Inside Welsh village of Marford where Ryan Reynolds is set to make his home after buying ‘poshest house on the road’

ITs top tourist attraction is a volunteer-run forest on the site of a former quarry.

But the sleepy village of Marford on the Wales–England border will soon welcome Hollywood royalty when an A-list couple moves in.

AlamyMarford on the Wales-England border is known for its gothic architecture[/caption]

InstagramBlake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham FC’s stadium The Racecourse Ground[/caption]

Ryan Reynolds has bought a £1.5million pad in the area – just five miles from Wrexham – after snapping up the town’s football club.

The Deadpool star, 46 – a local hero after pumping some much-needed cash into the team – now owns a four-bed property near the Racecourse Ground.

It is in stark contrast to the luxe £4.3m home in New York where he lives with wife Blake Lively, 35, and their kids.

A source said: “Ryan is moving to Marford and it’s all the locals can talk about. His house is on the poshest road.

“The most famous person from Marford is Tim Vincent from Blue Peter, so a Hollywood star is a step up!

“It might not be the Big Apple but the red carpet will be rolled out when Ryan comes to town.”

Ryan bought ailing Wrexham with pal and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney, 45, in November 2020.

The pair have spent £10m on the club as it bids for promotion to the Football League.

And it appears Ryan is more committed than ever to the second-in-the-table fifth-tier team as he looks to make his Welsh roots more permanent.

If he chooses to stick around, Ryan can enjoy the community-run Maes y Pant nature reserve, which covers about 70 acres of land and is listed as the number one thing to do in town on Tripadvisor.

There are scores of footpaths and mountain bike trails on what was once Marford Quarry, which provided materials for the construction of the Mersey Tunnel in 1927.

Also on the must-see list is All Saints in Gresford – a late 15th century church which is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales and described by visitors as a “hidden gem”.

Several four-star pubs including the Trevor Arms, the Red Lion and The Crown are also seemingly worth checking out.

Asked about the prospect of having celebrity customers, Mafuz Malik, manager of the Red Lion, said: “We are very excited.

“I’ve seen Ryan and Blake about in the area already but they haven’t come into the pub yet.

“We hope to see more of them. Time will tell.”

‘WE ARE VERY EXCITED’

But he did say he thought a £1.5m home seemed rather modest for the couple, who together are said to be worth a combined £161m.

Mafuz added: “I have a holiday home worth £1m. It’s not unusual in the area.

“I would have thought they would have picked somewhere costing £2.5m or £3m.”

Marford itself has a population of about 7,500 people and covers some 750 acres.

Its known for its quaint-looking gothic cottages, Grade II-listed buildings and stunning countryside.

There are next to no shops in the village itself, with residents and visitors more frequently travelling to nearby Gresford and Rossett.

Maps show there is a Co-op, a car dealership and an ice cream parlour, but little else.

The average house price in the area over the last year was £479,000, according to Rightmove.

The most expensive property currently listed on the site is a four-bedroom detached home for £999,000.

Marford has an almost non-existent crime rate, with just 10 street level incidents reported in January 2023, iLiveHere reports.

These were theft, violent crime, public order and shoplifting offences.

This compares to 12 in nearby Broadoak, 22 in Gresford, 220 in Borras and 224 in Garden Village.

GettyWrexham FC owner Ryan waves to crowds after a match in January[/caption]

GoogleThe local Co-Op store in Marford[/caption]

GettyRyan and Blake with daughters James and Ines in 2016[/caption]

The Red Lion pub, where the manager is ‘very excited’ about the prospect of celebrity customersGoogle

GettyWrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan watch a game with Blake[/caption]

GettyThe happy couple snap a selfie before a Vanarama National League match[/caption]

GettyRyan has bought a four-bedroom house in Marford[/caption]

Rex FeaturesA source said: ‘The most famous person from Marford is Tim Vincent from Blue Peter’[/caption]