The village has been described as a ‘miniature town’ that has ‘everything you could want’
If you’re passing through the area as a newcomer, you might not even realise you’ve been in Claughton. Opinion differs slightly about the exact boundaries of the Wirral village.
But most residents I spoke to when I went there last week agree that it is mainly Upton Road, which takes you six minutes to walk from end to end, along with a few side streets off it. Within this there is a Tesco, three pubs, cafés, an Indian restaurant, beauty salons and a college.
The Birkenhead village is sandwiched between several different areas of the town, including the town centre, Upton, Noctorum, Bidston and Oxton. The latter regularly receives praise for its bustling high street and desirable properties that are quickly snapped up when they appear on the market.
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However, the people who live and work there are fiercely protective of Claughton’s identity. Inside The Claughton Hotel pub, Gerard Gray, 64, argues: “I’ve lived here for 40 years. It’s a really nice place to live.
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“It’s got everything here. You get a lot of families who live here, a few older people. I’m a taxi driver. When people ask me where I’m from, I always say Claughton.
“It’s just taking pride in where you live. Not many people move out of here. Those that do end up regretting it. Maybe people are drawn to Oxton because it has a few more bars and nightlife.” His friend Richard, 72, agrees: “There’s not many places which have everything in one small area. You’ve got a bookies, a Tesco, three pubs, beauty shops, some greasy spoons. I always say I’m from Claughton. I get annoyed when this pub says it’s in Upton. Upton is two miles away.”
Working behind the bar of the Heather Brow pub, Kirsty Collins, 32, who lives a short distance away in central Birkenhead, shared her frustrations about trying to move into the village.
She said: “Claughton is a different world compared to where I live. I think it’s one of the hardest places to get a property. I just know because I’m looking to buy and every time a house pops up, it’s gone quickly. Sometimes it doesn’t hit the market before it’s gone.”
On why she’d like to live there, Kirsty added: “It’s a nice small community, I think. It’s handy, isn’t it? With all the little shops. Everyone seems to know everyone.”
As well as the array of shops, the village has Birkenhead Sixth Form College and Claughton Pharmacy, as well as the famous Birkenhead Park on its doorstep.
It’s the reason why Glyn Holden has stayed here so long. The 83 year-old was born in Wales and grew up in Broadgreen, but has lived on a residential street off Upton Road for 55 years.
Glyn, who used to work in construction, has devoted much of his life to documenting local history. This includes a vast collection of Claughton postcards as well as a painstakingly accurate model of the nearby Bidston Hill based on what it looked like in the 1860s. He also used to be active in community organisations for Claughton, Birkenhead Park and Bidston Hill.
Glyn said: “I was in Oxton. Then I saw a flat here and took a chance. It does seem to be different from everywhere else. It was a good place to live. It was a miniature town. Nobody who lived in Claughton ever left. It’s still the same type of thing now.
“It’s very quiet. There are some lovely houses around here. The oldest house on this street was built in 1800. The newest house is from the 1970s.”
Glyn said he worked on the construction of the old ECHO building on Old Hall Street. The Liverpool skyline can be seen from his back garden. He has a deep affinity for the city, but could never bring himself to move out of the village.
When asked if he would say he’s from Claughton to others, Glyn said: “It depends who it is. Some people might not know. Claughton Village is only part of Birkenhead. I’m still not a Claughtinite.
“People say, don’t you ever think of moving back to Liverpool? But I’m never going to change. It’s very quiet here. You can stand here for half an hour and you know all about it. You can get anything you want.”
There are signs that Claughton might be moving out of the shadows of other areas. Liam Smith, 36, and his wife Lindsay, 26, opened up the Milk and Honey café in Claughton recently.
Liam, who grew up in Birkenhead, said Claughton has been the ideal location so far. He said: “The location in Claughton has been crying out for something like that for a long long time.
“When the opportunity arose, we grasped it with both hands. Oxton’s only a stone’s throw away, there’s four or five coffee shops there within a 100m radius.
“It’s only been four to six weeks but it’s been so busy. It’s been overwhelming. We get a variety of people here – young adults, the older generations. It’s a testament to Claughton. We really have embraced it and it’s nice to see others have too.”
