A sense of Victorian civility is preserved amongst Port Sunlight's tree-lined boulevards, sweeping rows of cottages and 130 acres of park.
For anyone experiencing the picture-perfect setting for the first time, you might be inclined to believe the village, and its inhabitants, are trapped in time. But like all places the ebb and flow of life invariably moves along.
The village's attraction is its picturesque setting and for many people, Port Sunlight offers something that has seemingly been lost to time. Not just aesthetically but also the idea of community, a place of tradition and legacy with perfectly manicured lawns.
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The village on Wirral was founded in 1888 by industrialist William Hesketh Lever later known as Lord Leverhulme. Lever said the creation of Port Sunlight was part of a business model he termed “prosperity-sharing”. Rather than profit sharing, he provided workers with decent and affordable houses, amenities and welfare provisions.
Jacqueline has lived in Port Sunlight her whole life. Aged 51 she works in The Lever Club built by Lord Leverhulme and has seen the village change. She told the ECHO: “Growing up it was fantastic. All the kids went to the same school and we all hung around together but it has changed a lot now.
"House prices have increased a lot and new people have moved in. The swimming pool and boating lake have gone. We would always go down there for a paddle when it was hot. It has not lost that traditional village feel but it has changed since I was a kid.”
Port Sunlight boasts some impressive amenities for a small village including the Lady Lever Art Gallery and Gladstone Theatre. Both are still in use just as Lord Leverhulme would have hoped.
To preserve its past and safeguard its furutre, Port Sunlight is run by a trust. Anyone who wants to buy a house there must abide by a strict set of rules to conserve the character of the village. Neighbours can't change the colour of their front door without permission.
Marketing and Communications Manager at Port Sunlight Village Trust Brian Pilkington said: “It is our responsibility to preserve the village as it is but to also recoginse that it is a living place and it is not fixed in time on a postcard.
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“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.”
‘Soap King’ Lord Leverhulme died in 1925 and, while his company Unilever may have moved its headquarters to London, their original base of operations Lever House is still in use. Port Sunlight has also become a filming hot spot, providing a backdrop for Peaky Blinders and the biopic of Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien.
Penny Hathal has worked at the Tudor Rose Tea Rooms for 15 years. She started workingthere just after leaving school before taking over the business in October last year.
She said: “If you go up to the New Chester Road or under the bridge by the station then you are back to normal, the real world. It is so different from anywhere else. You feel like you’re totally out of the busyness of everyday life.
“Tourists come and you can see how impressed they are with the place, there is something about the village. There is such a strong community spirit here, neighbours like to come over for a chat. I know all my regulars some are like my best friends.”
Mr Pilkington added: “You still see people taking inspiration from here. People want to build the new Port Sunlight and it is a vision that captures people's imagination. We all want to live in a beautiful place and this is it.”
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