A tiny, picturesque village on the Wirral has stood the test of time and "kept its identity" in an ever-changing landscape.
Tucked away from plain sight, just off the A540, it would be easy to never know the village of Puddington existed. Turning down Puddington Lane, a secluded road lined with beautiful homes, you finally arrive at the historic hamlet.
The main portion of Puddington is situated around a tiny, triangular green, with cottages spreading along the streets which lead from that point. However, despite its small stature, the village was once home to three halls, which stretched along the southern part of the area with their important grounds, independently from the village where people lived.
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The Massey family moved to Puddington in the 13th century and remained in the village for seven centuries, owning two of the three halls. This meant Puddington was once a feudal village - one which was usually part of a manor run by a lord or someone of noble birth - until the 1920s, when new homes were built to provide decent housing for the estate workers.
In the present day, Puddington still remains rural in character, dotted with homes and open landscapes. On a sunny afternoon this week, the ECHO visited the beautiful village and was welcomed by Gee and David Williams, who have lived there for more than 30 years.
The couple spoke of its history and life in the sleepy village.
'It’s very lucky in that sense that it’s managed to hold its identity'
Standing on the triangular green, Gee told the ECHO how this area used to be left over woodland, which used to surround Puddington. Today, a letter box and red telephone box filled with books and umbrellas stands on its border.
The writer, who is originally from North Wales, said Puddington was an "owned village", owned by the residents of the halls. Gee said Puddington also has a "unique selling point" in the way it has not grown unlike many other places.
She said: "Over the years bits have been replaced. The big thing about it, which is its unique selling point really, is that it hasn’t grown. Unlike a lot of places, no one has come along and stuck a huge housing estate on one end.
"It has grown in the likes of the buyers and farm buildings have been converted into houses, so more people live here, but in terms of its boundary it hasn’t extended or bloated like some places have and not lost its identity. It was one of the few places now which has been left like that. I imagine it would be right for the picking if you’re a property developer.
“It’s very lucky in that sense that it’s managed to hold its identity." Gee added: “It’s unique in its persistence because it is over 1,000 years old now and its size and the fact that until the 18th-something it was basically feudal. Everything and everyone was owned.”
'You know everyone virtually by sight'
When the ECHO arrived at Puddington, we were warmly welcomed by Gee who had noticed us walking past, knowing we weren't from the village. She said: “I saw you walking past and thought ‘you’re not from around here are you?'"
It's no surprise when there are only around two to 300 people living in the village. Gee said it's a "place like this you know your neighbours, it's not the yellow pages you call for help but your neighbours". During one point on our tour around the village, the writer recalled how her and husband David had been snowed in twice, relying on her neighbours who were sharing things among one another.
Gee said: " You know a lot of people and you know everyone virtually by sight or you recognise their dogs." She added: “When we first came here if someone couldn’t find an address they would just stop anybody and they would ask ‘what’s the name’ and they say ‘Williams’ and they would reply ‘oh just over there and they have a spaniel’".
As we walk up to the third hall, known as Puddington Hall, built in 1872 and 1874 for Sir Rowland Stanley Errington, a car drives by us. Gee said: “That’s the only other thing you notice, you can stand outside all day doing your garden and perhaps only one car goes past”.
How things have changed
Puddington's boundary has remained unchanged, making this beautiful village a rarity. Many of the houses are listed and it is also a conservation area, allowing the village to retain its history and charm. However, Gee and David said things have changed.
Historically, Puddington has changed agriculturally from farming cows to crops. The once massive, three-storey "new hall" burnt down and stood for only 110 years. Gee said: “The story of course is they had to send the horse-drawn fire brigade from Chester and by the time they got here [it had burnt down]. People always came out, they always said, and took into safekeeping many valuable objects which were kept so safe, they were never seen again."
In more recent times, Puddington used to have a shop and Post Office, however they closed some years ago, meaning people in the village have to go to nearby Burton or Neston. A bus service also used to run in the village, but was stopped around 10 years ago, much to the sadness of Puddington's older residents.
Gee said: “I suppose the only thing is here is no bus service and no facilities of any sort. It does bother people as they are retiring because I can understand retired people want to move to Neston simply because if you don’t have a car or can’t keep a car on the road then you get isolated.
“That’s the only downside really, the bus service has been gone 10 years. It was very, very important I thought because it meant people could live into their 80s comfortably but they can’t now and that is sad.”
Most recently, people living in the village as well as cyclists and walkers who pass through, have been able to grab a coffee and cake at the GIFT café on Chapel House Lane. This no ordinary café, but a seven day a week dedicated dementia friendly one.
It is the work of friends Cathrina Moore and Caroline Hutton. Cathrina and her family are the owners of the neighbouring two care homes – Plessington Court and the Chapel House Care Home. The pair set up the café in the lodge on the site to provide a warm and friendly environment for visiting families to take their loved ones to share homemade food, seven days a week.
It has also now become a popular destination for cyclists, walkers, dog owners and residents from the local area who come for its home-made soups, fresh sandwiches and cakes. All of the staff in café are dementia friends, it is a not for profit organisation and all profits are donated to projects tackling social isolation in the community.
Speaking to the ECHO, Caroline said: "We started in September 2017. The property belongs to the homes, so we started in here very much trying to create somewhere calm and peaceful.
"We never have any radios on, it’s always like this. It really is quite calm. The colours are neutral on purpose. Very little shiny because shiny can be confusing for someone with dementia because sometimes perception is one of the things which is affected.
"Before covid we had a monthly singing session. The donations people make at the till point in our little bucket that paid for that. We have a really good relationship with Dementia Together which is a charity.
"They do a memory café here once a month and that has started back up now. We have people volunteering because we are a disability confident organisation and that is what I used to do before.
We employ people with disabilities, autism, people with mental health issues and mental health needs." Caroline and Cathrina have more big plans for GIFT café, which can all be found on their Facebook page here.
A place for forever?
Despite not changing in size, properties have been transformed into more family homes and people have come and go. Gee said lots of people have stayed here for a "long time",
She said: “ I suppose it is a long time to live in one place and we were never meant to, I have to say. Well David has the lectureship and most people buy a house and do it a bit and move on but we never did.
"Lots of people have stayed a long time and newer people coming don’t stay as long. However, having said that some of the younger people in the village have bought small houses and then rather then move out of the village, have waited to get a bigger house.
“So maybe even a young couple coming in with either very young children or no children at all, do want to stay." Gee told the ECHO she has had people tell them they are moving out, however never did.
She added: “We have had people tell us, ‘oh we are moving, it’s just too small’ and they are still here. They say ‘well we looked everywhere and couldn’t find anywhere we liked just as much’".
