Lifestyle Magazine | Issue 01 | 2017

LIFESTYLE ISSU E ON E * 2017

HOMES

INTERIORS

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TOP TIPS GET SHOW HOME STYLE

L O C AT I O N S

FOOD

T R AV E L

ENVIRONMENT

BUYING YOUR DREAM HOME

WE CAN HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN

GRAPE ADVICE

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO WINES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BROKEN PLAN LIVING

AN ARCHITECT EXPLAINS

EXPLORE

THE COTSWOLDS AND THE FOREST OF DEAN

PROUD TO BE DIFFERENT

Room to live

Aspirational homes in beautiful locations Visit one of our show homes or call us for a brochure www.freemanhomes.co.uk or 01594 543 354

PHOTO CREDITS: ALL DEVELOPMENT & HOMES PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVIDRIERAPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK, COTSWOLDS.COM, SALTANDPEPPER.CO.UK, LUCKNAMPARK.CO.UK. COVER IMAGE: IMGORTHAND/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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elcome to the first edition of Lifestyle.

In this magazine we aim to build on the Freeman brand bringing you inspiration for living the best life you can.

The way that you live is the essence of what we do. At Freeman Homes our mission is Building for a Better Future and we are passionate about delivering truly aspirational places to live in the most desirable locations. Our innovative teams design each individual home around the modern lifestyle, places we aspire to live ourselves. We treat each home as if it were our own. Meticulous attention to detail and a true understanding of quality enables us to create premium properties. Our entire team upholds our commitment to excellence ensuring every home is exceptionally crafted. We take time to seek out the most desirable places and put energy, time and focus into creating bespoke homes that are sympathetic to their surroundings, with some added luxury features so that you can enjoy life and live a truly enhanced lifestyle.

MF Freeman is a second generation dynamic family owned and run business with a heritage of over 50 years. We hope Lifestyle inspires you to live an extraordinary life and would love to hear what you think of our new creation. Our creative design team have been seeking out the best interior design, gadgets and appliances to make life that little bit more enjoyable and finding great walks, pubs and activities for you to enjoy in your downtime.

Luke Freeman and the Lifestyle Team Please feel free to contact us with any editorial or advertising enquiries at marketing@mffreeman.co.uk

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SUBSCRIPTION OFFER Turn to inside back cover for more info...

CONTENTS 2 FREEMAN HOMES The Story

4 LUST LIST Unique gift ideas

30 20 DEVELOPMENT FEATURE The Close, Llangrove

6 EXPLORE The Forest of Dean

24 DEVELOPMENT FEATURE Woodland View, Mitcheldean

8 EXPLORE The Cotswolds

26 DEVELOPMENT FEATURE Northleach, The Cotswolds

11 GET THE LOOK Inject some Cotswold style into your home

29 GARDENING Helping you design your outdoor space

12 BROKEN PLAN LIVING An Architects View

30 SPA

15 SELLING YOUR HOUSE

Eight of the best forward thinking sumptuous spas

How to get the best price

32 TRAVEL 16 BUYING YOUR DREAM HOME

THE TEAM

A weekend away in Brighton

Financial advice on Help to Buy

35 GRAPE ADVICE

19 ASK AN EXPERT

Wines from around the world & a hearty pie

Emma

Reliable renewable heating

36 SHOPPING Louisa

Rebecca

CONTENT Louisa Evans, Emma Shotton, Rebecca Jenkins & Hayley Coombs

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Jones Design Create info@jonesdesigncreate.com

PRINT Cambrian Printers Ltd

Hayley

Inspired by the architecture of Weobley

38 SPORT : GOLF Improve your putting stroke

40 TOP 10 INTERIOR TIPS Achieve ‘show home’ style

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THE FREEMAN LIFESTYLE As MF Freeman celebrate their 50th year of trading we met with Luke Freeman, Joint CEO, to find out what life is like behind the scenes and what plans he has for the future.

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rowing up were you always interested in business?

I always had some sort of business deal going on when I was younger. I was fascinated by the amount of things that you could buy and sell and my favourite magazine was Exchange and Mart which I used to race home from school to read. I always had a business running from selling eggs from the family farm, bike restoration, furniture making or setting up a shop in the school playing field.

So what is it about building houses that you enjoy so much?

I enjoy taking a product from concept to completion - from the initial ideas with an architect, through planning stages and then to see the physical house at the end of it. The ultimate satisfaction really comes from seeing families moving in, living and enjoying the homes the way that I’d envisaged at the start.

But it’s not just about building homes is it? You clearly love being in business…

So was it a natural progression to join I do. I’m just as passionate about building the family business when the time came? a company and creating a better future for Building homes and construction was all involved, our customers, our staff and always something that our shareholders. I like fascinated me, so yes, to add value. I like to but I wanted to study think that we create a ‘TO SAY I’M NEVER and gain experience in good product for HAPPY ISN’T QUITE the industry first. I customers to live in RIGHT BUT I AM studied for a National which are aspirational ALWAYS LOOKING Diploma in homes. I like to think Construction and then that we do things better TO IMPROVE’ whilst I studied for my than others and degree in Construction differently. We try and Management I also worked for Taylor do things more efficiently, to save costs Woodrow, a Top 10 UK Contractor. By the where we can but without compromising time I joined the family business I had a on quality. wealth of experience to draw on and I understood how different companies How has Freeman Homes changed in the operated and within two years I’d last 18 years? established Freeman Homes which is 18 We started off doing smaller projects, years ago now. House building is conversions mixed in with some new definitely part of my DNA and the build. The projects that we’re looking at business that I enjoy the most, it’s where my passion lies. However, all the other business divisions are in support of that so really it is our overall organisation I am very passionate about.

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now are larger where we can get the benefit of economies of scale. We can standardise our processes and get the benefits of repetition, that’s not to say that we will just offer a limited selection of houses… our focus is always on making our homes bespoke, individual and to suit the developments, communities and landscapes that they’re built in. Taking into account the views and the local area.

Your houses are very different, you can tell that a lot of thought has gone into them. How do you go about making sure your homes stand out from the crowd?

I saw a phrase the other day from a company - not a house builder, but they said ‘our product is like a fingerprint, every one is different’ and I’d like to think that captures the essence of our approach to house building meaning that our houses our designed to suit the site constraints and benefits of views for example. Our houses are sympathetic and tailored to the needs of our customers and exceptional quality throughout.

It’s a fine line balancing the need to turn a profit but also create high quality, bespoke homes and it’s a line that I feel we balance very well.

We aim to make bespoke and individual homes.

engaging with the local community as being incredibly important. I think that’s probably because we’re a family business and we’re a more local business. At the end of the day we care about what we do.

What is your vision for the future of Freeman Homes?

Our strapline is ‘Building for a Better Future’ and that means different things for different divisions. For the homes division it’s building 100 homes a year, building aspirational places to live, for the retirement division it’s building 100 units a year and creating places to live where there’s a community with facilities. As an overall group we’re working towards building a high performance, learning and empowered organisation.

So are you in competition with national house builders?

Actually we don’t want to compete with the national house builders in terms of their product – we’re a family business, a local business and we’re more interested in becoming the preferred choice when we’re building in an area. In one of our upcoming developments we actually had someone comment that they were really happy that we were the company that were developing the land in their very beautiful town, that they loved the designs of the houses and that they fitted in perfectly.

When you’re building in an area how do you ensure the community is looked after?

I like to think that if we are building in an area that we’ll do our best to make sure that the residents surrounding our developments are kept in the loop. We hold public consultations, I personally go along to the parish council meetings and I’m happy to talk to anyone who may have concerns. It’s just about getting a dialogue going with people. We see

What do you mean by an empowered organisation?

An empowered organisation is not necessarily an organisation that is led from the top. We’re leaders and not bosses and all the staff are empowered to make their own decisions along certain principles and values held by the organisation. Lifelong learning is what we want in our organisation – when people come to work for MF Freeman it’s a journey to grow the company and to grow themselves. We’re pleased with the people we’ve got working for us… we’ve got a really talented strong team and that shows in the homes that we build.

What are your next goals personally?

To say I’m never happy isn’t quite right but I am always looking to improve. To improve myself, what I do and how I do it. Professionally we’ve got a strong and brilliant business that’s grown over the last 50 years and I now look to project what the group will look like in the next 50 years. I think working with our board and doing my MBA, it makes you think more long term. You have to look as far ahead as you can but then also to bring focus back to today and what steps you can take to achieve the goals you set for the business and for yourself. My current personal goals include maybe getting my

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helicopter license, doing some more rallying, making time for training for triathlon’s and then finding a few gaps in a busy schedule to enjoy drinking wine and relaxing.

How does it feel when you drive past a development years later?

I have an enormous sense of pride when I see people enjoying homes that we’ve built. I like to think all of our homes are making a difference to people’s lives from the first time buyers setting up their first home, to the family’s growing into the next stage of their life with more space needed for children, through to those more vulnerable people who are needing more of a sense of community later in life.

We are making a massive difference to lives and that’s what excites me about what we do. We’re making a difference on all levels, to the communities we build in, the people that live in our homes, the suppliers and teams we work alongside and also to the people we employ and that really is our focus to build for a better future. Having that good feeling gives you the drive to go on to do the next project.

Family living is key to the way we design our houses.

PERSONALISED METALLIC SCARF

BY LILY BELLE £29.00

HOUSE WARMING NEW HOME KEY RING

BY EDAMAY £12.00

LUST LIST

Be c aus e ou r live s a re n ot c ompl e te w ith out . . .

CAR DIAL CUFFLINKS BY ME AND MY CAR £29.95

WATCH STAND BY MIJMOJ DESIGN £45.00

PERSONALISED CAT OR DOG NAME WALL STICKER BY NUTMEG HOME & GIFTS £20.00

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PUSH ALONG PERSONALISED WOODEN DUCK BY WOODEN TOY GALLERY £14.50

BLACK MAKE UP CASE WITH GOLD NAME BY TILLYANNA £16.00

FLUTED GLASS CANDLE HOLDER

BY RED LILLY £4.15

CARNIVAL STAR LIGHT

BY RED LILLY £16.95

ALL PRODUCTS FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE FROM NOTONTHEHIGHSTREET.COM

PERSONALISED ‘HUG ACROSS THE MILES’ LOCATI...BY THE DRIFTING BEAR CO £35.00

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ARTISAN CHOCOLATES 25 PIECE COLLECTION

BY ALEXEEVA & JONES £34.95

T H E FORE ST OF DE A N Unveiling what’s bene ath the forest canopy that makes it such a gre at place to live.

