I went to the 'up and coming' village that's often 'overlooked'

Kyle Woodward Ewan Roberts inside the Nags Head pub
-Credit: (Image: Liverpool Echo)


It’s easy to miss Thornton if you’re not looking for it. It’s close to Crosby and when you’re heading to the busy junction connecting Moor Lane and Edge Lane, it can look like any other suburban area.

But once you head onto the side streets, you’ll find a semi-rural village with several independent shops, two pubs and a range of classic cottages and new-build houses.

The two pubs - The Grapes and the Nags Head - are both located on Green Lane. In the latter, the ECHO spoke to Kyle Woodward, 22, who is from Litherland, and Ewan Roberts, 21, who is from the village. Kyle feels the benefits of living in Thornton can be overlooked.

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He said: “I feel like most people just call it Crosby really, but there’s a lot of community. It's quite quiet - just a few schools dotted about, a few good pubs. You've got a lot of shops down there. There's a little Tesco, so you've got everything you need.

“You don't need to venture far. So you've also got the Civic Hall too - people around here just call it ‘the civ’. They've done it all up, it's all 4G football pitches now. All the lads go there, they have Sunday league games on as well.”

Ewan is also positive about living in Thornton, saying it’s quieter than Crosby. However, he admits outsiders don’t really know about it, and adds the village has changed a lot over the years. He said: “I've lived here for about 14 years.

"When I first came here, everyone knew each other, but now it's not the same. There were a lot of old people but now there's young families too. It’s still a good place to live.”

Junction of Holgate and Holgate Park, a semi-rural street in Thornton
Junction of Holgate and Holgate Park, a semi-rural street in Thornton -Credit:Liverpool Echo

Anxiety about the amount of new build housing in the area is a common theme. Barbara Thronton, 88, said: “I’ve only lived here a few years, I moved from Crosby. It’s really nice. It definitely gets overshadowed by Crosby. People say we’re from Crosby but we’re not."

Barbara said Thornton has changed from what used to be a rural area to a place with new houses being built. She said: "This used to be a rural area. The main road up there (Moor Lane) - it’s like a car park. I really like living here, it’s just a shame what’s happening to it.”

Keith Lewis, 68, lives in one of the cottages in the village, close to fields and new housing. He also moved to Thornton 14 years ago, still loves living here. Keith and his neighbours have helped maintain Thornton’s semi-rural character. He said: "We've all planted daffodils and tulips, so every spring, it's full of flowers.

"Every time I come home, as soon as the taxi pulls up the lane, I have a smile on my face. The people are nice and friendly, they say good morning to you. It's a really nice place to live. There’s a bridleway close by. We get the horses every weekend coming along the road.

“It’s nice to see young people on horses. There’s two great pubs too. I’ve never seen a quarrel or argument in either of them in the last 14 years.”

In Thornton, you'll also find a small street called The Crescent which is home to the local shops. Louise Woods, 37, owns the Louise Beautique hair salon, in the village. She said: “Skincare is definitely up and coming between men and women.

"We are a unisex salon, we do welcome men as well, which is something I'm really trying to get out there. I do find men particularly struggle to know comfortably where they can go. We just offer you all the traditional treatments and that works for us.”

Louise Woods, who owns Louise Beautique
Louise Woods, who owns Louise Beautique -Credit:Liverpool Echo

Louise lives in Crosby and her shop has been in the village for 10 years. She feels now is as good a time as ever to live and work here. She said: “I think Thornton is very community based. This row of shops that we're on, is the main community hub for people that live in Thornton.

"I think with all the new housing estates being built at the moment, it probably does attract a younger family generation. It's a pretty prime location. It’s great for accessibility, there are major main bus routes, it’s a bit difficult if you're getting the train, because there is a bit of a track between the two train stations, Crosby or Waterloo. Other than that, no, I think it's a really great location to live.

“For quite a long time, I was the only beauty salon here. There's another one that's opened but I think I knew that was always going to happen. I was never going to be the only one on this block forever because of its location. I definitely think Thornton is a really great place to live and it’s definitely up and coming.”