The unique 'rural oasis' village on the banks of the River Mersey

BBC News

19-05-2025

Here in the North West we are fortunate to have incredible countryside, bustling cities, award-winning beaches and not forgetting incredibly friendly northerners.This year I wanted to reflect on the pride we have of our wonderful region and the people that make it such a fantastic place to live.So I came up with BBC North West Tonight's 25 in 25, a series showcasing some of the best people and places in the north-west of England.We've seen some lovely sights, like the rolling hills in east Cheshire and the park with a huge heart in Davyhulme.We've met some wonderful people, like the gang at The Hamlet in Wigan who work tirelessly to ensure young adults with additional needs have as much opportunities as you or I and not forgetting Pete the birdman in Westhoughton who instils calm amidst the chaos of every day.
Earlier in the year I received an email from Malcolm Spargo which began: "I would like to nominate Hale Village near Liverpool as one of a potential location for your upcoming programme series."It caught my eye as, in my mind, Hale is a village in Greater Manchester.A quick glance on the map proved me wrong, how have I not heard of Hale Village in Halton? I booked a crew and off we went.On first glance, how would I describe Hale Village?Picturesque with blooming flowers, green spaces and its beautiful thatched cottages gives the impression that this village remains largely as it was in the mid-20th century.
The cenotaph greets you as you drive into the village and the canon outside the village hall suggests this is in fact a place of rich history.Not what I had in my mind's eye as I drove over on the M56.Malcolm and his wife Pam met me along with Mal Sutton the local historian, Mark Roberts the chairman of the parish council and Bill Webb the local farmer.They proudly showed me their much loved town hall which the village raised money to renovate.There's a real "sense of community, we bring people together", Mark told me.
"We are a team of people and we pay for ourselves through talent nights, bake offs, quiz nights," he said. "People of all ages help keep this place paying for itself."Mal Sutton told me about Hale's most famous son, who, according to folklore, was one of the tallest men in history.Born in 1578, John Middleton, the "Childe of Hale" as he became known, grew to a scarcely believable height of 9ft 3in (2.82m), if his epitaph is to be believed.A 3m-high bronze statue of the Childe of Hale stands proudly in the village across the road from the cottage where he lived.Malcolm told me that as a young boy he believed that the two windows on the side of the cottage were for John's feet to poke out of at night.Famer Bill drove me across his land so we could take in the view of the River Mersey.
Stood amongst tens of thousands of rapeseed flowers we could see Liverpool Airport, Hale Lighthouse, which sits on a sandstone cliff, with the hills of Frodsham and Helsby in the back drop."Hale Village is unique, our late Queen described it as a rural oasis," he said."We are surrounded by industry and urban areas, and we have this little bit of urban England on this peninsula with a lot of history."People that live here are very proud of that and they protect it."As for Malcolm, who nominated Hale Village, for him it's the people that make this oasis unlike any other."The people here are wonderful I've lived in this village now for 49 years, we would never move anywhere else because there's nowhere else that compares with Hale, it really is quite unique," he said.And I for one have to agree.
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