This is the place: the Heatons are a sought-after spot for families and young professionals

The Four Heatons – Heaton Moor, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Chapel and Heaton Norris – sit snugly between Stockport and Manchester.

With tree-lined roads housing red-bricked Victorian and Edwardian properties, a huge choice of bars and restaurants, several parks and stunning views over the Peak District from its elevated position, the Heatons have become a sought-after place to live for families and young professionals.

And although the Heatons boast a Cheshire postcode, you won’t find footballers and their wags residing here, just an eclectic collection of families and young professionals, all enjoying the relaxed vibe of the four adjoining communities.

With a stunning view of the Peak District from the picturesque Heaton Mersey park, you can look out over Manchester Airport to the air traffic control tower, with the highest point of the idyllic park said to be taller than Manchester’s Beetham Tower.

Transport and travel

Didsbury Road runs from East Didsbury / Parrswood up the hill to Heaton Mersey and down the hill to Stockport and has no shortage of buses, served by numbers 42 and 42a from Stockport to Manchester 22 to the Trafford Centre. 

It’s a short walk to East Didsbury tram station from Heaton Mersey, at the end of the line on the Bury / Rochdale route. One-stop and you’re in Didsbury, and it takes 20 minutes into Manchester. Didsbury train station is a little further, with a train to the airport taking only nine minutes.

Heaton Chapel station is easily accessed from Heaton Moor with regular trains to Manchester Piccadilly taking nine minutes and Stockport a matter of minutes away, served by national rail services, including London Euston.

Within 15 minutes (as long as there’s no traffic on the M56), you can be at Manchester Airport.

The best bars and restaurants in The Heatons

At the heart of every thriving community is the local pub. Heaton Mersey has The Crown on Didsbury Road, billed as a country pub in the suburbs, and The Heaton.

The Heaton, formerly the Frog and Railway and recently acquired by local brewer J.W.Lees, has had an overhaul and is now a smart, family and dog-friendly pub, with regular live music, family fun days and events. It’s a great option for business lunches and family celebrations, with a beer garden to the rear.

Up the hill is The Crown: the jewel in the Heatons. Owned by Robinsons Brewery, new landlords Paul and Jonny know a thing or two when it comes to running great pubs, with The Castle on Oldham Street and Stockport’s Bakers Vaults already in their portfolio.

Great care has been taken to refurbish the interior of the cosy pub, originally a row of cottages and transformed into a pub in 1929. As well as a full revamp of the food menu, served daily from midday, the pub now boasts a wine list worthy of any restaurant.

A cosy pub with music and a great atmosphere, The Plough in Heaton Moor is a favourite for young professionals. It serves pub food and hosts a regular quiz with the winning team receiving a free bar tab.

Pokusevski on Shaw Road, Heaton Moor, is something out of the norm. Originally a deli, it has a relaxed, laid-back European feel, with stylish decor taking inspiration from Berlin bars and restaurants. It has an extensive menu for vegetarians and meat-eaters, as well as an eclectic wine menu.

Cork of the North in Heaton Moor is a great place for meeting friends or a date night, with excellently-sourced wines and perfectly paired sharing platters. It hosts regular tasting events and you can buy your favourite wines to take home.

Pale, on Shaw Road, serves Pieminster pies and a selection of beers. It hosts an open mic night every month and there’s also a downstairs space to hire.

Bottle, another gem on Shaw Road, is a welcoming shop and pub, serving up over 350 beers, with seven on tap plus a wide range of gin, vodka and wine.

That Pizza Place, opened recently in Heaton Moor, is by far the best for pizza takeaway, with a special offer of two-for-one on Mondays. Or Leoni’s, on the junction of Shaw Road and Heaton Moor Road on the former site of Tusk, is an authentic, stylish Italian with a nice bar area for pre-dinner cocktails.

The Easy Fish Company is a fourth-generation fishmonger family, providing fresh fish and seafood in Heaton Moor for over ten years. It also has a fully licensed fish restaurant tucked in behind.

La Cantina in Heaton Moor is one of the best tapas restaurants in the region, with a drinks menu to match. Takeaways are now available, too. As its name suggests, Roost, also in Heaton Moor, is a mainly chicken-based restaurant also offering excellent pizzas, a kids menu and good value for money.

Opened five years ago, quirky little Heaton Moor coffee shop Nook sits just along from The Savoy cinema. With an appetising food menu it also offers craft beer, wine and gin.

With The Heatons’ extensive Irish community, you’re guaranteed a good pint of Guinness at Cassidy’s in Heaton Moor, and it’s packed out on GAA match days. Known for having a welcoming landlord and staff, with live sports, it’s also one of the few late-night venues with karaoke every Friday and regular live music.

Or if you are hosting your own event and after something different, look no further for your catering than local vintage hire and afternoon tea experts Pebble in the Pond.

Parks and recreation

There are plenty of National Trust parks within a short drive, including the impressive Lyme Park and Styal.

Annual events include The Heaton Summer Festival in Heaton Moor park and an Easter Egg Hunt; The Heatons Sports Club Bonfire Night fireworks; and Heaton Mersey park’s special Howl-o-ween, where owners and dogs dress up and take part in activities.

Community and shopping

One thing’s for sure, people are proud to live in the Heatons, and there are several voluntary associations that help with conservation, protecting and enhancing of the local environment.  

The Four Heatons Traders Association was established in 2009 to make the Heatons a better place to live, work and prosper, and there’s also Friends of Heaton Moor Park and Heaton Mersey Village Conservation Group.

The Savoy, a family-run, independent cinema dating back to 1923, was restored to its former splendour by the Mundin family, with a bar and plush velvet seats making an even better viewing experience of mainstream films classics and special screenings.

Open from 8am every day except Sunday, busy butchers Littlewoods in Heaton Chapel is a favourite among the region’s top chefs, providing quality, locally sourced, free-range meat.

The Good Life on Didsbury Road is a zero-waste mini market. They aim to inspire the community to make small changes, and provide a fun place for people to be more environmentally friendly. Kids also love the traditional sweet shop at the front.

La Charcuterie on Moorside Road is a traditional butchers with excellent range of locally sourced meat.

The Blue Corn, a family-owned organic health shop at the heart of the community, sells food, vitamins and ingredients, and toiletries. Its small café is frequented by old and young alike for a quick bite and a brew.

Bay Tree on Heaton Moor Road is a treasure trove for buying gifts and great for lovers of vintage clothing.

Heaton Hops, an award-winning, friendly pub and bottle shop in Heaton Chapel, opened up after having a stall on Heaton Moor market. It’s a firm favourite for lovers of craft ales.

Property

With the Heatons such a coveted place to live, there is a huge demand for houses, with properties snapped up quickly by those keen to take advantage of the desirable lifestyle and impressive amenities on offer, as well as the excellent schools, for those with young families.

The average house price in Heaton Moor is currently around £366,704, while Heaton Mersey, a mile away, is slightly more affordable, with the average price of property standing at £297,652.

This is the Place is the name of a poem by Tony Walsh commissioned by Forever Manchester, the only charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester. And they can’t do it without your help. So please donate what you can because investing in your local community to help it thrive can be a hugely rewarding experience. There’s a unique sense of satisfaction in knowing that you are making a real difference in the lives of others, especially those close to home.