Framed by award-winning beaches, tranquil woodland and the serene Irish Sea, Southport has long been known as a picture-perfect place for North West home-movers. The affectionate memories of this seaside resort are often what entices people to up sticks and put down roots in this quintessential British town.
As a Southport estate agent, we know that there is much more to the area than sandcastles, candyfloss and arcade games, even if they are a great place to start. The town has many strings to its bow, bursting with variety and opportunity for homeowners in its suburbs, villages and rural escapes. Its striking array of impressive properties can be owed to the town's Victorian ancestors, a generation known for their appreciation of displaying their wealth and grandeur. The architectural masterpieces of the era are still standing today alongside the newer homes, apartments and delightful cottages.
With so much on offer, where are the best places to live in Southport? Well, we're glad you asked! We've put together this guide on the best places to live in Southport based on your personality. It's a fun guide that helps you to match yourself to the perfect area that you can call home.
1. Formby - The Suburban Naturalist
Hidden behind vast rural fields and winding roads, an immediate sense of escapism envelopes all those who arrive at this coastal gem. It's a place that marries the reality of modern-day life with the fantasy of escaping it.
Sky-scrapping trees and magical woodland walks meet with stunning white beaches, stretching for miles with views across to Blackpool. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, Formby offers an eclectic mix of nature's best assets and without having to spend a penny. Its landscape carves out a way of life for its residents, which is why it's so popular with families and those looking for a quieter life, the setting is what many parents dream of when looking to raise a family.
Great transport links in railway and road, Formby is often referred to as a 'Commuter Town' for the nearby city of Liverpool. Many of the area's residents can enjoy the relatively quick commute to work, knowing that they can return to a world of peace and tranquillity once the clock hits 5.
Want more inspiration for Formby? Check out our Formby Area Guide!
2. Churchtown - The Whimsical Wonderer
With bijou buildings, thatched cottages and a pretty village green, Churchtown feels like a place where time has stood still, not at all in an undeveloped way, but in a delicate manner that is a rarity in modern life and needs to be preserved. It's the epitome of a chocolate-box village where the gravity of its historic past can still be felt in its atmospheric spirit.
The area is a walking museum with buildings that pay homage to their mesmerising past, an ideal place to call home for those who love all things from a bygone era. The centrepiece of the village is St. Cuthbert's Church built in the 1730s, however, there is evidence that a church has been on-site since 1154! Other historic monuments include a former Grammar School that is now a Conservative Club, stocks used to punish local drunks and Tram Sheds that once housed the trams that transported Southport residents, which now form part of a housing development.
Residents here can enjoy another feat of creative Victorian flair on their doorstep at the popular Botanic Gardens, a floral delight with beautiful green spaces, lake and aviary. With so many activities, there is a real sense of community in Churchtown, making it an ideal place to live.
3. Birkdale - The Sporting Suburbanite
Located just a couple of miles up the road from Hillside leading through to Ainsdale, Birkdale sits on England's iconic Golf Coast. Home of the impressive Royal Birkdale Golf Club, a highly regarded championship course & host to The Open no less than ten times, nestled alongside the equally beautifully landscaped and highly admired Hillside Golf Club, recent hosts of the British Masters, meaning some of golfing’s greats have graced its very greens. Birkdale with its numerous football, cricket and sports clubs including Southport Rugby Club really is the dream location for the Sporting Suburbanite.
Birkdale is also a great place to live when not every member of the family is as much of a fan of sports as others may be. The village centre is quaint yet vibrant and offers excellent local independent traders, coffee shops, trendy wine bars and fine dining restaurant making it a real cosmopolitan hot spot and destination haunt for a relaxing afternoon or evening retreat.
An upmarket area of Southport, Birkdale boasts some fantastic family homes from the spacious semi-detached houses to the stunning detached properties that overlook the local courses. Residents here are also never too far away from a beach with both Southport's and Ainsdale's beaches both within a ten-minute drive.
4. Tarleton - The Serenity Seeker
For those who are looking for a permanent rustic retreat, the historic semi-rural village of Tarleton could be the perfect place to call home. Just North-East of Southport's town centre, the village is known for its agricultural prosperity which once attracted Viking invaders to settle here.
With modern residents being much more subdued than their Nordic predecessors, Tarleton is a place for those who really want to be cut off from the outside world and immerse themselves in village life. Despite new housing developments bringing many new homeowners to the area, it's still a sleepy part of suburbia where many families dream of relocating to for a quieter life.
The village centre is dotted with pubs, eateries and other local businesses meaning that you are never too far away from the outside world to enjoy your favourite treats!
5. Ainsdale - The Coastal Convivial
Ainsdale is an upmarket and affluent area of Southport that sits somewhere between Formby and Southport. It's a quiet place that provides the ideal setting for families to call home. It's Ainsdale's quiet disposition that has avoided the touristic fanfare of nearby Formby and Southport, leaving its natural beauty to be enjoyed by its own residents...
The beach has been awarded the International Blue Flag, signifying the high-standard of water quality, safety and environmental education. It is also widely considered to be one of the country's premier beaches for extreme kite activities including Kitesurfing and Kitebuggying. Regardless of whether you are looking for a relaxing walk on the beach or an adrenaline-inducing activity, there is no denying that Ainsdale Beach is central to life in the area.
Away from the coast, Ainsdale is home to a vibrant, thriving village centre that merges old-school elegance with a stylish suburban social scene. With an easy commute to the busier areas of Liverpool and Southport using public transport, residents are never too far away from the vibrant city lights. An ideal place to experience the best of both worlds for the Coastal Convivial.