearby Neston, and three dental practices in nearby Little Ness. With two pharmacies in the village, too, Parkgate is amply catered for for residents with minor ailments and everyday illnesses. 

For more accidents and injuries, the nearest hospitals are Arrowe Park, Clatterbridge and the Countess of Chester. Though none of these are especially far away, Clatterbridge is the nearest at just over five miles away, while the Countess of Chester Hospital is just over 11 miles away.  Parkgate’s medical services are all under the NHS Cheshire Clinical Control Group (CCG) – you can find out more about them here.

Parkgate is an absolute delight for daytime dining, with a traditional English tea house, ice cream parlours, independently owned cafes and pub lunches all available within a stone’s throw from the picturesque, wildlife filled marshland. There are also fantastic Indian and Chinese restaurants, a pizzeria and a few bars more than capable of providing a great evening meal after a stroll (but fish and chips and an ice cream are always an option!).

However, that’s just the village! Parkgate is also surrounded by towns and villages which are well stocked with fine dining, not to mention a short distance from a Michelin starred restaurant in Birkenhead, and the gastronomic delights available in Liverpool and Chester.

Parkgate is a 25 minute car journey from Liverpool, slightly less to Chester and just over an hour from Manchester – making the village an ideal home for commuters to any of the three cities – with the average UK commute standing at 59 minutes, two fall well under.

Parkgate’s last passenger train left the station in 1956, and the rail line it was on became part of The Wirral Way footpath. As such, the nearest railway connection to the village is Neston train station, just under a mile and a half away, which is on the Borderlands Line between Bidston and Wrexham and operated by Transport for Wales.

From the beginning of the 18th Century, Parkgate was a port vital to transport of both goods and people to and from Ireland (famous composer George Frideric Handel stopped in the village while returning from his first performance of his oratorio Messiah in Ireland). By the middle of the Century, however, shipping had slowed due to further silting of the Dee, but Parkgate remained a popular seaside resort.

Though the village’s sandstone sea wall is still present, the area is now 100 km2 of salt marsh created in part by the further silting of the Dee and partly by the introduction of an invasive species of grass. The area remained a popular residential area following the end of shipping and fishing activities and has become an area of unique beauty and abundant wildlife.

The nearest attractions to Parkgate are the village itself and the wildlife, birdwatching and cafe culture, but the nearby market town of Neston, following a period of regeneration, is a wonderful place to visit and hosts a bustling Friday market that draws residents and tourists alike.

If you’re looking for walks, then you’ll love the RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands – which is a bird and wildlife preserve that is great for birds, but also offers some fantastic nature walks through woodlands and around wetlands teeming with birds and other wildlife.

That’s just the immediate area, however, and Parkgate is still only a short drive from dozens of other historic English towns and villages, nature reserves and the cultural and historic hotspots of Roman Chester and history-rich Liverpool.

Your entertainment options in Parkgate are likely to be the village’s cafes, tea shops and many fabulous places to meet and eat with friends. For museums, theatre and galleries you’ll need to venture out of town – but not too far! The Wirral offers a wealth of nearby entertainment from galleries in Port Sunlight and Heswall, theatres in New Brighton, and there are dozens of varied museums throughout the ancient peninsula.

If you’re more of a night-owl, though, the club-scene may not be the reason you move to the village, but the cities of Chester and Liverpool are both within reach of a late night taxi ride, opening up a fantastic nightlife including concerts, clubs, sporting events and more – all without requiring an overnight stay or needing to break the bank.

Parkgate Road between the village and Neston, offers plenty of well rated beauty parlours, stylists and technicians of all kinds offering every therapy and service you could need. You’ll find beauty salons, nail art, hair stylists and tanning parlours within a quick walk both of each other and from the village itself, so you shouldn’t have to struggle to find a salon matching your tastes and style.

There’s already too much stress involved in moving home – having to worry about where you can relax and find the destressing treatments you’ll need to get you through the move shouldn’t be one of them, so rest assured you’ll find yourself well cared for in the village and surrounding area.

Nearby shopping excursions on offer include the Sealand Road Retail Park in Chester, The Croft Retail and Leisure Park in Bromborough and half a dozen other retail parks on the Wirral. However, for those that want a little more, the village is less than half an hour from Liverpool city centre and the purpose built LiverpoolONE retail and leisure park and, half an hour in the opposite direction, the historic city of Chester is also a thriving shopping town, while Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is also only a short drive away.

While Parkgate isn’t the shopaholics dream itself, its proximity to plenty of retail therapy should prove an acceptable substitute for a busy, big brand high street.

The village of Parkgate has access to the usual big brand supermarkets with only a short drive – both Aldi and Sainsburys, as well as a Tesco Express, are all present in nearby Neston and within the range of an easy weekly shop. However, as Parkgate is mere minutes away from Neston by car, residents can also visit it’s famous Friday outdoor market which offers exceptional choice, including:

• Fresh Cheshire produce
• Homemade cakes, jams, pies and chutneys
• Local artisan breads
• Local fine meats, fish and cheeses
• Sweets and treats

So, whether you want your big brand favourites, or something a little artisanal as a treat, you’ll have plenty of options.