It’s easy to see why Caldy is one of the most desirable places to live in the UK.
Lined with giant villas, the Wirral village is one of the millionaires’ playgrounds in the region, home to local celebrities and footballers, with Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush and Rafa Benitez all living over the years. Property experts from across the country recently gave their verdict on the UK’s most sought-after villages – and Caldy has made it into the top 30.
The village was praised for “offering visitors stunning views of the River Dee and the Welsh hills”. Wirral estate agent Liam Gretton told Mail+: “Often the area is associated with Premier League footballers and celebrities looking for privacy.”
Among the highly regarded educational institutions in the area is Calday Grange Grammar School, which James Bond actor Daniel Craig attended as a sixth form student. We took a look at life in the exclusive Merseyside enclave, where properties sold for an average of £939,295 over the past year.
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Caldy is one of the wealthiest villages on the Wirral Peninsula and is within easy reach of West Kirby and Thurstaston. The area is full of buildings made of the local red sandstone with high walls surrounding huge, sprawling grounds.
If you take a walk along Croft Drive you will reach Caldy Beach. Described by visitors as a hidden gem, the secluded beach boasts white sand and beautiful views of the River Dee Estuary.
A railing leads down to the beach, while those who want to take in the view of the coast can sit on a cliff-top bench. The Wirral Way, a walking and cycling path on an old railway line, is accessible from Calda.
The trail stretches over 12 miles from West Kirkby to Hooton in Chester and includes Wirral Country Park. There are plenty of places to take in views of North Wales in the village green, but a particularly popular spot of beauty is the National Trust site, Caldy Hill.
The woodland walk is accessed via Caldy Road, with parking available off the Wirral Way. Caldy Hill offers panoramic views across the Dee Estuary to Hilbre Island and beyond on a clear day.
Sandstone was quarried from Caldy Hill for the construction of many local walls and buildings. Dozens of homes are currently on the market in Caldy with price tags between £350,000 and £4 million.
One property, recently put on the market for £3.5 million, was nestled on a private road off Thorsway. The six-bedroom mansion, Rockmount, is built on a former quarry at the top of Caldy Hill.
The property recently featured in new Channel 4 drama The Gathering. It boasts a heated outdoor pool and 1.18 acre grounds surrounded by over 10 acres of National Trust woodland.
Built in 2013, the mansion was nominated for the RIBA Mansell House of the Year, according to the Right Move list. The jury said that “with elements of mid-century American West Coast modern houses, this is an original and inspiring new composition that in every way matches the quality of its setting”.
Elsewhere, in the prestigious enclave of Kings Drive, is this property. The property is currently on the market for £2.35m and has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and four reception rooms.
The 12m pool is the real star of the show with its own kitchen, changing rooms, shower and toilet. The south-facing garden is surrounded by woodland and has landscaped lawns, a greenhouse and its own tennis court. Caldy Golf Club can be found on Links Hey Road with stunning coastal views.
Caldy lies to the south east of West Kirby which means it is within walking distance of the area’s shops, pubs and cafes. It wasn’t the only area of ​​Merseyside to be named in the top 30 most desirable places to live in the UK.
Hightown was recently crowned the UK’s best city in the Which? survey. The coastal village offers shingle beach walks and boasts one of the UK’s top 50 pubs, The Pheasant Inn. Peacocks have even been spotted strutting down the main street of the village
You can find out what other areas made the list here.
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