Welcome to village life
A new breed of retirement developments across the UK is bringing a modern twist to a traditional way of living
A village lifestyle, with its close-knit community, handy amenities, and beautiful and peaceful surroundings, is something many of us dream about, especially when we get close to retirement. Yet this idyllic way of living can sometimes have its challenges, such as old properties that require lots of upkeep, dwindling local services and areas that can feel isolated. But a new breed of retirement developments offers the best of both worlds: modern, stylish and easy-to-manage homes set within a thriving village community of like-minded people, with a wealth of facilities on your doorstep. This is a modern interpretation of traditional village life.
“Our developments are ageexclusive, but being over the age of 55 does not necessarily mean slowing down,” says William Parry, head of development at Renaissance Villages, which has four developments in some of the most picturesque parts of the UK. “We are passionate about enabling active, independent lives at our villages. Our residents are drawn to our developments because of the enviable lifestyle on offer.”
Take Bramshott Place, set in a beautiful part of Hampshire, just half a mile away from the historic village of Liphook and in 30 acres of private grounds, arranged around a historic Tudor gatehouse and incorporating an idyllic wild flower meadow. The elegant cottages and luxury apartments offer peace and privacy plus the chance to make new friends and feel part of a real community.
As with all Renaissance Villages developments, there is a central clubhouse – the hub of the village – which boasts a bar, restaurant and coffee shop, library, indoor pool, gym and leisure suite, as well as meeting rooms for residents to hold clubs or host parties. “The clubhouse is a fantastic central village venue and we will often pop down to the bar to have a drink with neighbours in the evening,” says Tricia Saunders, a resident at Bramshott Place.
VILLAGE PEOPLE
The village has its own residents’ association that organises gettogethers and contributes to the social scene with weekly coffee mornings, Scottish country dancing, a cinema club and a knitting club. “As a member of the village social committee, I get involved with organising a wide range of resident events,” says Ms Saunders. “We recently put on a street party to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday and had a trip to the Chichester Flower Festival. We also have very full social lives outside of the village, with both my husband and I keeping our own cars so that we can get around independently.”
In Durrants Village, in Faygate, West Sussex, there are art clubs and regular group walks. All 154 properties – from two-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom cottages – have access to the residents’ clubhouse with its country club-style facilities.
“Our central clubhouses, the hallmark of all of our villages, offer luxury, well-equipped spaces in which to keep active, have a drink with friends or neighbours or to participate in any one of the many clubs and societies on offer at each village,” says Mr Parry. As well as a great social scene, knowing the village is secure and has managers on site every day giving help means residents don’t have to worry about safety. All that’s left to concentrate on is enjoying your new lifestyle.
“Being surrounded by like-minded neighbours at a similar stage in their lives means friendships are quickly forged,” says Mr Parry. “The regular coffee mornings, village quizzes, and bar evenings offer many opportunities to get to know new neighbours. We often hear from new residents that they have made more friends in one week at their Renaissance Villages cottage or apartment, than they had over several years in their previous home.”