The curving river and open green spaces of a Durham landscape, unchanged for centuries, have inspired the design of the North East's most prestigious new housing development.
The 107 homes at Miller Homes North East’s Lambton Park development, near Chester-le Street, sit amid parkland owned by the Earls of Durham for almost 1000 years…and nature is playing a key role in attracting buyers.
Following the huge success of the development’s first phase of homes, selling is well underway on its second phase – a selection of one, three, four and five bedroom properties inspired by the Victorian Arts and Crafts Movement.
The movement developed in the late 19th century as a response to the damaging effects of industrialisation and the growth in the number of items being made by machines.
Society began to place high importance on the decorative arts with artists, sculptors, designers and craftspeople looking to nature – and a romantic interpretation of rural life – for their inspiration.
And the team at Lambton Park has taken those core values to develop an estate, which echoes HM The King’s Poundbury development at Dorset.
Among its features are wide streets with a circular ‘village green’ and all parking spaces and garages are at the rear of the properties to ensure views from homes are not interrupted by cars and other vehicles.
The homes themselves have a wealth of traditional features such as multi-paned sash and bay windows, elaborate wood detailing on porches and the combination of grey bricks and red terracotta roof tiles favoured by the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Owners can also enjoy exclusive access to private areas of Lambton Estate with around 11.5km of footpaths through some of the most unspoilt woodland in Britain and the Grade II listed Lambton Castle – the ancestral seat of the Lambton family – at its heart.
Keiran and Sarah Hewkin and their 18-monthold son Freddie moved to Lambton Park having outgrown their flat in Hammersmith and wanting to return to their North East roots.
Keiran said: “First impressions of the development were amazing. The build quality and the look of the homes stood head and shoulders above all of the other developments we’d visited.
“We fell in love with the place the moment we saw it and knew we had to live there.”
One of the perks of living at Lambton Park is exclusive access to around 11.5km of walking trails through the parks and woodlands of the Lambton Estate.
Each of the house styles within the development is named after a species of tree to reflect its location and Alison and Malcolm Gittons were Lambton Park’s very first homeowners, downsizing to a one-bedroom detached home called The Birch.
Alison said: “Owning a Miller home at Lambton Park is more than a home, it’s a whole new lifestyle.
“The homes are beautiful and moving here is the best decision we have ever made.”
