There is an exclusive sought-after estate in Liverpool home to some of Merseyside's most expensive properties.
Sandfield Park estate in West Derby is known for being home to some footballers and a TV actress. The area is also home to one of the city's most famous and iconic mansions.
Within the estate is the Grade II-listed Alder Grange, a famous Liverpool mansion off Alder Road which was once the home of Liverpool Mayor Edward Hatton Cookson. Following the WWI, the mansion was converted into a nursing home where it famously cared for Everton FC legend Dixie Dean after a head injury.
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The mansion is now home to luxury apartments worth more than £1m which are rented out at £1,600 a month. There are also new homes worth more than £500,000 which were built in 2018 on the surrounding grounds.
In the late 1970s, the park was home to many Liverpool stars such as Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish, Graham Souness, Paul Walsh and Craig Johnston. Bill Shankly was even said to enjoy jogging through the estate after he left Liverpool football club.
Former Everton player Wayne Rooney paid £600,000 for a house for his parents in 2004 after breaking through for the Toffees. The estate was once a gated community and while it does say private road at the South Drive entrance, West Derby residents tend to frequent the park for strolls around the estate.
Many houses are worth more than £1m but Rightmove put the average house price in the Sandfield Park area £160,222 over the last year. Over the last year, most sales were flats, selling for an average price of £87,000.
Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £235,000, but detached properties fetching £455,000. Rightmove added: "Overall, sold prices in Sandfield Park over the last year were 44% down on the previous year and 54% down on the 2019 peak of £350,733."
Sandfield park was originally built in 1850. It was built to be an exclusive estate of two lodges. The area was originally surrounded by unadopted roads which were later tarmacked by the council.
In 1935 more large houses were built such as Bellefield house. This was a property owned by Sir Edward Bates who is notoriously known by locals for refusing to contribute towards the upkeep charge for residents to keep the area intact.
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