In pictures: Retirement living at Bishopstoke Park, Eastleigh, Hampshire

Developers up and down the country are paying more and more attention to the specific needs of homeowners of retirement age and building brand new properties that not only offer plenty of space and comfort, but also a secure, active and independent lifestyle to suit older buyers. Anchor Trust is no exception.

In fact, Anchor has been in the retirement business since the late 1960s and is now England’s largest not-for-profit provider of care and housing for older people. In recent years, it has been developing a series of developments of private homes for buyers in later life, and the latest in Hampshire is Bishopstoke Park in the popular town of Eastleigh.

Bishopstoke Park offers a compelling combination of high-quality privately owned homes, a care home and first-class amenities that together offer a comfortable lifestyle with a boutique hotel feel along with the security of knowing that expert help and care are on hand as and when needed.

“Peace of mind is a theme that runs throughout the whole scheme,” says Rebecca McCarthy, senior manager for Anchor, describing the care services that residents will have access to as well as carefully specified properties, where many features have been designed specifically with older buyers in mind.

“The community that will be created here will be equally important to residents who will want to enjoy an active retirement,” continues Rebecca. “Swapping an old home that requires a lot of time and money to maintain for one of the spacious new apartments at Bishopstoke Park will be a huge weight off the shoulders of many of our residents but we’re not just selling someone a property.”

At Anchor’s other developments, such as award-winning Denham Garden Village in Buckinghamshire, residents have been largely responsible for the wide range of clubs and activities that neighbours can join, from theatre visits to golf.

In addition to a range of one- and two-bedroom apartments of different sizes and layouts, the development will also benefit from a fully equipped gym, ultra-modern swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, private treatment rooms, beauty salon, juice bar, bistro and restaurant. There is also the extensive parkland of the site to enjoy for a run, walk or bike ride, or simply for quiet contemplation.

Some of the amenities are housed in The Mount, a beautiful 19th-century building that has been fully renovated to provide a centrepiece to the development. New and old will stand side-by-side at Bishopstoke Park, with The Mount connected to the contemporary swimming pool complex via a stylish glazed walkway.

The current phase of Bishopstoke Park provides 19 assisted living apartments in addition to 72 other village and village centre apartments, including a limited few ultra-spacious penthouses, and over 60 of them have already been reserved. The scheme is due to officially open in Spring 2015.

Find out more at www.bishopstokepark.co.uk or call 0800 028 2618.

Photo gallery:

1. Exterior shot showing The Mount at the swimming pool at Bishopstoke Park.
2. Exterior of village centre.
3. Artist’s impression of the bistro.
4. Artist’s impression of the restaurant.
5. The eye-catching contemporary design of the swimming pool complex.
6. One of the show home living rooms.
7. A living room from another of the development’s show homes.
8. A show home bedroom.
9. Another exterior image at Bishopstoke Park.