Thornton Hough
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Thornton Hough is a quiet Victorian-era village on the Wirral in Merseyside, United Kingdom. Located near Neston, Cheshire, it is roughly five miles from Liverpool and ten miles from Chester, Cheshire.
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[edit] History
Picturesque and beautiful, the village was built in the 1880s by the third Lord Leverhulme, of the then Lever Brothers soap company, now the Unilever corporation. His aim was to create as a clean and safe environment for his workers to live in. A similar village was built in nearby Port Sunlight, next to the Lever soapworks.
[edit] Key features
The central feature of the village is the village 'green', a patch of common ground that includes a cricket green and pavilion, tennis courts, and a children's play area.
Thornton Hough also has two churches - All Saints and St George's, and a Primary School called Thornton Hough Primary School located on St George's way. This school building was originally built to serve as a military building, but was turned over for school usage after the Second World War. The original playground has been reduced in size due to the building extensions of decking and garden areas.
The Parish Hall is small and very Victorian-looking from the outside. The interior was recently redesigned to look more modern.
The Village Hall is a large extension to the original wooden structure hall belonging to St George's Church and was built in the 1970s by Collins Construction. It is also referred to as the 'New' Village Hall to set it apart from the Parish Hall which is used for the fortnightly youth club. The hall has been used for all sorts of local events, and by all sorts of local groups, since it was opened - including the Cubs and Scouts, the local Badminton club, and a playschool. It also caters for the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides Meetings. They also are able to be a venue for parties.
[edit] Shops and pubs
The village has a number of shops, including a small and very traditional Post Office. The counter used to run across the length of the shop, but the interior was redesigned some years ago to maximise space and security.
Next door to the Post Office is the British Legion; and further up the road is the old Village Stores, which once acted as a key centre for provision for the village. The Village Stores struggled to compete with the bigger and cheaper local supermarkets, and is now now renamed the Tower Tearooms.
The village also features a traditional pub called The Seven Stars, which is popular with villagers and outsiders alike. Regular pub quizzes are held here.
[edit] Other features
Just outside the village is the Westward Grange Country Club, a restaurant/club facility on the border of Thornton Hough and Neston. Also on the outskirts of the village is Thornton Hall Hotel, occasionally used by visiting football teams.
[edit] Events, clubs and festivals
There is a Scarecrow Festival wherein all of the village's residents make scarecrows of varying designs and quality, to be judged at the end of a week-long open season which attracts visitors from local areas. The festival also includes a fete on the village green. See www.scarecrowfestival.co.uk.
