How green is my valley?
AT HAREFIELD Place, The Drive, Ickenham, new luxury apartments are now selling off-plan. The 25 twoand three-bedroom apartments, set in 8.5 acres of private grounds, offer “a little bit of the country, in the capital”. This is the attraction of Ickenham, which is growing in popularity. With excellent transport connections into the capital and beyond, residents at Harefield Place will still be able to enjoy green surroundings.
The M40, M25 and M4 are all easily accessible and Stockley Park, Uxbridge Business Park and Heathrow Airport are within a 15-minute drive of the development. Ickenham is also close to three zone six tube stations — Ickenham, West Ruislip and Ruislip — and to Hillingdon Overground station.
Despite this, the area has a countryside feel. Harefield Place is set alongside the Colne Valley Regional Park in Ickenham and many of the apartments here have views across the valley, while all residents can enjoy the mature wooded grounds with lake. There is a wellness centre for residents’ exclusive use, with an indoor pool and gym. There is even a private tennis court.
The development is unusual for its mix of classic and contemporary homes. There are nine homes in the converted Georgian mansion, plus 16 contemporary, new-build apartments alongside.
All the homes at Harefield Place have underfloor heating; fitted, hand-made kitchens with built-in Siemens appliances; Quooker boiling water taps and wine coolers. The bathroom suites will be fully tiled with Minoli porcelain tiles and include fitted units. Most bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and en-suites, while the master bedroom in each apartment has not only an ensuite but a dressing room.
The development has a concierge, taking care of anything from accepting parcels and other deliveries to managing the landscaped grounds and the wellness suite. There is secure allocated parking (two spaces per apartment), in addition to large, individual store rooms for each property. Each home has private outside space — a large terrace, balcony or roof terrace. Prices at Harefield Place are from £1.1 million to £2 million.
Nearby Ruislip United Synagogue has many members in the Ickenham area. It holds services every Shabbat, both Friday night and Saturday morning, all High Holydays and festivals. It also has a full calendar of events throughout the year, including evening talks and a daytime social club.
Other synagogues within a reasonable distance include Northwood and Pinner Liberal and the pluralist (Liberal, Masorti and Reform) Mosaic in Harrow.
In Eastcote, 44 apartments have been launched at Solis, with Help To Buy available. Eastcote, popular for its friendly town vibe, social scene, arts and culture, was recently earmarked as one of the top postcodes in which to live by the Evening Standard and The Telegraph.
The development is 10 minutes from Ruislip Lido, which has a 60-acre lake and dedicated sandy beach. Colne Valley Regional Park is five miles away.
Eastcote station (Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines) is a one-minute walk from Solis, allowing quick access to Baker Street (28 minutes). Prices at Solis start at £265,000. Agent is Preston Bennett.
In Watford, the first phase is under way at Watford Riverwell, a £400 million mixed-use regeneration project. Watford Borough Council and Kier Property have joined up to develop land to the south of Watford Hospital and Watford Football Club. Construction has begun on Woodlands, 95 one- to three-bedroom apartments, a short walk from the now-cleaned-up River Colne. The river runs through the heart of the scheme, alongside a swathe of protected riverside parkland.
The apartments have Leicht kitchens with Silestone worktops and integrated appliances; sleek bathrooms with full-height tiling from Porcelanosa; engineered oak flooring; carpeted bedrooms; energy-efficient communal heating; mirrored wardrobes in master bedrooms; a balcony/terrace each; secure cycle storage and (in some cases) allocated parking.
Alongside more than 1,000 private and affordable new homes, the developers of Watford Riverwell have proposed a new two-form entry primary school, 4.5 acres of green community space, a 250-plus-bed retirement village and new retail premises which aim to bring around 1,300 extra jobs to the area. Woodlands is a short walk from the town centre and close to Watford Junction station, with a journey into London Euston taking 18 minutes.
This is a little bit of the country, in the capital’