Guide to Pensby

There are 21 schools in a five mile radius of the village which were rated as ‘outstanding’ during their last Ofsted review, offering Pensby a range of schools at each level with fantastic reputations. Three primary and junior schools lie within 3 miles and, within five miles, there is St John Plessington, a mixed gender senior school. There are also two nearby SEN schools with ‘outstanding’ ratings nearby.

The excellent options available make the village a desirable location for young families and couples looking for somewhere to raise children. You can find out more about the outstanding schools available in and around the village of Pensby on the Ofsted site here.

Pensby is served by the Heswall & Pensby Group Practice which was rated by around 80% of surveyed users as either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ – there are plenty of other options within a couple of miles of the village itself, however. Pensby is also home to Pensby Dental which offers both general and cosmetic dental care. With a choice of pharmacies, there are ample services available in and around the village to deal with minor complaints and day to day treatment.

For more serious procedures or accident and emergency access, Pensby is located around three and a half miles from Arrowe Park Hospital. Medical services in the area  services are part of the NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – you can find out about them here.

Dining options for Pensby residents is limited only by a mile or two of travel – nearby Heswall has enough on offer for most – with traditional pub food, fresh seafood, and the nation’s favourite cuisines – Indian and Chinese, while nearby Irby has plenty of fantastic places for a quick bite to eat with a friend – including the excellent Aroma café which serves great coffee and a selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. There are more than forty eateries within a couple of miles with between four and five stars on Tripadvisor, so you’d be dining out for some time before having to choose a favourite.

Branch out a little further and the village is also within a half hour drive of both Chester and Liverpool – cities with a huge choice of fine dining options – if you were to fancy a change.

Rail travel from Pensby begins just under two miles away from Heswall Train Station, which is connected, by two services per hour, to Wrexham and Bidston by the Borderlands Line operated by Transport for Wales. There are connections available at Bidston (for Wirral Line stations and Liverpool), Shotton (for North Wales, Chester and Crewe) and Wrexham General (for Shrewsbury and Chester).

Pensby is also well connected by road – taking around 25 minutes to reach Liverpool, just over half an hour to Chester and just over an hour to Manchester, making for a reasonable commute from the village to any of the three cities – all of which fall within or around the average UK commute time of 59 minutes.

Pensby’s history goes back some way, and the village was one of the original Hundred of Wirral – a Middle Ages (the period between the 5th and 15th centuries), post-Roman administrative area formed around the town of Willaston. Like much of the Wirral, however, it has likely been occupied, at least for parts of the year, since the Neolithic period.

Pensby Hall is the oldest standing structure in the village and dates back to 1688 – it is a stone building with a slate roof, mullioned windows and stables. The hall was designated as Grade 2 listed (of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it) in the 1990s.

The Wirral is an area of unique natural beauty, and attractions near Pensby reflect this fact. Within a couple of miles of Pensby are Thurstaston Hill – with views of the Welsh hills and rivers Dee and Mersey – Wirral Country Park’s riverside walks and spectacular natural landscape, Royden Park, a mid 19th Century sculpted wilderness and much more besides.

If nature walks are not for you, however, then the model village of Port Sunlight and The Lady Lever Art Gallery are a few miles away, as well as the Roman city of Chester and the enormous choice of galleries and museums just across the river in Liverpool.

While Pensby village is a relatively sleepy place, it is surrounded by towns brimming with bars, nightclubs, theatres, museums, galleries, and more. Or, for later night entertainment, Pensby is an affordable taxi ride from Liverpool, ensuring that you don’t miss out on the lifestyle of a big city.

You can also take a trip to nearby Bromborough to catch a film at the Odeon Luxe, a state-of-the-art cinema, or treat yourself to a luxurious spa day at Leverhulme Hotel & Spa – a four star complex nearby in Bebington.

So whatever your tastes – whether you want a lively nightlife, access to culture or just the opportunity to take a stroll – you’ll find yourself well provided for by the village.

While there are a few salons in Pensby village, nearby Thingwall Road in Irby is a hub of beauty therapists, stylists and more – with half a dozen salons offering a range of services from a total makeover to finishing touches for a night out or special event.

While Birkenhead may rank in the top 10 for salons per square kilometre, there are plenty of hairdressers, stylists, nail salons, tanning parlours and more in Pensby to ensure you’ll find a regular salon that matches your style for your health and beauty requirements.

Salons may not be your primary concern when looking to move home, but it’s always good for potential residents to know there’s a thriving beauty industry nearby without having to travel far.

Shoppers will no doubt already be aware of the retail therapy on offer in Chester, Liverpool and Manchester – all with bustling highstreets and purpose built retail and leisure parks where even an ardent shopaholic should find satisfaction. However, Pensby is also located within ten miles of half a dozen retail parks on the Wirral, so there’s a slightly more leisurely dose of retail therapy closer to home if needs be.

Birkenhead has both the Rock Retail Park and Pyramid Centre, Bromborough has The Croft Retail and Leisure Park, and there are also the JunctionONE retail park in Bidston and Coliseum Shopping Park in Ellesmere Port.

So, although Pensby might not be a shopper’s, there’s plenty on offer within an acceptable distance for a good day of shopping.

Pensby has access to the standard range of chain supermarkets and is within a short drive of larger Tesco and Aldi stores. However, there is also a selection of independent stores in the surrounding area. There’s the Hoylake Pantry, a zero waste store selling wholefoods and plastic free refills, as well as Vineyard Farm in Bromborough and Claremont Farm in Bebington, both of which offer sustainable, locally sourced fresh produce.

There are also independent butchers and grocers around the village which offer sustainable meat and produce – meaning Pensby residents can choose their favourite brands, or take home something special as a treat.