Glam village residence to footballers and billionaires has Beckham’s favorite chippy

Cheshire’s Alderley Edge is known as the ‘Knightsbridge of the north’ and has been home to a string of Premier League footballers and a handful of billionaires

Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s the north’s most glamorous village. Supercars worth more than most people’s homes line up bumper to bumper along the main street, residents casually stroll in their gym gear adorned with high-end fashion accessories, and charity shops are filled with designer cast-offs like DKNY jeans and Jimmy Choo heels.

Welcome to Alderley Edge, dubbed the “Knightsbridge of the north”. This village sits at the pinnacle of Cheshire’s famed “Golden Triangle” of wealth and has long been the preferred residence for Premier League footballers, millionaires, and even a handful of billionaires.

David and Victoria Beckham famously resided here during his stint at Manchester United, as did Cristiano Ronaldo, while Man City’s Erling Haaland has recently purchased a home here to settle into family life after signing on for another nine years with the Blues. Although Beckham no longer resides in Alderley, he remains so smitten with the place that he always makes a pit stop at his favourite chippy, Fosters, when he’s in the area – most recently just a month ago.

However, living on the Edge is reserved for the select few. According to Rightmove, the average house price here is three times the national average – a staggering £823,000, while the average detached house price is £1.3 million.

Last year, prices surged by 11%, indicating the high demand for properties in this exclusive enclave, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Estate agents in the village have revealed that the current demand is highest for properties in the “mid-market” range between £800,000 and £1million. Locals say that despite the village’s high-profile residents, they are largely left to their own devices as they frequent the unique independent shops.

However, paparazzi often lurk on the village’s main London Road, hoping to snap a shot of Coleen Rooney at Waitrose, Christine McGuinness heading to yoga, or Kerry Katona parking her green Lamborghini for a haircut at the Style Lounge. This week, Man City star Jack Grealish was caught in the photographers’ crosshairs as he strolled with his partner and newborn baby to Cafe Nero.

But it’s not just the paparazzi who are on the lookout – on weekends, a group of young men armed with cameras can be seen waiting for the chance to photograph the luxury cars driven by the village’s famous residents. These supercar spotters are a regular sight, such is the wealth of high-end vehicles passing through the village for them to add to their collections and Instagram feeds.

In Alderley Edge, Bentleys, Porsches and even Rolls Royces barely warrant a second glance – they’re ten a penny here.

But when a £1.5million Bugatti Veyron, £550,000 Lamborghini Aventador or £1.3m Ferrari Competitizione roll by, they spring into action to capture the rare motors casually revving past them into the village. In Alderley Edge, you’ll find a local butcher, baker and chippy – but in a telling nod to the area’s wealth, you’ll also discover a plethora of diamond jewellers, several aesthetic clinics and a travel agent selling million-pound holidays.

Manchester’s original Italian celeb haunt San Carlo also made a move to the village last year – and its gold and glitzy £3million restaurant has already welcomed footballing royalty (think Wayne Rooney, Jordan Pickford, Erling Haaland) and actual royalty (Prince Albert of Monaco) in the months since. There’s even a Flannels designer shop – the only village in the UK to boast one. The rest are all in town or city centres.

Naturally, it’s not just any Flannels though, this one is a concept store where clients can come in for personal styling sessions, browse the full range online and then have their pick of designer togs sent in to try the next day. Jodie Stringfellow is a well-known face in the village having lived here most of her life (bar a short spell in Manchester’s Northern Quarter), and is now a stylist at the Flannels store.

She says the appeal of the village is in its community feel.

Jodie gushes about the local charm, saying: “It’s just a nice community, everyone knows each other, and it’s a great place to bring up a child. People still go out to the little shops, the butchers and the bakers, but it’s a village that can support bigger businesses too.”

She spills the tea on celeb visits, revealing: “No one makes a fuss over the footballers in the village. David Beckham was in here just the other week and he always nips to Foster’s chip shop round the corner.”

But she’s not a fan of the flashy car enthusiasts, adding: “The supercar hunters drive people a bit mad though, it makes these stupid guys rev their engines down the road. Everyone wants it to just stay the nice little village that it is.”

Next door, hair dressers Mark Power and Jen Page are working their magic on their clients. Mark quips they “only do cool people in here” and shares his take on the village vibe: “There’s an undercurrent of wonderful people who aren’t rich and famous who I prefer.”

He notes the social divide but loves the low-key atmosphere: “There’s two sides of the village, the rich side and the normal side. It’s just a normal village with a bit of class about it. Nobody looks twice at the film stars or footballers – even Ewen McGregor was here the other day at a cafe, and you might see Coleen Rooney down Waitrose but no one bothers them at all.”

Meanwhile, hairdresser Jen confesses to a star-struck moment when she spotted Erling Haaland: “My sons are massive Man City fans so I had to leg it outside and ask for a photo.”

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