The county of Cheshire in North West England has a unique status amongst the UK landscape that affords it a refined village charm with many of the amenities of city living. This stunning location, framed by the rugged natural beauty of the Peak District in the east and the ancient vistas of Wales to the west, has been a desirable place for centuries for those looking to find a new home.
The prosperity bestowed upon the region as a result of its agriculture and mining industrial heritage gave rise to the traditional countryside estates that have become synonymous with Cheshire living. In the modern age, its proximity to the northern powerhouse cities of Manchester and Liverpool, with such simple and fast transport links, makes it the first choice for many of the Premier League footballers and business owners who are connected to them.
With an overall Cheshire identity firmly established, each town and village has developed to offer bespoke features, attractions and personalities all of their own.
Here is our guide to the very best.
Alderley Edge
Alderley Edge is very much the archetype village of Cheshire life, a place where myths, mansions and meticulously kept grounds are on offer all year round. It stands just 15 miles from Manchester, with a fantastic location at the base of The Edge. This is a steep sandstone ridge managed by the National Trust with opportunities for panoramic views across the whole Cheshire plain.
Perhaps the most notable residential areas in Alderley Edge are private streets such as Oatlands and properties on Macclesfield Road that are thrillingly close to The Edge attraction and all that it brings. Average prices can command between £3 and £4 million, with many architectural stand-out designs that make the most of the sense of place and the landscape. Local legends have abounded here for thousands of years, connected to wizards, witches and the adventures of King Arthur that the local restaurants and bars continue to trade on. It has also been home to more contemporary legendary figures too, particularly in the football world, with Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney all owning property here in the last two decades.
Wilmslow
It would be quite appropriate to consider the town of Wilmslow as Alderley Edge’s slightly more cosmopolitan older sister. Alongside Alderley Edge and Prestbury, Wilmslow makes up the Golden Triangle of Cheshire with high-profile properties, outstanding schools and stunning scenery. 11 miles south of Manchester, the connection to a big city is evident through a much wider choice of food and drink establishments such as Cibo, The Grove and Suburban Green. Such is the atmosphere of this nightlife that it has become a destination for visitors for the evening that lends it a buzzing energy to enjoy. The monthly Wilmslow Artisan Market also serves as an institution for the community with all manner of crafts, small batch brewery offerings and showcases of live entertainment too.
Prestigious postcodes such as Carwood Road don't offer up buying opportunities all too often, but when they do, competition is fierce with asking prices upwards of £1.5 million. Adlington Road and the Bollin Park development are held in a similar esteem, with prices to match.
With the tranquil parkland of The Carrs Park delivering stirring walking trails and the history of Quarry Bank Mill to explore, Wilmslow manages to maintain a refined and natural atmosphere with a youthful edge on show.
Prestbury
The fact that Prestbury is one of the oldest recorded settlements with a reference in the Domesday book of 1086, adds a lot of credibility and weight to its status and appearance as the quintessential Cheshire location. During the Industrial Revolution, the mill masters and captains of industry who made their fortunes came here to build new communities developed around a more genteel style of life. And this idea has continued well into the modern day. The quick and easy transport links to both Manchester City Centre and Manchester Airport almost seem out of place for a village that is so lost in time.
Fittingly, Prestbury is a conservation area with its timber-framed buildings and stone cottages showcasing a storybook appeal that fascinates home seekers and visitors in equal measure. The River Bollin meanders through with several walking trails that capture this essence perfectly for outdoor pursuits and exploration. The village is well known for its discreet, private residences across postcodes such as Withinlee Road, where properties can easily fetch up to £7 million as one of the most expensive locations in north of England. Although many of these are now modern, impeccably designed bespoke buildings, they are often still the same plots and some remaining edifices that made the village such a draw all those generations ago.
Tarporley
For a Cheshire experience further away from the Manchester Metropolis, Tarporley is another great example of countryside tranquillity. With closer and stronger ties to the historic Roman city of Chester, which lies just 11 miles east, there is a much more rural atmosphere to this village of winding streets and Georgian facades. There is no compromise on beautiful surroundings however, with the majestic Beeston Castle just a short drive away and the Sandstone Trail, one of the county’s very best ancient walking routes also nearby. It is here you will also find the famous Jacob’s Ladder, a mysterious Victorian staircase carved into the cliffs.
Addresses such as Forest Road, Rode Street and Utkinton Road deliver some fantastic conversions and renovations alongside the new architectural wonders, with the charming period properties above the shopfronts of High Street also proving desirable in recent years. Plots and detached homes here will also offer significantly more space for the price, with averages nudging towards £ 1 million in comparison to the Golden Triangle locations mentioned.
A range of excellent pubs and bars are built upon a homely and informal feel, with The Swan and The Rising Sun standing out as particular favourites. Relaxed, refined and ready to welcome visitors and those looking for a home, Tarpoley is difficult to ignore.
Cheshire is a jewel in the North of England’s crown for modern living, with an all-important little distance from the big cities that envelop it. As such, the pace, rhythm and volume of life is delivered in much more muted and subtle tones that have become desirable to lots of families and professionals over the course of the last five years. The picks in this guide all represent an opportunity to reside in a location that is at once out of time and in style.
