Idyllic scenes do not come more clichéd than a Sunday afternoon cricket match played at the height of an English summer. But that’s exactly what residents – and a healthy handful of day-trippers – get in Wrea Green. It’s just one of the reasons why the village is so adored by locals, as reports Lancashire Life magazine.
And if you needed any convincing that Wrea Green is the definition of a perfect village, the fact that it has won Lancashire’s Best Kept Village award no less than 16 times says it all.
The green itself is the largest village green in Lancashire and is the natural focal point for the village’s 2,000 residents. It includes the Dub – the name locals have given to the impressive pond which takes up one corner, which is actually a by-product of clay digging to provide building material for local cottages.
Ribby-with-Wrea Primary School overlooks the green. Just across the road from the school is the much-loved 19th century country pub, The Grapes. Dotted around the village are a sparse range of local shops, including a convenience store and a post office, Dizzy Ducks Bistro, a Thai restaurant, hair salon and dentist.
Wrea Green Community Centre, the tennis club and St Nicholas Church contribute to the kind of strong community feel you would expect from a small village. The church has a community choir and the community centre hosts classes and groups. For extra amenities, like swimming, spa and health club, the Ribby Hall Village holiday park is a welcome neighbour.
The village’s significant older population reinforces what locals say about it: if you move to Wrea Green you’ll never want to leave.
Adding a touch of extra elegance just down Moss Side Lane is The Villa, a historic 19th-century country house offering four-star accommodation and fine dining.
WHAT TO BUY
As one of the Fylde Coast’s most desirable areas to live, Wrea Green has a high proportion of detached houses with an average price of £515,000. Period-style terraced house prices start at around £225,000 but they are few and far between. You are much more likely to find a traditional semi-detached property on a road off the green. Prices start at around £340,000, but many go past the £500,000 mark.
While Wrea Green has a long-established older population, the village is becoming increasingly attractive to commuters who enjoy the feel of rural life while taking advantage of the easy access to the M55 motorway, which is just a few minutes away. The four roads leading out of the village offer direct links to Kirkham and Preston in the east, Blackpool to the north and Lytham and BAE Systems – a major employer in the area – to the west.
Prices are significantly higher than neighbouring areas like St Anne’s, Freckleton and Kirkham, and house sales tend to be quicker because it is such a sought-after spot. The new development on Wrea Green Meadows, just a five-minute walk from the village green, is offering three, four and five-bedroom detached properties at prices which will attract younger families.
WHAT THE LOCALS SAY
Ann Andrews, 77, has been making a daily trip to the Dub for almost 50 years to feed the ducks. She has been doing this since her two daughters were young, carrying on the ritual long after they had both flown the nest.
She moved to the village from nearby Fairhaven after marrying her husband Frank, who had lived in St Annes.
‘We’ve lived here for a long time in the village, and my two daughters grew up here. I come out of church every Sunday, and I think “Thank goodness we came here”, it’s always been like a big church family in the village,’ she says. ‘I like the friendships that I have at the WI. I used to teach at the school as well for 20 years. My daughters both came to the school here, and it’s just been like a big family.’
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Ann is also an active member of the local choir, which performs at least twice a year in the village, and she makes the most of the surrounding countryside, with its many walking routes in and around the area. ‘I always had at least three dogs and I used to go to all the dog shows with them.’
For Ann, it’s the winning combination of community and countryside that makes Wrea Green a great place to live.
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