I remember Thornton Hough. The Village Green was surrounded on three sides by houses and the Pub(name forgotten) We used to walk to the lands that the Manor house was on and get conkers.I am sure there was a Blacksmith Shop we passed on the way, but I cannot recall the direction - looking on Google it has changed very much. I remember there was a lake and one of those cute little timber bridges you see in the old movies.
Here's a view of the village. 1 is the smithy, which has sadly lost its beautiful "spreading chestnut tree". To the left, Smithy Hill was lined with cherry trees which produced fruit each year. I often used to pick them. Now, most of the original trees are gone, but new ones are being planted. Last year, on one of my visits, I managed to find & pick a couple of fruits; that was a sad moment as it brought back many childhood memories. 2 is All Saints Church, built, together with much of the village, by Joseph Hirst. He was a wealthy woollen mill owner from Huddersfield, who bought up much of the village as a place to come & relax from business. He was a philanthropist & built much housing in the village. When the church was finished, he found that he couldn't see the clock from his house, Thornton House, so he had a small repeater face installed above the main face: you can still see it. Later, the village was extended by William Hesketh Lever, who built Port Sunlight. It's easy to see the similarities. He lived at Thornton Manor & built the Lever Causeway, which was his private road to get to his works. 3 is the Seven Stars, which is still in business.
I was right about the Blacksmith I just saw it in the Wirral Journal. Thats right Pinz the Seven Stars I think I took a girl there once for dinner. 
