Couple toast new home as perfect rural retreat

A couple have found their perfect home in the country close to where filming for Downton Abbey took place.

Robert and Annie Barnes are enjoying life in their new rural retreat at a new Bloor Homes development in Berkshire after swapping their three-bedroom home in Basingstoke for a brand new four-bedroom detached house at the Harwood Place development in Woolton Hill.

Robert, 36, who works in retail, and Annie, 32, a solicitor, were looking for a bigger home in a rural location and Harwood Place ticked all the boxes.

Robert said: “Our old three-bedroom home was too small for us and the fittings were pretty old fashioned so we wanted something with more space and a contemporary spec. Harwood Place is one of the most prestigious developments we have seen and the houses are high build quality. We weren’t going to buy new, but we are glad we have.”

Located in beautiful countryside on the Berkshire-Hampshire border, the village of Woolton Hill is perfect for enjoying the great outdoors, with plenty of footpaths, lake-side walks and bridleways nearby.

The village is also home to The Chase, a nature reserve managed by the National Trust which spans 143 hectares of woodland, and the historic Highclere Castle, well known as the real life setting for Downton Abbey, is just a short drive away.

But despite its idyllic rural setting, Harwood Place is just a 15-minute drive away from Newbury town centre, and has good transport links with easy access to the M4 and M3 motorways.

Robert added: “We are really enjoying living in the middle of the country with a village pub nearby. It is so much nicer than where we were living before.”

A range of four and five-bedroom homes is currently available at Harwood Place, with prices ranging from £750,000 to £850,000.

For more information call 01635 897114 or visit www.bloorhomes.com.

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