Yahoo News The hidden village with a beach an hour from Greater Manchester 'unlike anywhere else'
An hour’s drive from Greater Manchester is a secluded village, where countryside and the coast collide. Located in the Wirral, Thurstaston feels a world away from nearby Liverpool.
The village boasts gorgeous views of North Wales and is home to farms, a caravan park, charming cafes and scenic walks. Although Thurstaston's beach is small in size, it wouldn’t look out of place on the Cornish coast.
There are wooden steps which lead you down from Wirral Country Park to the beach on the sandy banks of the Dee Estuary. Nestled at the base of clay cliffs, on a clear day you can see across to North Wales.
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Running through Thurstaton is the Wirral Way, partly formed by an old railway line, used by walkers and cyclists alike, the Liverpool Echo reports. On Station Road you’ll find Flissy’s Coffee Shop, which opened six years ago and serves ice-cream all year round, come rain or shine.
It’s found just a short walk away from the beach and has a large outdoor area that's a suntrap in the summer months. The cafe is open each day from 9am to 5.30pm, and the all day menu includes breakfast bagels and wraps, paninis and sandwiches with fillings such as halloumi, crispy bacon and fish fingers.
Manager Kumara Pickering told the ECHO: "I think the area is very unique compared to everywhere else. It's a lot smaller than, say New Brighton, but you've got the Wirral Way and the caravan park. When it's summer we have our hatch open of a night time, so the café is closed but we sell chips, drinks, ice-cream, so people at the end of the day can still get their ice-cream fix."
A little further along Station Road you'll find the Nest Café and Bar, which opened its doors in March this year. Surrounded by farmland, the countryside café is a popular spot with dog walkers and beach-goers.
It also attracts holidaymakers staying at the nearby Wirral Country Park Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite for its live music and open mic nights. Co-owner Angela Church told the ECHO: "This is a great location. There's nowhere around here like this - it's unique. We're close to West Kirby, Caldy, Hoylake is not too far away either."
Head chef Mark Mclean, who previously worked at Queens bistro on Castle Street, serves a selection of small plates at the Nest, alongside mains, from a homemade pie of the day to a pulled pork and white bean cassoulet. Fresh cakes are also made by Les Bell, who used to own Chantilly's in Hoylake. Angela said: "The food is all cooked from scratch and it's all bought local. We're employing a lot of local people from the area."
The Nest is also set to refurbish its outdoor area which will be used for wedding parties and private hire events. Just a short walk away you'll find Thurstaston Common, a scenic walking spot and Site of Special Scientific Interest, spread out over 250 acres.
Tucked away in the woodland on Thurstaston Hill is Thor's Rock - a large sandstone landmark shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that Viking settlers once held religious ceremonies at Thor's Rock and children would dance around the stone once a year.
Geologists now think that the rock is a natural formation, which was later 'exploited by quarrymen' in the 18th and 19th centuries. Benty Farm Tearoom overlooks Thurstaston Common and can be accessed on foot from School Lane.
Charlotte Reed's family have lived on the farm for five generations, with the tearoom first opening its doors in 2014. In the spring, the family open up its field of 10,000 tulips where visitors are invited to pick their own flowers.
The farm also offers strawberry and raspberry picking in the summer months, followed by sunflower and pumpkin picking later in the year. Charlotte told the ECHO: "It was always an idea of my grandad's just to serve cream teas on the cobbled yard. We thought 'let's try it.' We opened and it was quite quiet to start off with. We thought 'what have we done?'
"The first Mother's Day hit and that was it then. It just went 'bang' and we were like 'this is going to work.'
"Gran was always making bread and things like that so I always think 'imagine if she was in here now with us.' She was up at six every morning."
Benty's afternoon tea includes a selection of sandwiches and homemade cakes, quiche and fruit scones served with jam and clotted cream. The tea rooms also serve sandwiches made to order and homemade soup.