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he Royal Forest of Dean has always been a tourist magnet bringing people in from miles around to experience its beauty and attractions. For adventure seekers there is mountain biking, cycle tracks, zip-wires, kayaking and for The Wye Valley. explorers there’s a great range of things to see and do making it an amazing day out or holiday destination. There is no doubt, it really is a magical place and there is a pace of life that once DOWN TIME experienced, no one wants to leave behind at the end of the day To say it has to be seen to be believed is a true statement. It - so is this why people are now flocking to not only visit this area doesn’t matter what season you are in, the views are breathbut also to move to it making it one of the most up and coming taking. Undisputedly one of the most popular ways to enjoy this areas to live in? landscape is to cycle through it and people travel from miles When you chose to live here that’s when you experience the around to enjoy the varied terrain and scenery on offer here and true nature of the Forest of Dean. There are a it is perfect for cyclists of all ages and abilities. wealth of little villages and well serviced towns Road riders can look forward to winding country full of characterful and friendly locals and an lanes and short hill climbs whereas families can THE FOREST IS VERY use the popular cycle paths in the Cannop valley abundance of pubs and places to eat out.

WELL SERVED Unlike the contrast of city life where no one safely away from traffic. There are even off-road MAKING IT EASILY speaks to you, living here you actually get to trails for those more adventurous and keen know your neighbours. When you walk through COMMUTABLE FROM mountain bikers that are sure to get the heart the towns and villages you feel a part of a racing and adrenaline pumping. The landscape is GLOUCESTER, community where everyone stops and talks to CHELTENHAM AND also a favourite of walkers, joggers and runners you bidding you good day almost as a nod to so having this on your doorstep means saying EVEN BRISTOL AND farewell to gym memberships and running yesteryear when the pace was more welcoming BIRMINGHAM and friendly. machines as you enjoy fresh air, rolling This warm and kindly environment provides countryside and stunning vistas. one of the biggest clues as to why the Forest is growing in popularity and when you pair that with the beautiful INVESTMENTS scenery and amazing activities on the doorstep it becomes even Not every decision can be made with the heart as much as we’d more attractive. like to be, some need to be made with the head and buying a property in the Forest is a sound investment in the future as its BUT WHAT ABOUT THE COMMUTE? popularity is continuing to grow, so are house prices.

The major bonus to the Forest of Dean has to be that although it It has to be said that living in the Royal Forest of Dean really feels a world away in mind set and pace from the big cities, it is does give you access to the best of both worlds. You simply can’t actually far from remote geographically. The Forest itself is very help but soak up the atmosphere and take on board the relaxed well served making it easily commutable from Gloucester, way of life that comes hand in hand with living in this beautiful Cheltenham and even Bristol and Birmingham. part of the world.

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The Verderers’ Trail at Pedalabikeaway, Cannop.

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THINGS TO DO… We’ve chosen five of the more hidden treasures to visit in the area…

1. SEVERN & WYE SMOKERY, CHAXHILL, WESTBURY-ONSEVERN Severn & Wye Smokery is situated on the edge of the Royal Forest of Dean. Starting with two flagship products, smoked wild salmon and smoked eel, the business has grown to produce a full range of smoked fish products and sell a range of delicacies in their shop and on site restaurant.

2. GO APE

ASK A LOCAL

With two locations in the Forest of Dean, you can enjoy their original Tree Top Adventure, Tree Top Junior Adventure or Forest Segway.

EMMA PRICE WHY DID YOU CHOSE TO MOVE TO THE FOREST OF DEAN? After seven months travelling New Zealand and Australia, my partner and I returned to the UK engaged and wanting to buy our first home together. Knowing this beautiful area, we wanted to move to the Forest of Dean to enjoy the best of the outdoors and make the most of our weekends together. The location works great for our jobs and I now only have a 15 minute journey to work which is a bonus.

PHOTO CREDITS: WYEDEANTOURISM, LINDA WRIGHT

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED HERE? 3 years - we returned in 2013 and moved here almost straight away.

Fish from the Severn & Wye Smokery.

3. BROCKWEIR & HEWELSFIELD VILLAGE SHOP & CAFÉ With its stunning views down the valley and local artwork on the walls it is hard to imagine a more appealing place to sit and take a break. Opened by HRH Prince Charles, this shop and café is a must to visit and even uses a solar voltaic roof to power appliances and runs its own eco project!

DID YOU KNOW? YOU CAN GET FROM LYDNEY TO PADDINGTON IN JUST OVER 2 AND A HALF HOURS BY TRAIN.

Family fun for all at Go Ape!

WHAT IS IT YOU LIKE MOST? The cycling and mountain bike trails are amazing! Sometimes we do the family trail and when we are feeling really adventurous we give some of the big downhill routes a go. As well as beautiful views wherever you are in the area, everyone is very friendly – I feel very lucky to live here.

4. VERDERERS’ TRAIL For those keen mountain bikers, the highly rated Verderers’ trail is an exciting and adventurous trail with a combination of different surfaces, narrow sections, moderate climbs, humps, flowing berms and undulating whoops.

5. WENCHFORD - BLAKENEY STRAIGHTS This picnic site is a stunning place to visit in spring when the nearby woodlands transform themselves into a soft carpet of bluebells. The heady smell combined with the visual feast is a treat for all the senses.

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THE COT S WOL D S A walkers paradise with country pubs that are a hit with the foodies – why escape to the Cotswolds when it could be home?

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ith its mesmerising views and expansive countryside it’s no wonder the Cotswolds is top of the list with the increasingly popular staycation enjoyed in the UK, but why not go one step further and make a move towards calling this breathtakingly beautiful place, home.

The Cotswolds is nothing short of a lifestyle choice. Rolling green countryside is surrounded by quintessentially English towns and villages lined with honey-coloured stone houses that look like they’ve fallen out of the pages of a story book. No need for any Instagram filter here – the entire area is picture-perfect.

You are never too far from the hustle and bustle of towns and cities that sit comfortably within the area. Oxford and Bath are located on the edges of the Cotswolds and the vibrant and busy towns of Cheltenham and Cirencester provide excellent places for shopping of all kinds.

Covering almost 800 square miles and running through 5 counties, makes the Cotswolds the largest of 38 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales. This gives way to more than 3,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore, and 4,000 miles of Cotswold stone walls that frame this famous landscape.

With the winter season well underway this countryside location presents the perfect place to get out of the house, wrap up and enjoy a good walk in the crisp fresh air.

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Above left, cosy up by the fire at The Wild Duck Inn, Ewen. Above main, friendly Cotswold faces!

Above, Broadway Tower.

A F OUR GRE AT COT S WOL D WAL K S 1. THE CLEEVE HILL RING 4.6 miles Leading you through woodlands and across open hills you are presented with unsurpassed views from Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswold range.

2. NORTHLEACH, HAMPETT & THE SALTWAY 4.5 miles This circular walk from Northleach passes the Old prison, beautiful Hampnett Valley and the Salt and Fosse Ways. The route can be found in ‘The Walks Around Northleach’ booklet, available to purchase from most shops in Northleach.

3. BROADWAY TOWER COUNTRY PARK

PHOTO CREDITS: THE LUCKY ONION GROUP, COTSWOLD TOURISM, THE WILD DUCK INN

Just over 5 miles A popular walk that takes you around the park where you can see red deer, and take a break in a picturesque picnic area.

Below, have lunch at The Wheatsheaf, Northleach.

ll of these great walks just skim the surface in an area where you are spoilt for choice. We highly recommend the national trail website that has a dedicated Cotswold page for a wide range of walking routes and circuits (www.nationaltrail.co.uk).

And as we all know, no winter walk is complete without a country pub lunch featuring crackling fires, comfy armchairs and simply great pub food. Check out our list that covers it all…

THE COTSWOLD COSY PUB LIST THE WHEATSHEAF INN, NORTHLEACH Part of the award winning Lucky Onion Group this village pub serves great food and even better - our four legged family members are welcome guests.

THE SWAN, SOUTHROP Part of Thyme and the Southrop Manor Estate, The village pub won ‘Best Pub Restaurant’ in the 2016 Cotswold Food & Drink Awards.

THE LION INN, WINCHCOMBE Ahead of the game, The Good Pub Guide named it ‘Best New Pub of The Year’ for 2017.

4. BOURTON-ON-THEWATER & WYCK RISSINGTON

THE CROWN INN, FRAMPTON MANSELL 17th Century cider house with roaring log fires and great pub food - need we say more!?

4 miles Three small rivers, a nature reserve and a maze in a church. This easy walk through meadows will take you through the unspoilt village of Wyck Rissington.

THE WILD RABBIT, KINGHAM The perfect place to enjoy an artisan beer or wine from a small independent vineyard in a comfy armchair next to an open fire.

THE GUMSTOOL BAR, TETBURY The pub that does ‘better than pub’ food!

This is the perfect place to stop off for a quick drink or take your time over a hearty lunch set in the grounds of Calcot Manor.

THE WILD DUCK INN, EWEN The newest edition to The Lucky Onion Group that plates up British classics using all the best produce.

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Discover farrow & ball at: I & JL Brown, Whitestone Park, Whitestone, Hereford HR1 3SE Tel: 01432 851 991

www.farrow-ball.com LIFESTYLE 10

www.ijlbrown.com

GE T T H E LO OK Inject some Cotswold style into your home

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he Cotswolds are home to some incredible designers.

Here we have handpicked some of our favourite pieces to help you create a stunning home which is as beautiful on the inside as the landscape that surrounds you on the outside.

