From a 1970s home in Surrey to a brand-new village community in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire
Having found themselves in an empty nest, Eddie and Jayne Hall chose to downsize from their 1970s family home in Surrey to the countryside life, settling on the beautiful village of Shrivenham, Oxfordshire.
The Legal & General Homes’ development at Cross Trees Park is a stunning collection of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom homes in a village setting, close to Swindon, Oxford and Reading.
Set in the tranquil Oxfordshire countryside, Cross Trees Park offers traditional style homes set in 31 acres of open public space; a sustainable village development with a semi-rural ambience. It is an idyllic retreat with plentiful amenities, good schools and accessible transport links.
With their daughter’s upcoming wedding and their son aspiring to get on the property ladder, Eddie and Jayne decided to downsize to support their children’s life goals. Not only that, the couple were looking for a more relaxed way of life away from such a busy commuter town so close to the M25, Eddie explains:
“We lived in Surrey for 26 years in a renovated 1970s house, which was great while our children were growing up. However now that they’re both moved out to start their own lives, we wanted to get away from the mayhem. Living by the M3 was convenient for working, but now we’re both retired we wanted something more peaceful.
“We’re very keen on camper vanning, so geographically we wanted to be closer to the countryside, so we can explore different areas more easily. Having been to Shrivenham previously on one of our holidays, we knew it was where we wanted to be.
“That’s when we looked on Rightmove and saw Cross Trees Park. We were able to virtually walk around the village using Google Maps, and we loved the look of the high street. We knew it was only seven or eight minutes from Swindon for anything we needed, and it was amazing to see there are several footpaths from the development directly into the village.
“Shrivenham has a church, several pubs, hairdressers, shops, a choice of Golf clubs nearby and we knew we could have food delivered straight to our door. Knowing that almost everything we could need was a short walk away in such a beautiful village was a huge positive for us, as location was the most important thing.”
Eddie and Jayne decided to take the plunge into a new village lifestyle, and discovered there were other perks too.
Eddie continues: “Our new home is a downsize, however the Legal & General Homes house type selected is detached and has three double bedrooms, so we have more than enough space now there’s just the two of us and the dog’’.
“With our son close by enough to visit often, and our daughter, her fiancé and potentially children later down the line decently sized bedrooms were important for us. Our new home meant we could still have a bedroom for each for our children and their partners when they come to visit, whilst freeing up equity from the sale of our previous house. With our daughter’s wedding next year, our pension pot, and our son getting on the property ladder soon, the extra money we’d have seemed perfect.”
When discussing their plot, Eddie is confident they got the best deal available. He comments, “I know everyone says this, however our house is in the perfect position. There isn’t a house in front and the ones behind aren’t backing on to us either, and our garden is a great size.”
The home has a designated study area at the front of the living room, however as a retiree, Eddie has a different use for the space: “I’ve been retired for six years now, so the study area has become a gin bar for us. It has a bottle of gin from everywhere we’ve travelled in our campervan across the UK.”
Space to walk Harry, their miniature poodle, was also important to Eddie and Jayne, who didn’t want to have far to go to get to a suitable footpath.
“Shrivenham also has two main footpaths, an inner circle around the village and an outer one, both connected directly with the development. It means we can walk from our front door the whole way around the village without crossing any major roads, which has been great for walking Harry our dog. Our neighbours who are runners go off exploring for an hour at a time.”
Community was also important to Eddie and Jayne, who, having lived in their old home for 26 years, were apprehensive about starting afresh.
“Moving into a new build development has meant it’s been easy to be a part of the growing community.
“As time goes on, Cross Trees Park is starting to have more and more of a community feel, and it’s certainly easier with a dog! People always want to come and meet Harry, and he’s a great conversation starter, especially with other dog walkers. Coming into a new area, the network is only just beginning to form.
Eddie continues: “This is definitely a forever home for us now, and we couldn’t be happier with the way it’s turned out. Finding Cross Trees Park has meant we’re close to our children who both work nearby. We’ve managed to find the perfect country home yet still only an hour away from our parents, so we’re still close enough to visit them. It’s turned out perfectly.”
Phase one of the Cross Trees Park development has proved popular with limited availability left, and properties spanning 2,3,4-bedrooms.
Cross Trees Park offers a new and rewarding way to experience stylish, contemporary living in a traditional village community.
The development is located on Highworth Road, Shrivenham, South Oxfordshire; with showhomes available to view.
For those looking to book a viewing, please call 01793 238 966, or to find out more information or to register interest, please visit: https://www.landghomes.com/find-a-home/south-east-england/oxfordshire/cross-trees-park-shrivenham/