Active way to new life cycle
ON YER BIKE: From left to right, Montague Park in Wokingham, Kent Wharf and Morris Court In London are all built close to or have access to cycle routes
IT all started with the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when Britain dominated the cycling events to win 14 medals – eight of them Gold. Then there was London 2012, when Sir Bradley Wiggins was crowned king of the road after winning the gruelling time trial. Now as Chris Froome follows his Tour de France win this year by leading the current Vuelta a Espana in Spain, it sometimes seems like Britain’s gone cycling mad.
In London, 670,000 journeys a day are now made by bicycle says Transport for London (TfL), which is equal to the number of daily journeys on the Tube’s Victoria Line.
Now TfL has plans for more cycle ways with London’s first Quietway – Q1 – opening last June between Waterloo and Greenwich.
The route passes through Deptford, where owners of new homes at Kent Wharf, near the River Thames, will have bicycle storage as well as communal gardens and open-plan interiors at apartments being built by Bellway (01689 886 400; bellway.co.uk).
These are on sale from £384,995 to £624,995 and are just minutes from Deptford High Street and a short cycle ride from historic Greenwich.
“There has definitely been an increased interest in cycling in the past few years, providing a fast and efficient way to commute and exercise,” says head of sales Emma Denton.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the capital in south-west London’s Colliers Wood, Morris Court is a collection of 42 one, two and threebedroom apartments close to the start of TfL’s Cycle Superhighway 7, an 8.5-mile safe cycling route to Southwark Bridge.
Flats cost from £410,000 and are available through shared ownership (0844 406 9800; lqpricedin. co.uk).
Lucy Chitty, sales and customer services director at L&Q says: “London’s cycle routes are creating faster and more direct journeys, making the city even more accessible than ever before.
“Cycle Superhighway 7 means residents can get from Colliers Wood to Kennington in just 30 minutes – offering an SADDLE UP: Tour de France winner Chris Froome has inspired people to ride escape from early morning traffic and tube disruptions.” However it’s not just in London where cycling to work is catching on fast. Lynnette St Quintin, sales director for Barratt Southern Counties says: “The appetite that this country has seen for cycling over the past five years is at an all-time high and as a result we are seeing an increasing demand for households with both storage provision for bikes as well as access to the cycle network. “Cycle paths are becoming increasingly important for home buyers, not only for leisure purposes but as an alternative commute to work. “Our Montague Park development in the Berkshire town of Wokingham is one that offers its residents excellent cycle ways into the town, connecting the development to the train station for those who don’t want to take the bus or drive.” The Barratt development is near a 30-acre Country Park with cycle links to the town centre. Two-bedroom apartments are available from £297,995 (08443 348199; barratthomes.co.uk). And at Willesborough, near Ashford in Kent, a David Wilson Homes development has three and four-bedroom detached houses for sale near National Cycle Network routes right on their doorstep. Commuters can cycle to Ashford International station in less than 15 minutes from Chestnut Grange, where four-bedroom houses are for sale from £409,995 (08445 010766; dwh.co.uk). Cycle routes through Ashford connect Rochester to Hythe and Canterbury to Tunbridge Wells. “We’ve seen a number of environmentallyconscious buyers who enjoy active pursuits like cycling, choosing to make Chestnut Grange their home because of the range of recreational and leisure facilities on offer in the local area,” says Natalie Perry, director of sales and marketing for Barratt David Wilson Kent. Makes you wonder what the crowds will be like for this year’s Tour of Britain from Edinburgh to Cardiff, which starts on Sunday. INFORMATION: tourofbritain.co.uk