NEWGATE DORMITORY WALL CLOCK (40CM) £75

THE COTSWOLD COMPANY NEWGATE DORMITORY WALL CLOCK With the Cotswolds at the heart of everything they do, this company make timeless, rural classics that sit well with everyday life and add some country-esque style to your home. The Newgate Dormitory Wall Clock would certainly have pride of place on our kitchen wall with its elegant serif numbers and stylish acrylic grey finish.

HERRINGBONE MERINO LAMBSWOOL THROW £89

STOCKISTS: STICKSANDSTONE.CO.UK, KATIEBONAS.CO.UK, COTSWOLDCO.COM, INDIGENOUS.CO.UK

KATIE BONAS HERRINGBONE THROWS Katie gets her inspiration for her products from her love of the countryside. She specialises in beautiful home accessories and gifts. These throws are perfect to snuggle up under at the end of a cold winters day.

RECLAIMED ENGLISH OAK RACK £550.00

STICKS & STONE WINE RACK Sticks and Stone specialise in solid wood furniture including candlesticks, benches, coffee tables and wine racks. All of their pieces are completely unique and made by hand in their Cotswold based workshop. We absolutely love this unique wine rack and think it adds character to any Cotswold style kitchen.

WICKER CUBE CHAIR £375.00

INDIGENOUS WICKER CUBE CHAIR Indigenous is a well-established and key UK supplier of natural flooring and wall products as well as eye-catching pieces of furniture. Based on the outskirts of Oxford, the founders of Indigenous personally source all of their products. Not only inviting, this contemporary chair is comfortable too. Made from natural rattan, it is hard-wearing and super easy to maintain which is a plus for us.

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ARCHITECTS VIEW

BROKEN PLAN LIVING We met with Duncan Gunn, Director at RRA Architects, to get his view of what’s popular in the world of design and architecture

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he practice, RRA Architects, is unusual in that it covers such a wide range of areas from the density of inner city London to the expansive, countryside of Herefordshire and beyond.

London space is so much more of a premium, every square foot needs to be maximized - we do a great number of basement conversions in the capital. So, of course, there is a difference between what our London clients are wanting compared to the more rural based clients, however, more striking is the similarities of the popular trends across the country.

In my experience the ‘top ten’ of what people are looking for in their homes, some new, some very established ideas, would be;

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LOCK-UP AND GO This is a new phrase and a fairly new idea, as the original ‘baby boomers’ reach the age of semi-retirement, there is a growing market of people who are hugely down-sizing and their lifestyle is strongly focused on going away for extended periods of time - whether on holiday or to assist with the grandchildren across the country.

This lifestyle demands a degree of freedom from your home so it is essential that it is low-maintenance with high security, to this end a friendly community with good neighbours to keep an eye on things is ideal.

AN EXAMPLE OF BROKEN PLAN LIVING

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BROKEN-PLAN LIVING After decades of knocking down walls and living the open-plan dream - albeit fine for extremely tidy people open-plan houses are not good for hiding a pile of ironing - a new trend has emerged; broken-plan living; the harmonious marriage of beautiful, light, open spaces which flow into each other coupled with zones to create a degree of privacy, maybe a snug where you can retreat from the noise of the living area or a half wall behind which you can hide the childrens’ toy shelves or that pile of ironing. All the benefits of open-plan living for entertaining, space, etc. along with the benefits of escape.

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STORAGE WALLS Hot on the heels of the brokenplan trend is the desire for storage everywhere. It’s a true reflection of the irony of our consumer lifestyles that we amass such a collection of belongings, but, unlike our grandparents with their proudly displayed china in specially built glass cabinets, we have a need to hide everything away and pretend that we live with no possessions. Cue the storage wall – a modern miracle of secret

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compartments in which to hide everything from the ironing board to the monopoly board. These days storage walls come in all shapes, colours and sizes; you can buy them off the peg, build one yourself or commission a top-end, bespoke storage wall to support a mezzanine playroom with a slide into the living room.

The options are endless and it’s definitely high on the wish-list of home owners.

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A MODERN ENTERTAINING SPACE For some time the trend for a combined kitchen and dining area has increased the importance of the kitchen as not just a functional room. The kitchen, whilst always accepted as the heart of the home, is also now part of the entertaining arena, a factor which has been further influenced with the increased popularity of professional cookery programmes. With more and more professional equipment being aimed at the residential market, hi-tech toys such as instant hot water taps, plate warmers, integrated coffee machines, Neff Hide-and-Slide ovens, waste disposal units along with a sleek, stylish kitchen feature very high on the list of ‘must haves’ for many home owners.

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cupboard has matured into a full master suite with a spacious bedroom area often with integrated mood lighting. Separate dressing areas and walk-in wardrobes to keep the clutter away from the bedroom.

And, of course, large, naturally lit en-suites ideally with walk-thru showers, double sink units and, if space allows, even a bath.

OUTDOOR LIVING Again not a new trend, but one that is still very current. In fact the use of outdoor space as part of your day to day living is getting more and more popular.

GOING GREEN The fairly recent So this is not a new idea, however, introduction of widely for many people and developers available bi-fold doors has many of the eco-friendly options have helped fuel this trend as it simply been prohibitively expensive. Only has become easier and in relatively recent years have the prices cheaper to open up a whole started to drop along with the side of your house to join development of new technology for better the inside and outside and more cost effective options. Air spaces as one. source heat pumps are now one of the A top tip to help achieve new favoured methods of heating the a good indoor-outdoor home. They work well with underfloor flow is to minimise any heating, are cheaper to run than gas or oil height difference between boilers and although they do use a small the spaces, ideally having a amount of electricity to run they have a firm patio or decking at exactly the same very efficient conversion rate of energy to level allowing for fluid movement of heat so a very low carbon footprint. people between the areas.

There’s so many green options out there Also the installation of good outdoor that I can’t even begin to list them all but I lighting and, perhaps heating, encourages would say, along with the good, energy evening use and really helps integrate efficient heating the outside as part of system, top of the the home.

‘A NEW TREND HAS list for most home Along with the increase in utilising EMERGED; BROKEN-PLAN owners would be high performance the outdoor space LIVING’ windows and top has come a quality insulation. resurgence of al There’s no point in spending money on fresco dining, with a lot of people the heating system when it all disappears wanting an entire outdoor dining area through poor quality windows or thin complete with mini kitchen and walls and empty lofts. barbeque, even a full size pizza oven.

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MASTER BEDROOM SUITE It has only been about 30 years since developers started including en-suites for the master bedroom and even then they were only available on the ‘executive houses’. Nowadays people expect at least one en-suite and they are no longer pokey, dark rooms which were really little more than a cupboard with a toilet in the corner.

The bedroom and en-suite

STORAGE WALL OPEN...

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THE GARAGE No longer only a storage facility for the car and with the growing popularity of outdoor sports the garage is a highly prized space in the modern home. Used primarily for safely storing expensive bikes and canoes etc, there is now a need for it to be a clean, practical space which is dry and secure.

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INTERIOR DESIGN Although the Changing Rooms days are well behind us now and that’s probably a good thing, what that show did do was encourage people to be a bit more adventurous and see their houses as a canvas on which they could make their mark. It was the homes with personality that were lovely places to live.

So we say “go for it” and dress your house as your home, after all it’s only a pot of paint away from the next make-over!

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FOCAL POINT People still like the idea of an open fire, however, in many properties this is simply not practical.

There are various alternatives, but where possible we recommend wood burners which give the calming, warm feeling of a fire but in a more controlled way, particularly the new modern ones.

Often they are not needed for heat although very effective, but provide a striking focal point.

Of course the other focal point of almost all houses now is the TV. Where we used to have to position the cumbersome box in a corner or buy a deep pupose made unit to house it, nowadays you can position your 62 inch, wafer thin, plasma screen over the fireplace with the woodburner.

It can even be linked through the wall to the digital box in another room so we can have almost an infinite number of channels 24 hours a day without even a single messy wire. ... AND CLOSED

PROUD TO BE DIFFERENT

Quality touches

Aspirational homes in desirable locations Visit one of our show homes or call us for a brochure www.freemanhomes.co.uk or 01594 543 354 14 LIFESTYLE

SELLING YOUR HOUSE

GET THE RIGHT PRICE Top tips to ensure you get the best price when selling your home.

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ou have decided to sell your property and move, all you need to do now is get the best possible price for your home to ensure you don’t lose out and you can comfortably afford your new property.

It can be a difficult decision to put a house on the market and there are often a few simple mistakes that people make when the time comes to sell their home.

These mistakes can then lead to low offers or sometimes no offers made at all and the sellers having to reduce their asking price.

If you are considering putting your house on the market in the near future then there are a number of simple steps you can take which will ensure you get the best possible price for your home. Whether you are trying to sell a two-bedroom flat or a five-bedroom detached house, each of the following steps will have a positive impact on getting the best price.

FRESH FLOWERS AND NICE SMELLING CANDLES HELP TO MAKE THE HOUSE FEEL LIKE A HOME TO BUYERS

SHOW BUYERS SOME DO SOME RESEARCH AND SET A REALISTIC SELLING PRICE PERSONALITY Have a look at similar properties within the same area that you Whilst it is great to have a tidy house, try not to make it look like are selling your home. Gather a list of 3 or 4 comparable a generic hotel, leave some personality around your home. Some properties and have a look at how much these are being sold for. buyers can be unimaginative, by leaving key bits of furniture, You can also use online sites to see how much properties within paintings and items in the house it shows these people what they your area have sold for in the last few months. Use FREE online might be able to do with the property themselves. People don’t home valuation tools to get an idea of how much your property only buy a house they buy a lifestyle, therefore is worth. This alongside your research will give show them the attractive side of your lifestyle. If you a good indication of where to start. Then get ‘PEOPLE DON’T you have a large garden and it’s a sunny day, a couple of quotes from local estate agents and open the doors and set up the BBQ outside to compare this with what you have found. From ONLY BUY A show the social side of your home. this you can choose your asking price. Try to HOUSE THEY BUY avoid making this too high as it can put off some A LIFESTYLE ’ A SENSE OF SMELL buyers, however don’t go in too low as you want The first thing a prospective buyer will notice to make sure you get the best price possible. about your property is the smell. A bad smelling home can be the biggest turn off for a buyer. Whilst candles will cover up some INCREASE YOUR HOMES APPEAL smells its best to fix the source of the smell. IE; clear drains, wash One of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to improve out bins and open windows to air out the kitchen from old your home and increase the chances of receiving a price you are cooking smells. If you are a smoker, a top tip for clearing the happy with is to give it a bit of a spruce up. By giving your house smell is to leave bowls of vinegar out for 3 days. Although the a quick tidy, lick of paint and a good de-clutter, you can make a vinegar will smell once you open the windows the smell will go huge difference to how your house is seen. An untidy house can and take most of the stale cigarette smoke with it. Equally, good be a turn-off for buyers with mess and clutter being a smells will make a property feel like an alluring home. It may be distraction, buyers need to be able to envisage what the property slightly impractical to do some baking for each viewing you have would look like if they were living there. Also, don’t forget to pay booked in however, freshly brewed coffee gives a warm attention to the garden, tidy it up and ensure the lawn is freshly welcoming smell to anyone stepping into your home. mown and any toys are neatly stowed away.

