Crosby in Merseyside has been named the prettiest town or village near Liverpool, beating well-known favourites such as Chester and Knutsford. The seaside town was ranked twentieth in the overall UK listings by Love Exploring, which highlighted its beach and the striking Antony Gormley installation.
Why Crosby Took the Crown
Chester is celebrated for its well-preserved medieval and Roman architecture, relaxed atmosphere, and The Rows, 700-year-old double-decker timber-framed shopping galleries. Chester Cathedral, 1,000 years old, features medieval carvings and a bell tower climb. Knutsford, with King Street and Princess Street at its commercial heart, is known for winding narrow streets, historic architecture, and a strong independent shop scene; it stood in for the fictional town of Cranford in Elizabeth Gaskell's novels.
Despite these attractions, Love Exploring ranked Crosby higher, noting its beach just seven miles (11km) from Liverpool. The beach features Another Place, a work by British artist Antony Gormley consisting of 100 cast-iron, life-size figures dotted along two miles (3km) of coastline. Visitors can watch the statues as they are submerged and revealed by the fast-changing tides, and continue up the coast to Formby National Trust coastal reserve, home to red squirrels.
A Beach, Art, and History
Most visitors come for the long, flat beach and Gormley's figures looking out over the Irish Sea. The work is described as "surreal and haunting" by Visit England. The installation had previously been shown in Germany, Norway, and Belgium, and when it reached Crosby it was decided the figures should stay for good. As the tide goes out, the figures are slowly submerged by the water.
Waterloo Beach is a particularly pleasant strip of sand below the promenade, with a short walk to the small ornamental garden on Marine Terrace. Crosby dates back 1,000 years to the Vikings, and a heritage trail starting at the Blundellsands end of Crosby Beach weaves past buildings that show how the town grew forty times its size across the 19th century.
Trails and Dining
Another trail runs from the village to an 18-tonne Ice Age boulder, a memorial to a priest hanged in the 16th century, the 1620 part of the grammar school, and the windmill William Blundell moved when his estate was enclosed. For dining, Marine Bar & Kitchen on South Road is a highly rated, all-day pub and kitchen close to Crosby Coastal Park, while The Lake House is a lakeside option.
