Everything you can do in Port Sunlight this summer

Port Sunlight on the Wirral offers up the perfect summer day out.

Beautiful, unique, and the perfect day out – that’s the slogan of Port Sunlight Village Trust, and we couldn’t agree more.

If you’re getting yourself in a lather about how you’re going to entertain yourself and the kids throughout the summer holidays, then chill right now, because a visit to this great real-life village and tourist attraction will have everyone busy and buzzing for hours.

There’s always loads to do for all ages at Port Sunlight, built by Lord Lever to create homes for workers at his soap factory – and this summer it’s better than ever.

“Over the last few years, because of Covid, we haven’t been able to do as much as in the past, but now we’ve got more exhibitions and more to see and do,” says Brian Pilkington, marketing and communications manager for Port Sunlight Village Trust.

“There’s lots of events coming up, the parks and gardens are beautiful at any time of year, and people forget that Port Sunlight’s on most people’s doorsteps. There’s free parking for people who come by car, and it’s easy to get to.

“It only takes 20 minutes by train from Liverpool Central. So while it might feel like a world away when you’re here, because it’s like stepping back in time, it’s not!”

Port Sunlight Museum

The award-winning museum tells how William Lever built Port Sunlight Village and how it developed, changing living and working conditions. It’s packed with tales and nostalgia, including Ringo Starr’s first performance with the Beatles in the village in 1962. “There are lots of models and artefacts, original Sunlight soap packaging and interactive panels; it’s really interesting,” adds Brian.

The SoapWorks

SoapWorks is the new family experience, designed to encourage children to have fun learning about the science of soap and its life-saving properties. “It’s designed for families, it’s interactive so there are lots of things kids can get stuck into (like squeeze and sniff),” says Brian, “and it’s in the Lyceum which would have been the village school, so it’s great it’s being used as an educational – and fun – space again.”

The Edwardian Worker’s Cottage

As part of the Port Sunlight Experience, you can get the chance to step inside a worker’s cottage and experience everyday life in Port Sunlight in Edwardian times. The home of the Carr family, who were long-time tenants and worked in the Lever Brothers factory, has been recreated: “It’s how it would have looked when they lived there in 1913, and it gives people the chance to explore the house and see what life was like back then.”

The Walking Tours

Friendly, expert guides will take you on 90-minute walking tours around Port Sunlight Village between Wednesdays and Sundays, so you can discover the story of the village built on soap, admire the architecture, and hear stories of village life past and present.

The new Peaky Blinders attraction

This is a cracking exhibition that’s open at Port Sunlight between Wednesdays and Sundays between now and September 10: “Peaky Blinders was partly filmed in the village and so we are putting on this exhibition of costumes that were worn in the show by some of the main stars like Helen McCrory and Tom Hardy. There are six costumes in Bridge Cottage, which is where William Lever lived for a short period of time, so it’s really distinctive. The exhibition has already had a good reaction and fans are really excited about it,” says Brian.

And there’s more

“We’ve got open air theatre in The Dell in August with The Ugly Ducking and The Merry Wives of Windsor; A Gin Tasting, and a 1920s’ Hair and Beauty Demonstration and Murder Mystery that are both linked to the Peaky Blinders exhibition,” adds Brian. “We keep our website and social media pages updated with all new events, so keep a lookout throughout summer.”