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FINANCE

HELP TO BUY Terry Sutherland from The Mortgage Brain explains the various Help To Buy initiatives.

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ne of the soundest investments you can make is in owning your own home, however getting on the property ladder or sometimes moving up the ladder is not an easy task nowadays. If you’re looking to buy your first home or selling a home and moving up the ladder, the government’s Help to Buy initiatives can offer some welcome assistance. Here are 3 examples of how Help to Buy could help you.

EXAMPLE 1 HELP TO BUY: EQUITY LOAN If you’re a first time buyer then the Help to Buy: Equity Loan is one of the most popular government initiatives and it’s easy to see why. After you put down 5% of the property price as a deposit, the government then loans you another 20%, which adds up to a 25% deposit you put down in total. With a 75% mortgage, you should also get more favourable terms from your mortgage lender. The equity loan is interest free for five years after which you pay 1.75% of the loans value for a year then 1.75% plus 1% after that.

The equity loan is exclusively available on new build homes and the property must be worth less than £600,000.

EXAMPLE 2 HELP TO BUY: EQUITY LOAN - CURRENT HOMEOWNER If you already own a home you can still benefit. A popular misconception is that if you are a homeowner, then you are not eligible to use the government Help to Buy scheme.

The reality is that, if you are a homeowner, as long as you have sold your home (subject to contract) then you are

The maximum government bonus is £3,000; to earn that you need to have saved £12,000. Though you can continue the scheme for another two years, anything you save above the £12,000 threshold will not accrue any further bonus. The EXAMPLE 3 money saved can only be HELP TO BUY: ISA ‘HELP TO BUY used towards the purchase Another way to get that ISN’T JUST of a home and the bonus deposit money is to open a FOR FIRST will be paid as you’re just Help to Buy: ISA. For every about to complete the £200 that a first-time buyer TIME BUYERS’ house purchase. If you are puts into this independent buying with a partner who savings account each is also a first-time buyer, both of you can month, the government adds an extra apply for a separate Help to Buy: ISA, 25% (£50). The minimum government giving you a potential £6,000 bonus bonus is £400, so you need to save at least towards a new home. £1,600 before you start receiving the bonus. also able to take advantage of the government Help to Buy scheme and it works in exactly the same way as for a first time buyer, provided this would be the only home that you own.

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Q&A

We asked our resident Financial Advisor to give us some honest answers.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EQUITY LOAN AND MORTGAGE GUARANTEE SCHEME? The Help to Buy Equity Loan is available exclusively for the purchase of new-build properties. The government provide you with an equity loan, reducing the size of the mortgage required to purchase your new home.

The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee is available on new-build and existing properties. The government provide a guarantee to the mortgage lenders for up to 15% of your mortgage. This enables the mortgage lenders to be able to offer a 95% mortgage.

With both a Help to Buy Equity Loan and Mortgage Guarantee, you only require a 5% deposit to purchase your new home.

FIGURES QUOTED CORRECT AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS DECEMBER 2016 MAIN IMAGE: MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

NEWS

Terry talks about the impact of Brexit on the mortgage sector.

Up until the surprise result of the EU referendum vote, the mortgage sector was doing well. I do think it is still too early to tell definitively, but everything indicates that the sector is continuing to do well in spite of what the doom mongers will have you believe.

Amidst all of the speculation, it is important to keep in mind that no one can accurately predict the future of the market. Educated guesses can be made based on available evidence to help steer the ship in but, no one can predict the future of the market with 100% certainty.

That being said, there are plenty of positives for the consumer. Whilst the vote and upcoming negotiations to ensure ‘Brexit means Brexit’ represent anxiety, demand for property is, and

will remain, high.

With the most recent reduction in the Bank of England base rate designed to ride out any peaks and troughs in inflation and fluctuation in the value of the pound, a new record low interest rate does currently make buying a home more affordable and attractive.

Mortgage lenders are becoming more inventive in creating new types of mortgage and there are more and more players entering the market which is a sign of a vibrant industry. Lending criteria carry on being tweaked to cater for borrowers more intricate needs.

As before, no-one knows exactly what the future holds but as things continue to unfold, let us be cautiously optimistic.

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HOW LONG WILL THE HELP TO BUY SCHEME RUN FOR? The popular Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme has been extended until 2021 through a further £8.6billion in government funding.

The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee was available until 31st December 2016.

CAN I PAY OFF THE EQUITY LOAN BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST 5 YEARS? Yes. Once you have purchased your home, you can choose to make voluntary part repayments or a full repayment at any time, based on the market value at that time. The minimum voluntary repayment is 10% of the market value at that time.

PROUD TO BE DIFFERENT

Superior finish

Aspirational homes in desirable locations Visit one of our show homes or call us for a brochure www.freemanhomes.co.uk or 01594 543 354 18 LIFESTYLE

ASK AN EXPERT

RELIABLE RENEWABLE HEATING

interior unit and hot water cylinder can be simply stacked one on top of the other, or installed side by side. Easily connected to both radiators and under floor heating systems, the Daikin Altherma Richard Paine, Product Manager heat pump range has a product for Domestic Heating and to suit every property.

Renewables at Daikin UK discusses Additionally, the hot water the cost and energy saving benefits tank can also be combined of air to water heat pumps. with other renewable technologies like solar thermal systems, to further reduce the cross a number of new cost and energy developments including The required for hot water MAIN PIC, A WALL Orchard in Staunton and more production.

HUNG OUTSIDE recently The Close at Llangrove, Freeman Controllable by UNIT. RIGHT, Homes are now including air to water heat intelligent room RICHARD PAINE. pump technology as a low carbon alternative temperature to traditional gas boilers. With heating and thermostats and hot water in the average UK home currently accounting for mobile app Netatmo, approximately 70% of its total energy consumption, Freeman the heat pump Homes has recognised the long term benefits this renewable controls provide technology will bring to customers seeking the most cost and homeowners with energy efficient heating solutions possible. easy and unconstrained access to their heating system. Ideally Extracting latent heat from the outside air all year around, air suited to a busy lifestyle, the Netatmo controller conveniently source heat pumps harness the basic law of thermodynamics allows for changing timetables, with the heating system easily that heat energy moves from warm to cold areas - to create activated through a smart phone app. temperature and pressure differences to An increasing requirement for low carbon move heat energy from outside a property, heating solutions was recently addressed in to inside. a speech at Utility Week Energy Summit, Effective in temperatures as low as -20oC where Secretary of State for Environment, ‘ENVIRONMENTALLY heat pumps provide a reliable low carbon Andrea Leadsom stressed the need to SUSTAINABLE HEATING heating solution for every property. explore varied and innovative sources of SOLUTION THAT Producing up to 4kWh of useable heat for energy as to safeguard its supply and deliver ULTIMATELY SAVES OUR every kWh of electricity consumed, the cost effective and sustainable energy and CUSTOMERS’ MONEY’ renewable system can significantly reduce heating solutions for UK households. In household heating running costs. doing so, Leadsom stated, “This For example, the Daikin Altherma High Government is committed to keeping bills Temperature heat pump installed at The low for families”.

Close is up to 300% efficient and saves on average, per Residents at The Orchard and The Close are already reaping the year, £450 and £750 when compared to an oil boiler and LPG benefits from Daikin Altherma heat pumps, Freeman Homes is a boiler respectively. developer leading the march. Luke Freeman, Joint Chief Consisting of a ‘split’ unit, the heating system is comprised of Executive for Freeman Homes commented “we pride ourselves on an exterior heat pump unit, where heat is extracted from the being leaders of innovation in the house building sector and are outside air, and an indoor unit and hot water cylinder. always looking to add value to our homes through innovative Quiet and compact, the discrete outdoor unit can be installed design and products. We are pleased to work with suppliers like almost anywhere within 50m of the property, like a flat roof or Daikin to provide an environmentally sustainable heating at the side of the property. Whilst the space saving wall-hung solution that ultimately saves customers’ money.”

PHOTO CREDITS: DAIKIN UK

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LET’S MOVE TO

T H E C LO S E L L A NGROV E

This award winning development built by Freeman Homes presents only six exclusive four bedroom homes that enjoy exceptional views over the Wye Valley and Welsh Mountains.

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ucked away down a quiet country lane, the homes at Llangrove are finished to the highest quality.

When you look closely you can see that every detail has been thought of and they feature the very latest in energy saving technology. Having been designed and fitted out with Daikin Air Source Heat Pumps they provide a highly efficient and versatile method of generating renewable energy. The system can save up to 40% on household fuel bills, boding well for your pocket as well as the planet.

LIVING IN LLANGROVE The picturesque village of Llangrove is perfectly located down a quiet country lane tucked away from the hustle and bustle of urban living. Despite its idyllic setting, it’s not far at all from convenient amenities making it the perfect balance of tranquil and modern living. With beautiful countryside all around, you can enjoy time taking in the breath-taking views over the Wye Valley and Welsh Mountains or explore the outdoors on the numerous local footpaths surrounding the village.

