A winning combination of connectedness and comfort makes the current crop of newly built homes in Berkshire worth a look. Johnny Turner pays a visit.
Those in the market for a home that gives access to both country character and cosmopolitan bustle will be hard pressed to find a better location than Berkshire. This Home County offers easy commuter access, wonderful countryside and great local amenities – it’s no wonder builders are having trouble keeping up with the high demand for homes in the area.
Cliveden Homes is offering Philberds Lodge in the hamlet of Holyport, near Maidenhead. These eight well-appointed two-bedroom apartments offer parking and are priced from £249,950.
Holyport has rural charm in spades; not only is there a beautiful village green but more than 1,000 acres of National Trust land lies just to the north and almost 5,000 acres of Crown land to the south, by Windsor. The location lies among some of the loveliest country in the Middle Thames area, with fine stretches of river, picture-postcard villages and, to the west, the edge of the Chiltern Spur.
Call 01306 882032 for more details regarding Philberds Lodge.
Hermitage Green by Banner Homes is an outstanding development of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes set around a large central green five miles north east of Newbury. This location is perfect for families, as there are a host of excellent education establishments in the vicinity. Hermitage primary school, Brockhurst and Marlston pre-school and Down House Cold Ash, one of the country’s top girls’ schools, are all nearby.
Nicki Dennis, sales and marketing director of Banner Homes says; ‘This development benefits from a host of local amenities and excellent transport links, making London accessible in under an hour. It provides an ideal haven for commuters and is perfectly suited to home buyers seeking a quality family life. We expect demand for these homes in the sought-after Berkshire area to be extremely high.’
Surrounded by beautiful countryside, Hermitage Green is located on the outskirts of the popular village of Hermitage. The development comprises 70 homes, all of which will offer high quality fixtures and fittings, traditional craftsmanship and all the latest technology.
Travel connections from Hermitage are excellent. Junction 13 of the M4 is approximately two miles away and the A34 trunk road is within easy reach. Newbury mainline station offers journey times of under an hour into London Paddington and international travel is made easy by the proximity of Heathrow and Gatwick airports on the M25.
For shoppers, Newbury hosts a popular open-air market every Thursday and Saturday and The Kennet Shopping Centre is home to a variety of national chain stores and independent boutiques. Reading and Oxford, both easily accessible by road, offer even more extensive shopping options. Local leisure pursuits in include horse racing at the national Newbury Racecourse, horse riding, golf, angling and canoeing, to name but a few.
The marketing suite and show homes are open from 10am to 5pm. Prices start from £275,000. For further details about Hermitage Green please call 01635 203391.
Another fine Banner development in Berkshire is Wellesley Court, located in popular Crowthorne. The 24 two-bedroom apartments are located within secluded, gated grounds set back off the tree-lined Duke’s Road. The homes offer plenty of space and boast a top-quality specification.
Wellesley Court is bordered by beautiful mature trees in a desirable neighbourhood. Future residents will be able to lock up and go away on holiday or live abroad for part of the year without worrying.
Belying its tranquil setting, the development is located within easy walking distance of Crowthorne station and local shops, and there is easy access to Crowthorne High Street. It is also close to a variety of woods and commons, providing ample opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the countryside. For keen golfers, East Berkshire Golf Club is located just behind the development, while the Downshire Golf Complex, one of the UK’s premier municipal golf courses, is also situated nearby.
For further information call Banner Homes’ head office on 01628 536200.
Also in the quaint village of Crowthorne is CALA Homes’ Wellington Mews, a development of 25 spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments varying from 520 to over 1,000 square feet. The scheme offers car ports and/or secure parking spaces and mature landscaped gardens. Each apartment has a well-proportioned lounge/dining area with separate kitchen, and some have an en suite bathroom and second bathroom.
All apartments offer high specification, including designer kitchens featuring integrated appliances and a waste disposal unit. There are also stylish bathroom suites with chrome towel rails. Security-wise, Wellington Mews features an audio entry system.
These homes appeal to a broad range of buyers, from first-time buyers to empty nesters. Prices currently start at £225,000. For further information call 01344 773817 or visit the show home, open daily from 10.30am to 5pm.
Sunningdale is a famously upmarket, tranquil and beautiful Berkshire location. And here two excellent developments are now on the market. First to CALA Homes’ Silverwood Grange in Lady Margaret Road, where buyers will find 11 two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments. Many of the apartments feature large terraces or balconies, and each will have its own garage. This development follows great CALA successes at Bearsden Grange and Sheridan Grange, and like these predecessors Silverwood Grange is not expected to be on the market for long.
The development is within close proximity of all Sunningdale amenities and only a short walk from the town’s railway station, restaurants and shops. Prices range from £390,000 to £500,000. For sales information contact agents Chancellors on 01344 620163.
A second Sunningdale location is tucked away off the high street in this highly desirable village. The Mews is a small development of just 12 houses by Millgate Homes, each offering three double bedrooms over three storeys. Such is the popularity of The Mews that only half of the homes remain for sale.
Internally, homes at The Mews provide modern, flexible and practical living space. Some plots feature conservatories as an extension to the living dining area. The separate kitchens there are bespoke designer units in a light oak effect, complemented by granite work surfaces and accompanied by a comprehensive range of appliances in a natural steel finish.
