We are thrilled to announce that our development partner (Acorn Property Group) have completed on the purchase of land for a new 74-acre Cotswold Water Park site which will deliver seventy-five bespoke homes, in addition to the use of 15 acres of private grounds and two newly constructed lakes. Set in and with access to exceptional natural recreation facilities, the rural location will be one of the first full schemes developed under their Acorn Green initiative.

The development, Ashton Fields, is set in the Cotswold Water Park which covers over 40 square miles and is the UK’s largest marl lake system, with over 180 lakes.

Straddling the border of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Ashton Fields will offer homeowners a truly unique setting, with unparalleled access to leisure and recreation facilities included hiking, running, sailing, canoeing and wild swimming. The stunning wetlands landscape hosts tens of thousands of breeding watering birds and is an ideal location for watching and living with wildlife all year round.

Located between the villages of Ashton Keynes and South Cerney, Ashton Fields promises to offer a lifestyle opportunity like no other. A total of 34 acres of the site have been given over to the creation of two new private lakes, that will offer wild swimming, with a further 15 acres reserved for private parkland; both lakes and parkland are exclusively for the use of residents. The remaining 25 acres will be used to create 75 homes, focused around existing listed farm buildings that will be converted to provide four homes.

Accessed via a private estate road running through the parkland, Ashton Fields homes range from 2-bedroom bungalows to 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses, many of which will be situated directly next to the two newly constructed private lakes.

James Groombridge, Regional Managing Director of Acorn Cardiff, who are managing the scheme, said, “Ashton Fields is an exceptional location and one which we feel privileged to have secured. Situated in the Cotswold Water Park it really does offer a rare opportunity to live in an exceptional environment.”

“Acorn has been working on this site for a number of years with the aim of ensuring that the final approved scheme delivers what this unique location deserves, in the most environmentally sustainable and appropriate way. Ashton Fields is one of the first schemes to go live under Acorn Green, our commitment to the implementation of the best possible design and technologies in a holistic approach to further drive down the carbon footprint of our homes.

“We are already seeing an early interest in homes at Ashton Fields. While many lakeside homes currently for sale in the area are restricted to holiday use only, homes at Ashton Fields have no such restrictions.”

The bespoke homes have been carefully designed specifically for the location, by Mike Daubney Architects, with elevations that will seamlessly integrate with the prevailing Cotswold style, offering ample glazing to take advantage of the setting and countryside views, whilst benefiting from contemporary internal design. The rural aspect of the 40-acre development will be further enhanced by a number of wildlife zones, ponds and orchards and will be built directly through Acorn Homes Construction Solutions (AHCS).

Lying at the head of the Thames Valley, the mosaic of habitats in the Cotswold Water Park has created one of ‘the’ biodiversity hotspots of the South-West, and an important wetland corridor. Over the next 50 years this area and its nature conservation value are set to dramatically increase. The Cotswold Lakes Trust works with a range of partners to integrate nature conservation and wildlife into the current and future development of the Cotswold Water Park, creating new reserves whilst maximising the contribution to nature conservation from built development, mineral extraction and the provision of sports and recreation. These objectives made the site a perfect and natural choice for Acorn Green.

Outline planning consent has been obtained and a reserved matters application is expected to be approved by the end of the year. Following this, ecological works and demolition can begin, with construction planned to start in autumn of 2022 and the first homes released for sale off plan in summer of 2022.