Llangrove is a village with an active community. The village hall is regularly used by a variety of groups and the Royal Arms is the thriving pub at the heart of Llangrove. As testament to this active and welcoming village scene, there is even a book and magazine exchange that has been created using a redundant red telephone box and the local primary school and nursery are well thought of and high performing.

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With only a 5 minute drive from a main dual carriage way that takes you to either nearby Ross on Wye or Monmouth, Llangrove has superb connections to enjoy nearby towns and villages.

There are also great links to Hereford, Cardiff and Newport making it the ideal location to commute from if you want to live in the countryside whilst still working in the city.

WHAT’S NEARBY… THE ROYAL ARMS For a tasty Sunday lunch after a walk with an open fire and a warm welcome, The Royal Arms is a traditional, family run pub and a firm favourite situated in the heart of Llangrove. Tel: 01989 770267

USEFUL FACTS ACCESS Llangrove is beautifully positioned but far from remote…

12 minutes from Monmouth 12 minutes from Ross on Wye 25 minutes from Hereford 45 minutes from Bristol

Left hand page, interiors of The Close. Above, street view. Below right, Herefordshire countryside. Top right, a resident at the butterfly zoo.

PHOTO CREDITS: WYE DEAN TOURISM, HARRIET JONES

SCHOOLS Llangrove Academy, rated ‘outstanding’ with Ofsted.

Llangrove Leapfrogs, pre-school and childcare service on the school site.

The prestigious Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools are only a 14 minute drive away.

WOODS OF WHITCHURCH This award winning shop is a sight to behold, bursting with artisan produce sure to tickle your taste buds making it a favourite of locals and also those not so local… there are even some that travel quite a distance to frequent it! Tel: 01600 891021 – Open daily WYE VALLEY BUTTERFLY ZOO Walk with butterflies as they fly around you, a chance to ask the experts any questions you like about these beautiful and delicate creatures and even tips on how to attract more butterflies to your garden, a trip here is not only enjoyable but also educational. Tel: 01600 890360

FACILITIES A redundant red telephone box has taken on a new lease of life and acts as the village book and magazine exchange. An active community use the village hall for a variety of clubs and activities. The Royal Arms, a popular family-run country pub serves home-cooked food.

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MEET THE ARCHITECT

T H E C LO S E L L A NGROV E

The Close was originally a stalled development with planning permission for six 2.5 storey eco homes when it caught the eye of Luke Freeman.

The previous owner was struggling with the viability of the project and the consent needed to be reworked to provide something which was going to work. Two years and six, beautifully appointed homes later and The Close is the latest development for Freeman Homes. We spoke to Mark Powles, Director of RRA Architects, to find out more about the concept behind the design.

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hen Freeman Homes first approached you about the site, what were your thoughts?

We like to think that one of our key skills is coming up with creative solutions for difficult sites and, having worked with Freeman Homes on several highly successful developments previously, we were excited by the project, even with its challenges. On examining the existing planning permission it was felt that the scheme was not designed to accommodate the modern family and would have been a lost opportunity to maximise the magnificent views over the stunning countryside. The consented scheme was also unviable due to its design.

So, in essence, we started from scratch but took into account the massing of the previous scheme. We analysed the site constraints in order to create a scheme that would be ideal for both the location and the local housing market.

You’ve mentioned the site had ‘it’s challenges;’ what were these and how did you overcome them?

Initially, just convincing people that a traditional cottage style dwelling was not appropriate for this site was a long, uphill struggle. Although, to many this would have been the easy, and very safe, option – in this situation, this style of house could never provide the spacious, light, airy qualities of the homes we have created.

The same requirement for ‘spacious, light and airy’ was the next challenge when trying to design each house to have it’s own privacy whilst equally benefiting from the location.

Although the houses are similar and create a unity within the close we carefully considered each one as an individual dwelling and positioned each for the maximum benefit of the views.

After all, people who want rural living and village life want to be able to see that beautiful countryside.

What’s your aim when designing a home?

This is twofold really – the house and the home, firstly, there’s the practical – does the brief require two bedrooms? A garage?

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– this is the house.

Then there’s the concept, the feel and personality of the building you design to suit the space. Both are equally as important for the house to become a home.

The practical is the easy bit really, usually the client has an idea of their basic requirement or the site has limiting factors. Of course there are always technical issues, The Close, for instance is on a substrate with a high proportion of clay which demands certain extra drainage measures. But once these are a known it is simply a case of finding the solution and implementing – there’s very few technical issues that someone hasn’t met and overcome before.

The concept is the harder bit, this is the artistry of creating a great environment for someone, maybe even generations of a family, to want to live in and never tire of it, by giving light, space and a connection to the landscape.

For this, it must appeal to them visually, practically and atmospherically.

How many times do people say they did or didn’t purchase a house because of a feeling - “it just felt right”.

How did you apply this to The Close?

That’s a big question, or rather, it might be a long answer!

The practical requirements were rather straightforward really. It was essential that the properties would be executive 4 bedroom homes finished to a high standard appropriate for the quality expected of Freeman Homes. This would include a contemporary feel whilst using natural materials in keeping with the village environment; a large open plan ground floor leading to outdoor space through high performance bi-folding doors – it’s a kind of fusion of village comfort and contemporary convenience.

Another key aspect to the whole scheme is the focus on low maintenance - not just with an undemanding, well landscaped garden, but also throughout

Once we had the concept in place it was important to examine the site as a whole with virtual buildings in situ, this is where modern technology in the architects office really comes into its own.

With the skills of the RRA team a virtual 3D model was created where you could see each building from any angle and even open the doors to walk through. This part of the process is so critical to double check we have the orientations just right for the whole site, we can check so many details which are not apparent on a flat piece of paper, for instance, the path of the sunlight, overshadowing and the integration into the landscape.

the property with quality details such as arrangement was required, leading us to colour-through render, pressure treated have one linear roofline with gables all timber cladding and powder-coated facing towards the views. This enabled a aluminium windows, all requiring three-storey development without the virtually zero maintenance. ridge heights being so high it would be Naturally the houses are beautifully out of keeping with the village. appointed throughout giving the ‘wow’ The feeling of the development needed factor you expect, however, the really to portray community, security and a important design elements, which are understated quality, so a simple palette of easily overlooked, are the extra practical materials was used which connects the details which makes scheme to the other these houses a joy to properties in the live in. Details such surroundings whilst as at least one WC still maintaining ‘IT MUST APPEAL TO on each floor, the individuality of THEM VISUALLY, flowing spaces The Close.

PRACTICALLY AND through the living We were keen to ATMOSPHERICALLY’ areas, a fully ensure high quality insulated garage block pavers on the with electric door, a drives to encourage large picture window to look over the the sense of a community and feel of a views from the master bedrooms whilst close rather than a road. All these little not compromising on privacy, en-suites touches encourage the feeling of a with both a bath and separate walk-in welcoming neighbourhood and, in shower, extensive storage including fitted reality, do more than just create a wardrobes in every bedroom and a large aesthetically pleasing appearance, this utility room. type of environment does help build As I mentioned we had worked with friendships and community spirit.

Freeman Homes on projects before and we work well as a team so between RRA Architects and Freeman Homes the artistry and concept was developed.

It was clear to us that a simple

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Is being eco-friendly still important in the market?

Yes, definitely. Not just in the market place, environmental issues are also important to both Freeman Homes and RRA Architects. That’s why The Close properties demonstrate an energy efficiency that goes beyond standard building regulations. Each property is exceptionally, well-insulated and has an air-source heat pump to run the heating and hot water. Along with this is a wood burner to provide extra heat and a homely feel for a welcoming ambience.

Although over recent months oil prices have dropped, no one is fooled. It is still vital that more energy efficient, sustainable homes are built. This is about the bigger picture - it might be a cliché but ultimately it is about saving the planet for future generations.

Who is your target market when you design?

That’s tricky because sometimes you think the home is for the young professional market and it turns out to be the downsizers. I’ve learnt that flexibility is the key and that you can never second guess your market.

We are very proud that The Close layouts are excellent examples of this making them ideal for a young couple just married to a full-on family with 2.5 children and a dog right up to the older couple downsizing for an easier life.

LET’S MOVE TO

WO OD L A N D VI E W M I TC H E L DE A N Woodland View is positioned at the entrance to the Forest of Dean, ideal for those commuting to Gloucester and Cheltenham. Offering both traditional and contemporary homes, perfectly located to enjoy everything that the Forest of Dean has to offer.

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uilt by second generation family business Freeman Homes the homes are finished to an exacting standard. Modern kitchens form the focal point of generously proportioned open plan living spaces with large expanses of glass to flood the homes with natural light. Unlike many new builds, the homes at Woodland View offer flexible space so you can make the house work to the way your family like to live while storage is never an issue with the vast amount of cupboards and wardrobes offered as standard.

Each of the new homes has been designed and finished to a very high standard to provide exceptional comfort making these homes a special place to live for you and your family.

LIVING IN MITCHELDEAN It’s no surprise that people who live in the Forest of Dean are happier than those in the rest of Gloucestershire according to the Office of National Statistics. What’s not to be happy about living in this mystical and magical place with its 20 million trees nestled in-between the River Severn and the River Wye. With endless forest paths and trails to explore on foot, bike or horseback the Forest of Dean will never fail to amaze. Whilst the adventurous can fly through the trees on zip wires or bolt along forest tracks on Segways, the more reserved amongst us may prefer a gentle stroll to take in the breath-taking scenery. You may even stumble upon a hidden gem such as 15 foot stained glass window hanging between the trees on the magnificent Sculpture Trail.

A community of artists and writers have emerged from this picturesque and enigmatic place including JRR Tolkien who is reputed to have been inspired by the 14 acre ancient woodland known as Puzzle Wood with its meandering pathways and fantastic tree and rock formations which was more recently the film set of the latest Star Wars film.

Childhood home of J K Rowling, the “real” Dick Whittington and the founders of our favourite bedtime malt drink Horlicks, the Forest of Dean has always attracted celebrities who want to escape the glitz and glamour of the city. Liz Hurley, Richard Hammond and Spice Girl Mel C all live within a stone’s throw of the Royal Forest of Dean.

The region boasts a delightful dappling of market towns and charming villages.

