Picture perfect Merseyside village with list of rules all residents must follow

There's a picture-perfect village here on Merseyside that looks like something straight out of a history book. On a walk through Port Sunlight's carefully-planned streets, you'll likely hear little more than birdsong and the occasional car rolling by.

The idyllic village is world-famous as being one of the first towns built for the workers, these being the "Sunlight Soap" factory employees. It was founded by "Soap King" William Hesketh Lever, Lord Leverhulme, in 1888 and at the time many thought the plans were too ambitious given the area used to be a Wirral marshland.

But Lord Leverhulme wanted his workers to thrive, rather than just survive, and he wanted them to be well looked after. Now, with 130 acres of parks and gardens, it remains almost as it was in the 19th Century, with more than 900 Grade II-listed homes.

So what is it like to live in the historic village nowadays? Do you have to go through a vetting process in order to move to Port Sunlight? And are there any rules you must follow once you become a local?

Over the years, people living in the conservation area have given the ECHO a glimpse of what life is like in Port Sunlight. With the exception of a few surprises, yes, it is as perfect as you would imagine. People who want to live in Port Sunlight will be briefed before they buy or rent a home to let them know that there is a restrictive list of things they can not do so to conserve the character of the village as it has been for over 130 years.

John Spilletts grew up in Port Sunlight, his mum and dad both worked at the Unilever factory, Ada in the print department and Harry as a storeman. John went to school in the village, learnt to swim in the local pool and enjoyed a village upbringing in the heart of Wirral's urbanised east coastline.

When previously asked by the ECHO about the rules of living in Port Sunlight, he said: "They are more 'convenances', decorating inside is absolutely fine, but interior changes need to be consulted with. The Trust has plans of all the houses, and changes can only be made if they meet the criteria in keeping with the Grade II listed status.

"Outside, it can only be painted in keeping with the colour scheme and there are no 'for sale' signs or Sky dishes, brick walls and gates outside are always refused. This lends itself to the total village feel."

The Trust looks after residents, and controls everything from the homes to the curbs, including the landscaping of all gardens and features. It also runs the Port Sunlight museum, as well as the Edwardian Worker's Cottage where visitors can step inside one of the homes, just as it was back then.

Its communications manager Brian Pilkington previously said: “It is our responsibility to preserve the village as it is but to also recognise that it is a living place and it is not fixed in time on a postcard. So we have to find that balance between persevering the village and making it an enjoyable place to be.

"But that is why people choose to live here because they want the heritage and the aesthetic. We are aware that it is living history but it is still being made today. This is just one part of the story and the story of the village is constantly changing.”