The hall, stairway and landings are light and airy, giving access to the three double bedrooms which are arranged on the first and second floors. Each of the well-proportioned bedrooms has en suite facilities and generous built-in wardrobes. The suite on the second floor features attractive sloping ceilings and lends itself to a range of uses, from impressive master bedroom or guest suite to an office for those work at home.
Externally, the plots with conservatories have hard-landscaped courtyard gardens which provide an ‘outside room’ ideal for entertaining, while the other plots have larger turfed gardens featuring extensive planting.
The Mews is conveniently located just a few minutes’ walk from Sunninghill’s wonderful selection of shops, restaurants and boutiques. And in the wider area the resident will be within easy reach of a host of excellent facilities, including Windsor Great Park and Savill Gardens, Ascot.
Each of the homes at The Mews has two dedicated parking spaces. Prices range from £359,950 to £399,950. To find out more call the sales office on 01344 876885 between 10am and 4pm. Outside these hours contact selling agents Savills on 01344 295375 or visit millgatehomes.co.uk.
Further Millgate Homes developments can be found in Warfield, Maidenhead and Wokingham. First, in Warfield, Newell Green Farm consists of only seven two-bedroom apartments and ten two- and three-bedroom cottage-style homes. David Wrigley, sales and marketing director of Millgate Homes, says, ‘Newell Green Farm is placed in a fantastic location that really enjoys the best of both worlds. Warfield has a semi-rural atmosphere yet is well served by its own supermarket and some excellent pubs, while Ascot is just a couple of miles down the road with a range of exclusive shops and restaurants.’
Cottages at Newell Green are priced from £299,950 to £365,000, while apartments range from £235,000 for a first-floor apartment to £299,950 for the penthouse. The sales and marketing suite is open daily from 10am to 4pm. Call selling agents Romans on 01344 400100.
On Finchampstead Road in Wokingham, Braybrook is a gated development of just eight one- and two-bedroom apartments, conveniently placed for the town centre and train station. Priced between £175,000 and £275,000, these apartments are now available to purchase off-plan. To register your interest contact Prospects on 0118 979 7770.
In Maidenhead, Robin Hill and Bentash are both located on Shoppenhangers Road and back onto the open greens of the renowned Maidenhead Golf Club. Benefiting from Millgate’s exceptional internal specification, both developments are within half a mile of Maidenhead town centre and railway station and offer a range of apartments to suit a variety of budgets. Both of these developments have show homes open daily from 10am to 4pm.
Bentash, which is already 30 per cent reserved, consists of 13 two-bedroom apartments at prices between £305,000 and £425,000. Call 01628 639698 to find out more.
Robin Hill, which ranges in price from £350,000 for a two-bedroom ground-floor apartment to £675,000 for a two/three-bedroom penthouse, offers spacious accommodation that is well suited to entertaining. For more information call 01628 631163.
To find out more about any of Millgate Homes’ current and forthcoming development, both in Berkshire and beyond, visit the website millgatehomes.co.uk.
A stunning show house and a further view unit at KingsOak’s Roebuck Gardens scheme at Purley-on-Thames demonstrate to prospective purchasers the space and style available. And the spacious four-bedroom Selkirk show home and the Shelburne view unit not only give buyers an idea of how their new homes might look; it is possible to purchase the show homes themselves. With KingsOak’s leaseback scheme, says KingsOak Thames Valley sales manager Nigel Eatwell, ‘clever buyers can stake their claim to these homes and then we will lease them back at a competitive interest rate above the base rate for the duration of their time as show homes.’
Roebuck Gardens features ten two-bedroom apartments, a selection of three- and four-bedroom three-storey town houses and four-bedroom detached homes. Purley-on-Thames is located to the west of Reading near Tilehurst. The M4 is within easy reach, making the development ideal for those who want to work in Reading or even London but return home to a more suburban environment.
Prices currently start at £274,995 for a three-bedroom mid-terrace home with garage. For more information contact the sales office on 0118 941 5807. The development is open daily from 10am to 6pm.
Finally to Slough, where KingsOak has launched its latest scheme of apartments, called Centrika. The sleek, contemporary two-bedroom apartments are located in the heart of Slough’s buzzing town centre and represent an excellent opportunity for young professionals and investors to snap up a home at one of the most sought-after areas integrated he locality. The scheme will feature 39 two-bedroom apartments, each of which features an en suite as well as a main bathroom, as well as private parking.
Centrika will enjoy access to a fantastic range of shopping, entertainment and nightlife options. And of course travel is extremely convenient, with connections to London Paddington taking only half an hour. Areas of beautiful parkland are also within easy reach, with Windsor Great Park a little over four miles away.
A dedicated marketing suite will open shortly in central Slough. For further details about Centrika, and to register your interest, call 01628 629111.
Also from KingsOak, Shinfield Park in Reading has been officially launched, giving home-seekers a wide choice of homes. The 310 homes will include apartments and houses ranging from two to five bedrooms. Those who are eager to snap up a bargain may want to get in quick and reserve off-plan, says KingsOak Thames Valley’s sales director Bob Rutherford. ‘This was they can choose the plot that suits them best, have a hand in selecting the fixtures and fittings that are used, and also save money.’
Shinfield Park is sure to be popular with young professionals, investors and families alike. Reading offers ultra-convenience, with everything from a vast array of shops to quick and easy transport. Prices currently start at just £164,995 for a one-bedroom apartment. Two-bedroom apartments are priced from £209,995 and four-bedroom town houses start at £314,995. Call 0118 975 1267 or visit kingsoakhomes.co.uk.