Mitcheldean sits on the north-east edge of the forest with its old timbered houses and narrow streets. At the heart of the community, the beautiful 14th century medieval church apparently one of the widest churches in the country. While the Forest of Dean may be traditionally associated with cider, Mitcheldean is proud to be the home to award winning Bespoke Brewing Company which produces real ale from the former Victorian Brewery.

This page, interiors of Woodland View. Above, exterior of the Bryson.

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Puzzlewood

WHAT’S NEARBY… FOREST OF DEAN SCULPTURE TRAIL The 4 mile Trail features sculptures created by artists inspired by the Forest environment. Walk through the beautiful woodlands and discover amazing pieces of art along the way.

Great for all ages, look out for the 15 foot stained glass window hanging between the trees.

USEFUL FACTS… ACCESS Ideally located in countryside and surrounded by greenery, Woodland View is easily accessible to the M5 and M4. Commuting from Mitcheldean is quicker than you might think…

10 minutes from Ross on Wye 25 minutes from Gloucester 35 minutes from Cheltenham 60 minutes from Bristol Closest train stations Lydney (20 minutes) Gloucester (25 Minutes) SCHOOLS Dene Magna rated “outstanding” with Ofsted.

‘A MAGICAL PLACE TO VISIT FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES’

The Sculpture Trail

PHOTO CREDITS: WYE DEAN TOURISM

FACILITIES Library, small supermarket and many local shops in the village itself, it has everything you could need.

Mitcheldean was called Dean until the mid 13th century, after this it was known as Micheldean or Great Dean, in the Latin form Dean Magna, to distinguish it from nearby Littledean.

PUZZLEWOOD Located in nearby Coleford, Puzzlewood is a truly magical place to visit for people of all ages. There is a maze of pathways to explore that wind through the gulleys of mossy rocks. It has also proved to be a major draw for the world of film and television and has played host to television dramas such as Dr Who, Merlin, and Atlantis and is even featured in the latest Star Wars film.

CLEARWELL CAVES Dating back well over 4500 years Clearwell Caves are atmospheric natural caverns that were once mined for iron ore and ochre and now make up one of Britain’s most complex and oldest mine workings.

BEECHENHURST Great for families, Beechenhurst is a popular picnic location with play areas, climbing walls and fantastic walks through the heart of the Forest of Dean.

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One of many forest paths.

LET’S MOVE TO

NORT H L E AC H THE C O ST S WOL D S The delightful town of Northleach is often described as the hidden secret of the Cotswolds. One of the smaller traditional Cotswold Market Towns; Northleach stands on the ancient crossroads of the Roman Fosse Way in the valley of The River Leach with spectacular views across the undulating green hills.

‘THE DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS FROM STRIKING VIEWS DOWN THE BEAUTIFUL RIVER LEACH VALLEY’

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ith the bustling towns of Cirencester and Cheltenham no further than 11 miles away you are never too far from a vibrant shopping scene. Despite its size, the picturesque and completely unspoilt town has a thriving collection of independent shops that radiate out from a large market square. Northleach is home to some highly reputable places to eat and drink where you can soak up the warm and friendly atmosphere, enabling you to immerse yourself in the Cotswold lifestyle.

We have drawn inspiration from the local area to design a collection of traditional Cotswold style homes with spacious interior layouts, modern design features and plenty of space around it.

Green spaces and tree lined avenues enrich the feeling of space. Each home will be built to the highest standard with exceptional finishes throughout, synonymous with the Freeman Homes brand. Westwood Fields comprises of beautiful four and five bedroom homes designed to enhance modern day living.

THE ARCHITECT TALKS We asked the architect, Edward Nash, to talk us through his vision for the Northleach development.

Westwood Fields sits on one of the fringes of Northleach where we wanted to make sure it had its own sense of identity and still felt like a warm and friendly neighbourhood. A group of 40 homes gives the development a neighbourhood quality where great thought has gone into the way in which the streets are arranged.

Four streets all come together in a small central courtyard; a place where everyone who comes and goes passes through. The streets act as separate private roads which effectively slow the traffic speeds.

The development benefits from striking views down the beautiful River Leach valley that falls to the south of the site. All houses have been designed with this in mind; where the sun will first enter the house and leave on the other, making the very most out of the garden. We’ve used 3D shadow modelling to ensure the house and garden work well for their future owners and being a keen gardener

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myself, I take the relationship between house and garden very seriously to ensure maximum enjoyment.

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY On the ground floors particularly, we have exercised flexibility in the relationship between the kitchen and its primary functions. By using broken plan design we allow the rooms to all flow together in open plan form or to be closed down into separate spaces if you wish.

NO TWO HOUSES ARE THE SAME Out of 40 homes there are 20 different plans and sets of elevations, but truly, no two houses are the same. The positioning of windows for views and the different relationships between house and garden has resulted in 40 very unique and individual homes.

Working with Freeman Homes reinstates an unspoken understanding that there is something incredibly transformational about building new houses where you will affect many people’s lives and generations to come who will live in these fantastic homes.

Edward Nash is the Senior Partner at The Nash Partnership.

HIDDEN TREASURES… THE OX HOUSE Great place to relax with a glass of wine and a charcuterie board with friends - Wine bar offering expert advice.

USEFUL FACTS…

PHOTO CREDITS: THE WHEATSHEAF, COTSWOLD TOURISM, THE NASH PARTNERSHIP.

ACCESS Perfectly positioned just 10 miles northeast of Cirencester and 11 miles east-southeast of Cheltenham the town benefits from easy access to Gloucester, Oxford, Stow-on-theWold and is just 6 miles from Bourtonon-the-Water. Kingham train station is 14 miles away and runs a daily direct route to London which takes approximately 1.5 hours dependent on the time of day.

Clockwise from below, The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Northleach.

Have a drink at The Wheatsheaf pub. Artists impression of the the Northleach development.

Enjoying the view over the Cotswolds.

SCHOOLS Northleach C of E primary school is less than a mile from Westwood Fields development.

The Cotswold Secondary School in Bourton-on-the-Water is just 6 miles away and achieved an outstanding Ofsted status.

THE WHEATSHEAF Featured on our Cosy Pub List, the Northleach village pub serves up great dishes in a stylish country pub setting.

BLACK CAT CAFÉ Charming and quaint little coffee shop – great for a cream tea!

FAR PEAK CLIMBING CENTRE Dedicated indoor and outdoor climbing and bouldering for all ages and abilities.

KEITH HARDING’S WORLD OF MECHANICAL MUSIC A wondrous museum of music boxes and self-playing instruments where enthusiastic experts conduct guided tours.

COTSWOLD DISCOVERY CENTRE In a 1790 prison on the edge of Northleach run by the Cotswold Conservation Board, it tells the story of the land, from geology to hill forts, Roman roads, sheep wealth and more.

FACILITIES A great selection of local shops, places to eat and drink, play sport and socialise. The community centre, Westwoods, host a range of clubs and activities for all ages.

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GARDENING

SHAPING YOUR FUTURE A guide to designing your outdoor space for harmonious living.

PHOTO CREDITS: ROSS GARDEN STORE

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IMAGINING THE PLANTING o, you have your wonderful new home, but your outdoor space is a blank canvas. This can be daunting - as although you may know It’s important to plan out the design of your new what you like, where do you start in putting garden and be clear what you want from it before you your thoughts together? The smallest garden can be get started. as rewarding as the largest, and is doubly precious as everything in it is treasured and noticed daily. With THE DESIGN careful planning and plant selection, it can be The style of the garden can be a mixture of formal and extraordinarily powerful and fulfilling, whatever informal elements. Perhaps a patio area with steps expectations you have for it. leading down to a gravel path edged with brick. A path There are large gardens that look quite empty and takes you on a journey through the there are tiny ones that are garden, surrounded by mixed borders fascinating and deeply satisfying packed with plants to attract a variety to be in. Elements can be taken ‘TALK TO of wildlife throughout the seasons. from any plot, of any shape or STAFF WITHIN Places to sit and allow time to relax size, and applied to your own. It YOUR LOCAL and enjoy different views of the might be a plant combination, the GARDEN garden should be considered. A small way a set of steps are made or a CENTRE’ circular pond provides another area of climber trained up a wall. interest, the shape of which harmonises with the other formal elements, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR GARDEN? including a painted gazebo at the end of the garden.

A garden that would look good from inside the house A mixture of shrubs and perennials provides all as well as encouraging time spent outdoors? Or areas year round interest while ensuring a healthy to relax and entertain with planting and features abundance of wildlife. designed to encourage wildlife into the garden?

The possibilities are endless-but the first step is to talk to staff within your local garden centre. They will be able to interpret your thoughts into some kind of rough plan so that you can work out how many plants you will need against the hard landscaping elements and therefore the necessary budget required.

At Ross Garden Store we can offer you a full service from an informal chat to a full design and build. In small stages over a long period of time-or a full makeover within days. In your new home the opportunities are endless and the choice is yours.

PLANNING THE PLANTS

Ross Garden Store, sales@rossgardenstore.co.uk, 01989 568999.

LIFESTYLE 29

INDULGENCE

ESCAPE TO THE SPA We’ve cherry picked our Top 8 forward thinking sumptuous spas that offer the very best in health-oriented treatments and therapies designed to pamper you inside and out, head to toe.

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BAMFORD HAYBARN SPA, DAYLESFORD A day spa with a difference; delivering the most amazing treatments to include their own range of products The Haybarn spa offers facials, massages, yoga, pilates and meditation. Part of Daylesford Organic, set up on what was originally a farm you can discover their award winning range of shops. bamford.co.uk

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DORMY HOUSE, BROADWAY Scandinavian design meets cosy Cotswold stone at this luxurious boutique spa.

