The hidden village with a beach an hour from Greater Manchester 'unlike anywhere else'

An hour’s drive from Greater Manchester is a secluded village, where countryside and the coast collide. Located in the Wirral, Thurstaston feels a world away from nearby Liverpool.

The village boasts gorgeous views of North Wales and is home to farms, a caravan park, charming cafes and scenic walks. Although Thurstaston's beach is small in size, it wouldn’t look out of place on the Cornish coast.

There are wooden steps which lead you down from Wirral Country Park to the beach on the sandy banks of the Dee Estuary. Nestled at the base of clay cliffs, on a clear day you can see across to North Wales.

READ MORE: The village near Manchester with a famous bakery, stunning views and one of the UK’s best pubs

Running through Thurstaton is the Wirral Way, partly formed by an old railway line, used by walkers and cyclists alike, the Liverpool Echo reports. On Station Road you’ll find Flissy’s Coffee Shop, which opened six years ago and serves ice-cream all year round, come rain or shine.

It’s found just a short walk away from the beach and has a large outdoor area that's a suntrap in the summer months. The cafe is open each day from 9am to 5.30pm, and the all day menu includes breakfast bagels and wraps, paninis and sandwiches with fillings such as halloumi, crispy bacon and fish fingers.

Manager Kumara Pickering told the ECHO: "I think the area is very unique compared to everywhere else. It's a lot smaller than, say New Brighton, but you've got the Wirral Way and the caravan park. When it's summer we have our hatch open of a night time, so the café is closed but we sell chips, drinks, ice-cream, so people at the end of the day can still get their ice-cream fix."

A little further along Station Road you'll find the Nest Café