First Homeowner Moves Into Wickham Development

Positioned at the top of a hill in Wickham, a small country village nestled in Hampshire’s Meon Valley, Bewley Homes has designed the 120 new two-, three- and four-bedroom homes at its Bishop’s Gardens development to really complement the surroundings.

For Alison Neasom, one of the first to move in, the feeling of a home rooted in its ancient landscape setting and cossetted by mature trees, was simply too good to resist.

A former local teacher, Alison, 66, knew exactly what she wanted. Alison explains: “I much prefer a more traditional style of house, one that feels welcoming as you enter, and looks stylish from the outside. That’s what struck me about Bishop’s Gardens.”

Alison bought her three-bedroom semi-detached house off-plan, priced at £395,000. She adds: “I was so taken with the overall dimensions and proportions of the layout of this property. When you buy off-plan, it can be tricky to envisage the actual space and flow of the accommodation, but Bewley’s show home and its 3D modelling definitely allowed me to get a true sense of how the internal arrangement of rooms would work for me.”

Alison is also a passionate gardener, so a big benefit for her was how well the outside space has been generously designed to connect with the inside. She comments: “The landscape is important to me. I love being out in the garden and wanted a home that felt established and private. The joy of my new heavenly home is not only is it a manageable decent size and shape, but I also have wonderful mature trees along my rear boundary, which creates an instant sense of place and permanence.”

“The beauty of the accommodation and design of my new home is that it works extremely well on a practical level. Having a downstairs cloakroom and then an upstairs bathroom, as well as my en suite, means when family and friends come to stay everyone will feel they can relax and have their own personal space.”

When it comes to her favourite feature in her home, Alison is very clear: “I wanted a sitting area that opened directly onto the garden. My new garden gets the morning sun – perfect for enjoying a coffee and planning my day. I absolutely love the fact that my kitchen is at the front of the house and rather than a sink in front of the window, there’s space for a table, where I plan to sit and write my journal and watch the world go by. It’s going to be a lovely way of feeling connected and starting my new life living at Bishop’s Gardens and being part of a new community.”

Alison loves the convenience that Wickham offers for local shopping, cafes and amenities. For travelling up to London to see a show or exhibition as well as seeing her son, she has great transport links nearby - easy access to the M3 and A31 and rail services from nearby Fareham to Winchester, London Waterloo, Southampton and Portsmouth on the south coast.

Bewley Homes’ sales and marketing director, Elaine Stratford says: “We have created a very special development at Bishop’s Gardens which encompasses a charming village location with a thriving local community, independent shops and markets in an area renowned for its history and natural beauty.”

Bishop’s Gardens offers two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, with prices ranging from £365,000 to £640,000.

Find retirement homes in Hampshire
Find Help to Buy homes in Hampshire
Find new homes in Hampshire