The thermal suite, Cotswold lavender sauna, salt therapy room, infinity pool and outdoor hot tub leave you spoilt for choice before you’ve even made it to the list of over 50 spa treatments. Ethical, botanical treatments mean you can enjoy sin-free indulgence – but you might want to stop off in the Champagne Nail Parlour whilst you decide! dormyhouse.co.uk

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CALCOT MANOR, TETBURY Sitting in the grounds of a country manor house is the quiet, calm and instantly relaxing atmosphere of the beautifully designed Calcot Spa. The lavender-lined outdoor hot tub and its open fire is a must-do before indulging in a treatment and some deliciously good and healthy food from the menu. calcot.co

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GREENAWAY HOTEL & SPA, CHELTENHAM The Elan Spa mixes countryside chic with subtle glamour to provide the perfect place to relax and enjoy time with friends around the stunning hydrotherapy pool. The warm and friendly service and luxurious treatments and facilities make for a fantastic spa experience. thegreenwayhotelandspa.com

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COWLEY MANOR, COWLEY The C-Side spa is part of the contemporary country house hotel, Cowley Manor. The award-winning spa boasts two spectacular heated pools: a 17m green slate-lined indoor pool and an elegant 15m outdoor pool. 4 superbly modern treatment rooms offer a full range of therapeutic and forward-thinking treatments. We highly recommend enjoying a twilight spa experience. cowleymanor.com

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WHATLEY MANOR, MALMESBURY The Aquarias Spa will allow you to discover a whole new sense of wellbeing with their extensive range of facilities and treatments. The fantastic hydrotherapy pool enables you to swim outside to enjoy the multi-massage jets. salt scrub showers and experience showers will leave you feeling invigorated and ready for to relax in the soothing thermal cabins, Tepidarium with heat stone recliners and wave dream sensory room. whatleymanor.com

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LUCKNAM PARK, CHIPPENHAM State-of-the-art spa set in an elegant Georgian mansion. The indoor pool flickers in the light of the embellished panel fire. Enjoy the thermal treatment rooms, tubs and plunge pools with 12 treatment rooms surrounded by beautiful extensive gardens. The adjoining Brasserie offers the perfect place for a meal after an afternoon of pampering. lucknampark.co.uk

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THERMAE BATH SPA, BATH To experience Britain’s only natural thermal waters as the Romans did over 2000 years ago is an absolute must.

Soak in the mineral-rich waters within the historic spa buildings that combine the ‘old and the new’. The New Royal Bath offers a series of aramotic steam rooms and spa treatments to complete the experience. thermaebathspa.com

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TRAVEL

A WEEKEND CITY BREAK IN BRIGHTON Visit Brighton for the weekend, where the world’s tallest moving observation tower stands next to the historic West Pier.

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he latest addition to Brighton seafront, the new i360 tower gives panoramic views of Sussex and beyond.

Travel writer Lucy Grewcock describes the experience and gives her tips on planning a weekend away.

A sky-scraping steel pole with a moving glass viewing pod, the i360 is the biggest attraction built in Brighton for more than 100 years. Sponsored by British Airways and created by the same people as the London Eye, the tower sits beside Brighton’s derelict West Pier – an iconic Victorian landmark, the pier was built in 1866 to entice tourists to Brighton for the weekend. A 150 years later, the i360 hopes to do the same.

“Just as the West Pier invited Victorian society to walk on water, British Airways i360 invites visitors to walk on air,” says David Marks, one of the tower’s main architects. As a local resident of ten years, I boarded one of the i360’s first ‘flights’ last August to see if it was as exciting as it sounds.

After ten minutes at the top, the pod floated back down the Ascending skywards in a doughnut-shaped pod, I watched as pole to beach level. The whole experience lasts for about the people below me shrank away and views of Sussex unfolded 20-minutes in the daytime, or 30-minutes after 6pm when a Sky on all sides. By the time the pod came to a gentle halt, Bar serves local Harvey’s Ale and sparkling 138-metres above the English Channel, Sussex wine. You can even hire the whole thing Brighton had transformed into a Lego-set of out for parties, corporate events and weddings. miniature buildings and Regency squares.

‘PEOPLE BELOW Below the tower, there’s a whole new area of Tiny people were milling about on the ME SHRANK redeveloped seafront to experience: down on beach below and toy-sized cars were zipping AWAY AND VIEWS the beach, the Belle Vue restaurant (run by along the seafront. As I walked around the OF SUSSEX 2013 Masterchef Winner Steven Edwards) pod (which is big enough for 200 people) I UNFOLDED ON serves local Sussex fare, and up on the ticked-off some of Brighton’s top sights: the promenade a tearoom has opened inside a mock onion-shaped domes of the Royal Pavilion, ALL SIDES ’ toll booth that’s an exact replica of one of the the seafront’s Georgian townhouses and the West Pier’s originals. fairground rides on the Brighton Palace Pier.

After my flight, I sat by the pebble beach and Further down the coast, the chalky-white sipped a Sussex cider on the i360’s new seafront terrace. From cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head were gleaming in the here, it looked as if the West Pier’s 150-year-old shell was visibly morning sun. In the opposite direction was Worthing Pier and, rusting away into the sea before my eyes. Meanwhile, the i360’s beyond this, the Isle of Wight is apparently visible on a clear day futuristic pod floated back up its pole above me, and crowds of – I couldn’t see it, no matter how hard I squinted; perhaps people were queuing for the next ride. binoculars would have been a good idea in hindsight.

A jarring combination of old and new, the city’s newest landmark has prompted a bit of a Marmite reaction among locals.

Nonetheless, you can’t deny that the i360 gives a fantastic new perspective of the south coast and, just like the West Pier did, it’s created a whole new reason to visit Brighton.

LIFESTYLE 32

The viewing pod on the British Airways i360.

The Set Restaurant.

PHOTO CREDITS: VISUAL AIR, THE SET RESTAURANT, ARTISTS RESIDENCE, THE COCKTAIL SHACK.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND BRITISH AIRWAYS i360 Kings Road Advance online tickets are £13.50 for anyone aged 16-59 years; £11.25 for senior 60+; £6.75 for children aged 4-15 years; under 4s are free. Open until 7.30pm on weeknights and Sundays; 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. www.britishairwaysi360.com ARTIST RESIDENCE Regency Square This boutique guesthouse sits directly opposite the i360. Rooms start at £100 a night Monday - Friday; or £300 for a two-night weekend stay. www.artistresidencebrighton.co.uk

A room at the Artists Residence.

Pancakes.

Enjoy a Mojito at The Cocktail Shack.

THE GRAND HOTEL Kings Road A four minute walk from the i360, Brighton’s most famous Victorian-era hotel was built in 1864 – just two years before the West Pier. Double rooms start at £117 per night. www.grandbrighton.co.uk

LIFESTYLE 33

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK THE SET RESTAURANT Regency Square Next to Artist Residence, this quirky fine-dining restaurant serves four-course set menus from £31 per person. www. thesetrestaurant.com BELLE VUE King’s Road (on the beach) Directly beneath the i360, this new restaurant serves breakfasts, lunches and evening meals. Sandwiches from £4.95; Mains from £9.95. www.bellevuerestaurant.co.uk THE COCKTAIL SHACK Regency Square A cosy cocktail den next to the Set Restaurant and Artist Residence.

Open 5-11pm (Mon-Thurs); 5-12pm (Fri); 1-12pm (Sat). www.cocktailshackbrighton.co.uk THE LION AND LOBSTER Sillwood Street Set over three floors, this Brighton institution also has a formal restaurant and two heated roof terraces. Serves local ales and good food. www.thelionandlobster.co.uk

www.millrace.info | enquiries@millrace.info | 01989 562891 The Mill Race, Walford, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5QS

“The best house we’ve ever stayed in - brilliant.” - Frances, Colin & family

Luxury Country House for your exclusive use 01594 542485 | www.bishopswoodhouse.co.uk

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Kiln Dried Firewood 1.2m³ Wrapped Pallets £145 Free nationwide delivery 01594 542 485 | emma@freemanfarming.co.uk | www.freemanfirewood.co.uk LIFESTYLE 34

FOOD & DRINK

GRAPE ADVICE Mike Lury talks us through wines from around the world that are featured on the Mill Race wine list.

WI N T E R WAR M E R A TA ST Y BE E F B OURGU IG NON P I E

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he UK is the most sophisticated, diverse, prestigious & exciting wine market in the world due to our un-biased acceptance of wines from every corner of the planet. We are clearly spoilt for choice!

So much choice can also be baffling so I thought that I would share a few of my personal favourites with you from the Mill Race’s award winning wine list.

DELAMOTTE BRUT NV, CHAMPAGNE The boutique house of Delamotte is the sixth oldest in Champagne, using 100% Grand Cru rated vineyards. Its sister property and neighbour is Salon, the rarest and one of the finest wines of Champagne. Dom Perignon produce more in each vintage than Salon have in their entire history! When Salon is not released, Delamotte benefit from their harvest.

Why not enjoy a glass of PSI with this delicious pie.

ABOVE, A BOTTLE OF PSI FROM THE MIXED CASE OFFER BELOW. LEFT, MIKE LURY. ABOVE RIGHT, TASTY BEEF PIE.

wines that are often over looked. The Gonnet family are also responsible for Font de Michelle one of the great estates in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and their young vines are utilised here.

BODEGAS RUCA MALEN, MALBEC Mendoza in Argentina has been blazing a trail with its Malbecs for some time now and many high quality producers are becoming ‘THE SOUTHERN far more site specific.

This Malbec is one of RHONE GIVES these, sourcing fruit from SO MUCH BANG the high altitude vineyards FOR YOUR BUCK’ of Uco and Cuyo.

PHOTO CREDITS: SHUTTERSTOCK, PSI

LOFTHOUSE, SAUVIGNON BLANC It’s always great to find a bargain and Lofthouse from Marlborough, New Zealand is certainly that. Immediately next door and quite literally within touching distance is the iconic Cloudy Bay - a classic Kiwi Sauvignon!

LES SETILLES, BOURGOGNE BLANC In a similar vein and from the renowned Olivier Leflaive in Burgundy this wine also punches well above its weight. The fruit is sourced 50/50 from young vines in Meursault and Puligny.

VIGNOBLES GONNET, CÔTES-DU-RHONE The southern Rhone gives so much bang for your buck with generous, fruit driven

PSI, RIBERA DEL DUERO Bordeaux trained Peter Sisseck has 3 separate properties including Pingus arguably the regions finest wine. PSI is his latest venture and offers a taste of his wine making prowess at a fraction of the cost.

