an independent co-educational day school. Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865–1940), a medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador, was born in Parkgate and was a pupil at the school. The 6th Duke of Westminster's children attended Mostyn House, including his son the 7th Duke. During the Second World War, two of Parkgate's houses which contained cellars were converted into air raid shelters for public protection from German bombing. Small lights were placed on the marsh to trick German bombers into thinking settlements were there. After the war, Parkgate flourished as a desirable residential area. The surrounds became a conservation area in 1973. Notable buildings A row of three houses – one formerly a butcher's shop – overlooking the anchorage was built in the early 18th century for the Mostyn estate; they are Grade II* listed. The chapel of Mostyn House School, built in 1895 in red brick and terracotta, is also Grade II* listed. The Anglican Church of St. Thomas was built in 1843 as a Congregational chapel. It reopened for worship in May 2010, having been closed since it was declared unsafe in 1994. Community Parkgate has the highest life expectancy for females in the whole of Cheshire West and Chester. An affluent village, it is popular with tourists and birdwatchers. During seasonal high tides, the water reaches the sea wall and visitors come to the village to witness the unusual sight. Birdwatchers also come at this time to see the birds usually hidden in the grasses of the marshland. A popular location is the Old Baths site, to the north of the village, from which the marshes can be viewed from a parked vehicle. Sightings are recorded daily on a local website which covers the whole Dee Estuary. The marshlands of Parkgate are managed by the RSPB as part of the Dee Estuary Nature Reserve. In March 2022, an area of around of reedbed was destroyed by a fire, thought to have been started deliberately. See also Listed buildings in Neston References Villages in Cheshire Cheshire West and Chester Neston