WORKING AND LIVING IN WIRRAL

WORKING AND LIVING IN WIRRAL

If you are thinking about working and living in Wirral, read on to find out why moving to this beautiful and diverse area is likely to be one of the best decisions you will ever make.

The Wirral peninsula is a unique place in the North West of England that is packed full of spectacular scenery with a rich mixture of culture and heritage. Wirral sits between two of Britain's great rivers - the Mersey and the Dee with the Irish Sea to the North and is an area of outstanding natural beauty - so you are never very far from breathtaking views, spectacular sunsets and coastal walks.

It is situated within easy reach of the Welsh mountains, has some fantastic country parks for walking and cycling and exceptional sports facilities including windsurfing, sailing, golf plus an international tennis centre.

In addition, the vibrant international cities of Liverpool and Manchester are only a stone's throw away and the historic city of Chester is just a short drive.

Within the 60km of Wirral itself, lies a wealth of beauty and interest, making it a real microcosm of life. Picturesque little villages, bustling seaside resorts, new urban developments, trendy towns packed with nightlife.

In Wirral you will find an unrivalled choice of homes at affordable prices, from executive properties to attractive low cost homes to suit all budgets with the added bonus that all are within easy commuting distance of the workplace.

Childcare is well catered for with all three and four year olds getting free places for early education together with a wide variety of good quality, registered childcare facilities.

The people who live here love it - around 90 per cent said they were satisfied with their quality of life in Wirral in a recent poll.

View a map of Wirral: Map of Wirral

A past to be proud of
In Wirral, there are plenty of attractions that really bring the past to life - making the area's history and heritage easy and exciting to discover.

At Birkenhead you can hear about life as a Benedictine Monk at the famous Priory, see the country's largest group of Grade One listed buildings in Hamilton Square and take one of the historic trams to the Pacific Road Arts and Exhibition Centre.

The Birkenhead Heritage Trail guides you around the Shore Road Pumping Station, the Edwardian Street Scene display, the Egerton Bridge dock system and the unique transport collection.

For more information on the history of Wirral you can visit the following:

History of Wirral 1 - Multimedia History package including Video Streaming and Flash 5 presentations.
Birkenhead Priory - Learn about the Priory online with Video Streaming and Flash 5 presentations.
Birkenhead Town Hall - Information about Birkenhead Town Hall and the Museum

The Williamson Art Gallery and Museum is a great introduction to the wealth of local and maritime history and at the Wirral Museum - the former Town Hall - you can discover the story behind the famous Cammel Laird shipyard and visit a collection of exquisite Della Robbia Pottery.

Port Sunlight Village is also steeped in history. The picturesque 19th Century village was founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1888 for his soap factory workers. You can stroll around the individually designed rows of immaculate cottages or follow one of the many village trails.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery can be found at the heart of the village and it houses a superb collection of pre-Raphaelite masterpieces, a Wedgwood collection and some impressive 18th Century furniture.

For the maritime fan, Wirral also houses the finest collection of 20th Century fighting ships in the country including HMS Plymouth, the Onyx submarine and the only German U-boat to have been raised form the seabed.

A green and pleasant land
The unique, beautiful landscape and huge wealth of wildlife in Wirral is one of the area's greatest assets. A combination of sea breezes, hilltop views and mossy woodlands makes Wirral a nature-lovers paradise and is something everyone who lives and works on the Wirral justifiably proud of.

The area sits between the two estuaries and includes clay cliffs, long stretches of sand dune, pockets of ancient woodlands, heath, desolate marsh and idyllic meadows. A huge variety of plants and animals can be found in this environment including Great Crested Newts, Natterjack Toads, and even Grey Seals

With hundreds of acres of woodlands and heath to be explored in places such as Wirral Country Park, Bidston Hill or Heswall Dales Local Nature Reserve or a walk to Hilbre Island, providing an ideal spot to see a huge variety of wading and migratory birds, watch the seals at play and find the famous dinosaur footprint, you are spoilt for choice.

There are also twelve sites of Special Scientific Interest, two sensitive Marine Areas, one candidate for Special Area for Conservation, five local nature reserves and over 70 sites of biological interest.

To add to this, there are three country parks with a variety of birds and butterflies.

The North Wirral Coastal Park stretches for over four miles along the coast with the Irish Sea providing an opportunity to breathe in the sea air on the various beaches. Red Rocks in Hoylake has one of the best beaches in the area, while West Kirby and New Brighton offer delightful beachside promenades, with West Kirby Marine Lake hosting boating and windsurfing events.

Alternatively there are the more formal parks and gardens, visit Birkenhead Park, the forerunner and model for Central Park, New York, or Ness Botanic Gardens where extensive displays of rare and seasonal flowers can be seen.

A quality life
When considering where to live and work Wirral can offer an enormous wealth of attractions. With it's breathtaking scenery the area has an abundance of energy so there is definitely no excuse for a couch-potato lifestyle when you live here.

There are no less than 14 golf clubs in Wirral, the most renowned being the Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake which has been selected to host the prestigious British Open Golf Championship.

Alternatively if tennis is your thing, then why not visit the Wirral Tennis Centre- a real centre of excellence and just one of eight sports centres and six swimming pools Wirral has to offer, not to mention the numerous gyms.

The marine lakes provide the opportunity to indulge in windsurfing, yachting and other small craft sailing. Football enthusiasts are spoilt for choice, with the two Premiere Division clubs of Everton and Liverpool close by while Wirral's own Tranmere Rovers is on the doorstep.

With 25 miles of coastline, 28 miles of cycle routes and 70 miles of public footpaths outdoor enthusiasts have no need to use their car, it's all simply a stroll or bike ride away.

By night the arts in Wirral offer a feast for your senses. From the award winning performance venue at the Pacific Road Arts and Exhibition Centre to the traditional Floral Pavillion Theatre and the magnificent auditorium at the Wirral Museum the choice is yours.
The Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight Village and the Little Theatre in Birkenhead provide venues for visiting productions and local talented amateur dramatic groups. Throughout the year there are many major events staged, from the acclaimed International Guitar Festival to one of the largest free shows in the country- the Wirral Show-there's literally something for everyone.

Wirral is well catered for with many small local shops, the busy main shopping precinct in Birkenhead and with easy access to the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Village.

Wirral is also home to a selection of fine restaurants and bars offering food of every nationality and you can sample real ale in some of the many country and town centre pubs-you'll never be short of places to go in your busy social life.

Affordable housing means that people are able to become homeowners, not for us the sorts of house prices you see in the South of the country, yet we are well placed to offer some wonderful properties at the luxury end of the market. In the first three months of this year the average price of a semi detached was £76,000 with terraced housing averaging £42000 and detacheds at £176000.