Readers can enjoy a mixed case containing one bottle of each of these wines delivered to their homes at the discounted price of £88 (normally £103.55). Email orders to mike.lury@corneyandbarow.com reference Freeman case.

LIFESTYLE 35

INGREDIENTS 4tbsp Olive oil 800g Diced braising steak (dusted with 2tbsp plain flour & seasoned with salt & pepper) 250g Field mushrooms, roughly chopped 400g Shallots, peeled 300ml Beef stock 300ml Red wine 2tsp Horseradish sauce 1tbsp Tomato puree 2 cloves garlic, chopped 375g ready-made puff pastry 1 Egg Yolk - for brushing METHOD Heat 2tbsp oil in a casserole dish and brown the steak before removing to a side plate.

Add 1tbsp oil into the same casserole dish and lightly brown the shallots and mushrooms.

Add everything else back to the casserole with the stock, wine, horseradish, tomato puree and garlic.

Simmer for 1 hr.

Heat oven to Mark 6/200°C. Transfer everything to a pie dish.

Roll out the puff pastry and cut a circle just bigger than the dish.

Mold extra pastry onto the edge of the pie dish and brush with egg yolk.

Put the pastry lid on top and crimp the edges. Make 2 slits in the top of the pastry; brush with egg yolk.

Cook for 25-30 mins.

Straight vase lamp with shagreen style finish and Cylinder shade in black silk with gold lining £410.00 I and JL Brown

INSPIRED BY

WEOBLEY A jewel in the crown of British black and white villages

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eobley has inspired us to enter the monochrome zone. The quaint Herefordshire village dates back to medieval times and boasts a rich heritage of 15th and 16th century timber framed buildings, giving the place its iconic black and white look.

Having won the Telegraphs Great Britain Village of the Year award, local artist Walenty Pytel was commissioned to design a sculpture of Weobley’s emblem, a magpie, that stands tall on the village green. More recently, millions of viewers tuned into The One Show that was broadcast live from Weobley – even Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain visited to meet with local businesses.

Silver Tea Light Holder with Cut Design £15.00 each I and JL Brown

JellyCat Bashful Cream Bunny, medium £16.99 Salt & Pepper

Petrified wood side table from £950 I and JL Brown

London Pottery Matt Black Teapot Salt & Pepper

LIFESTYLE 36

Skittle leg Windsor arm chair £52 I and JL Brown

Black Station Wall Clock from £72.00 Salt & Pepper

Framed graphic print £17.95 notonthehighstreet

S HOPP I NG

STOCKISTS: NOTONTHEHIGHSTREET.COM, IJLBROWN.COM, SALT & PEPPER, MONMOUTH MAIN IMAGE CARONB/ISTOCKPHOTO

Robert Welch ‘Moulton’ Tall Candlestick from £90.00 Salt & Pepper

Taking inspiration from the newly famed location we felt that everyone needed a little piece of Weobley at home. Enjoy our hand-picked collection of monochrome pieces to get you started.

LSA Satin Comport from £60.00 Salt & Pepper

Helen Moore Pom Pom £30 Salt & Pepper

Black Labrador Salt & Pepper Set from £21.00 Salt & Pepper

Cast Iron Boot Rack £99.95 I and JL Brown

Farrow and Ball Bamboo Wallpaper £97 per roll I and JL Brown

LIFESTYLE 37

SPORT

READ IT, ROLL IT, HOLE IT. Brush up on your putting technique with expert advice from golf pro Oli Leett.

W

ith its winning combination of exercise, socialising, personal challenges and friendly competition, golf is the perfect tonic for a lifestyle enjoyed with good health and happiness.

We met with local PGA Pro and founder of The Leett Putting Hub to discuss improving your stroke with the latest green reading technology devised to help you read it, role it and hole it when out on the putting green at Ross-on-Wye Golf Course.

Oli is one of only 6 certified instructors In the UK using the AimPoint Express method of coaching.

Used by professional tour players across the world, AimPoint Express enables you to trust in your lines and putt with confidence, implementing green reading techniques that will noticeably improve your accuracy and lower your score. However, the clever stuff doesn’t stop there…

Adopting the latest in-game technology, The Leett Putting Hub houses a Science & Motion simulator that provides analysis and training based on accurate Steel – renowned for his outstanding work at a ultrasound measurements. Highlighting your number of famous courses, including the redesign of strengths and weaknesses through easy to Jubilee Course St. Andrews to championship understand graphic reports allows unique training standard. Following the natural drills to be tailored to significantly contours of the hills, the club is a improve your stroke. haven for wildlife. Wild daffodils and Oli coaches Ladies Golfing ‘TRUST IN bluebells carpet the woods in Professional, Becky Morgan, ranked YOUR LINES springtime and you can expect the 7th in Europe and top 100 in the AND PUTT WITH company of numerous squirrels or world. Becky has expressed how CONFIDENCE’ watch buzzards that regularly happy she is with the progress made circle above. using the techniques taught at The Leett Putting Hub. Looking to get into golf or already an aspiring golfer; Based at the very popular and prestigious Ross-onfor more info or to book a session at The Leett Wye Golf Club in the beautiful Herefordshire Putting Hub email oli@leettputtinghub.co.uk or call countryside, the course is one of the finest in the 07854 159 885 / 01989 720 439.

South West and something of a hidden gem. Rolling Freeman Homes are proud to sponsor The Leett crisp green fairways are lined with beautifully mature Putting Hub. tree stands. The club is advised by architect, Donald

LIFESTYLE 38

BORED OF PUTTING PRACTICE? I’m sure you will all agree with me, putting practice can be extremely boring.

Far too often on the putting green, I see players putt with 3 balls putting from hole to hole. This type of practice does not help us prepare for the reality on the course as we only get one shot!

I strongly believe that putting practice not only needs to be in line with reality, it also needs to be measurable.

HERE’S A GREAT EXERCISE TO TRY: Position 5 tees in a straight line a couple of inches apart.

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2

Place another tee 5 feet away, facing the 5 tees. From the facing tee aim to hit every tee in the least amount of shots, sounds easy but trust me, it isn’t!

ABOVE, SCIENCE AND MOTION SIMULATOR IN ACTION. LEFT AND TOP RIGHT, OLI WATCHES OVER A CLIENT AND THEIR PUTTING LINE.

LIFESTYLE 39

3

Record how many putts it takes you to complete it. This is your Personal Best, repeat and try to beat your PB. THIS PRACTICE DRILL WILL HELP YOU TO NARROW YOUR FOCUS. A tee is roughly half an inch wide, compared to a hole that is 4 inches wide.

If you can improve narrowing your aim at a tee this will significantly improve your aim on the course.

Give it a go - I’m sure you will benefit from this simple but effective drill.

INTERIORS

6

SHOW HOME STYLE

JOB WELL DONE A spare room shouldn’t be a place for clutter and chaos where the door is kept firmly shut; give the room a purpose. Whether it be a guest bedroom, study, gym or play room, by simply designing the room for purpose and using storage well, you can keep it in line with any theme.

A new build home is the perfect blank canvas allowing you to transform rooms with those all-important personal touches. Here, we share our top 10 interior design style secrets to get you started…

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A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION Keep the approach to your home clean and green; adding some potted flowers and grasses near the entrance will bring the space to life. A stylish lantern above the door alongside clean glass windows will all make for a lovely welcome when you arrive home.

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ACCESSORIES ARE KEY Use accessories to help bring in key trends without splashing out on big pieces of furniture which can be hard on space saving and your pocket. Using beautiful textiles for cushions, throws and other soft furnishings can transform any room and add colour, patterns and texture where needed.

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LIVE COLOUR FULLY Using colour in the kitchen not only alters the perception of space but it also helps create a mood; injecting pops of colour will instantly feel uplifting and stylish. Mustard yellows add a burst of sunshine but can be a bold choice on the walls - try using it to accessorise or accent areas of the room.

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RELAX, REFRESH AND REJUVENATE Recreating a favourite spa style or introducing a daring colour scheme; the bathroom is the place to do it. Store away those shampoo bottles and dress with colour co-ordinated towels, candles and accessories. Bring your relaxing retreat to your very own home.

3

LET YOUR WALLS DO THE TALKING A feature wallpaper will help you make a bold statement and stylish focal point in your home.

Don’t disregard prints and patterns you love in smaller spaces either, it may surprise you that using bold prints can infuse energy into the room.

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A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY Dress your windows with a goodlooking set of curtains or blind and watch the room transform. Go for bold colours against neutral walls and vertical or horizontal stripes to broaden or elongate a window. Use curtain poles, finials and tiebacks to create beautiful finishing touches that add depth to your design.

4

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE When it comes to finishing touches, lighting plays the all-important role of creating the desired atmosphere.

Whether it be pools of warm, soft lighting or the bright ‘wow’ factor you’re seeking, choose your lighting to suit the space.

Think about layering it too; if you have a bold floor or table lamp, then go subtle on the wall and ceiling lights.

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STORAGE SOLUTIONS Storage solutions don’t need to be unsightly; there are endless options out there to make sure storage is in keeping with your style. Look out for furnishings like a coffee table that incorporates ample storage. In spacious rooms, cubed stacked shelving or a beautiful bookcase can act as a divider to create additional areas and alcoves.

LIFESTYLE 40

10

FLOWER POWER A proven fact is flowers trigger happy emotions, ease stress and can even provide a boost of energy. Having fresh flowers in the house will not only bring life and colour but a beautiful aroma to your newly styled home.

Follow us on pinterest.com/freemanhomes and instagram.com/freemanhomes for more design inspiration.

SCAN HERE

Ross-on-Wye

TO WATCH OUR VIDEO

SHOW HOME NOW RELEASED AND READY TO RESERVE 4 large double ensuite bedrooms and large open plan living space fantastic for entertaining. A private gated driveway gives way to a landscaped garden that wraps around the house, meaning you can enjoy the sunlight all day long. email us at sales@theavenueross.co.uk www.theavenueross.co.uk The Avenue, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5AW

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