00:01I've come to explore the historic heart of Liverpool West Arby village, a charming suburb with roots reaching back to the Doomsday Book.
00:09West Arby began as a royal hunting lodge under Edward the Confessor and by the Normans had become the administrative centre of the West Arby 100.
00:17A castle stood here from around 1100 AD, though by the early 1300s it lay in ruins.
00:23By the Tudor era, a courthouse was established, rebuilt in 1586 and again in 1662, and today it remains the only standalone post-medieval courthouse in Britain.
00:34That's a slice of history right on Town Row.
00:37Fast forward to the Victorian boom in the 1850s, the Earl of Sefton oversaw sweeping improvements.
00:42He built and rebuilt many of the ornate buildings we see today, including St Mary's Church, the village cross, prominent stocks and the grand entrance to Crocseth Park.
00:52Its narrow lanes and period properties reflect a village of wealthy merchants who sought refuge from the busy city, their homes lining roads and driveways added in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
01:03Landmarks like the Sandstone Yeoman's House from the late Tudor period and the stocks nearby remind us of the village's place in justice and governance for centuries.
01:13The name West Arby comes from an old Norse word meaning Place of the Wild Beasts or Wild Deer Park and refers to Crocseth Park.
01:20Crocseth Hall and Country Park, former home of the Earls of Sefton, is one of Liverpool's most important heritage sites.
01:28Step inside and you're transported back in time to the elegance of the Edwardian era.
01:33It's a popular location for filming, working closely with the Liverpool Film Office and beyond the cameras, it also hosts weddings, conferences and private events.
01:42Tucked behind high brick walls is the Victorian walled gardens, once Earl's private oasis for fresh produce and fragrant blooms, a space to feed the house and soothe the soul.
01:53The greenhouses once grew everything from house plants to cut flowers for the hall's grand rooms.
01:58One was even set aside just for carnation so the Earl could wear a fresh buttonhole every day.
02:03And our new chapter begins, a £245,000 boost from the National Lottery Heritage Fund is helping restore the Peach House, soon to be the new gateway to historic botanical collection.
02:15The collection dates back to 1803, founded by Liverpool botanist William Roscoe.
02:20All of this sits in over 500 acres of historic parkland with woodlands, nature trails and wildlife opens to the public year round.
02:27Crocsworth Park Farm, home to one of the UK's largest collection of rare livestock, over 20 breeds, many at risk, being carefully preserved for generations to come.
02:36History, heritage and horticulture all thriving in the heart of Liverpool, a living legacy still growing strong.
02:42So whether you're stopping for a coffee by the old fountain, visiting the courthouse or strolling through Crocsworth Park, West Derby is a living tapestry.
02:50Liverpool's past from Saxon forests and Viking halls through market manors to Victorian villa land and a modern heritage village.
