Background

With founding values of quality, community and sustainability, premium housebuilder Castlethorpe Homes is part of a growing number of smaller businesses redefining the design, choice, and quality standards of newly built homes, including raising the bar for landscaping.

For one of its latest developments, The Paddocks, a development of four detached houses in Bramley, Hampshire, Castlethorpe Homes applied these principles, using external hard landscaping to create beautiful outdoor/indoor living spaces and a sense of ownership within the exclusive development.

Castlethorpe Homes demonstrates its commitment to sustainable design and environmental responsibility by incorporating Biodiversity Net Gain principles into its developments, even when it’s not mandatory. This forward-thinking approach ensures they meet current sustainability standards and appeal to a growing segment of environmentally-conscious homebuyers.

Reflecting heritage and modern living design

The site’s origin as a horse paddock influenced the design of homes that seamlessly blend with the local landscape, creating a farm/barn-style look. The landscaping choices harmonised with the surroundings, including native hedging, mature plantings, wildflower meadows, insect and small animal refuge spaces, hedgehog runs, and bee bricks. The goal was to create a natural, rustic, and welcoming environment that pays homage to the heritage of the area.

One key development aspect was the design of the living spaces to open into the rear garden. This style enables residents to seamlessly transition from their homes to the outdoor space, fostering a deeper connection with nature. The full-width patios provide an inviting space for outdoor living during warm months while maintaining a link with the garden during cooler seasons.

Premium material choices for aesthetics and sustainability

Castlethorpe Homes chose materials that reflect their commitment to high quality and sustainability. A warm, rustic buff shade of Indian Sandstone paving was selected to complement the farm style and location of the homes. By buying this from Marshalls, they had confidence that the paving had been ethically sourced and exceeded quality standards.

Shared spaces and driveways used several shades of Marshalls Tegula Priora paving, a permeable option that helps new developments manage heavy rain sustainably. Different colour palettes and complementary paver edging were used to clearly distinguish between individual driveways and shared roads to give homeowners a sense of ownership and privacy with shared spaces. Driveways feature the ‘harvest’ shade, with a pennant grey border, and the roadways were built entirely in pennant grey. This attention to detail ensured that residents would feel a strong connection to their properties while maintaining the overall aesthetic and quality of the development.

Estate roads featured soft landscaping, block paving, and slabbed delineated bin stores, creating an atmosphere of well-managed, well-maintained common spaces. This not only contributed to the overall attractiveness of the development but also ensured that residents felt a sense of belonging from the moment they entered the development.

The developers understood that the exterior of a property significantly influences buyers’ perceptions of the overall quality of a home. By setting high standards for landscaping and external aesthetics, they instilled confidence in the quality of the interior. This approach has resonated positively with buyers, leading to higher satisfaction and trust in the properties.

Chris Warner, Managing Director of Castlethorpe Homes

“The people buying our homes are doing so because they want a high quality, low maintenance finish. The exterior of our properties and the wider development are important in the buying journey because the quality of how they look puts faith in the quality of the interior. People often see the outside before they see the inside, so we set the bar high for the external aesthetics, and they feel comfortable buying a quality home.

Marshalls products have worked hand-in-hand with the quality and choice of materials elsewhere – for example, we’ve used heritage blend bricks and village reclaimed roof tiles – and the hard landscaping feels are part of the design.

“I was initially drawn to working with Marshalls after learning about their sustainability credentials, but technically and commercially, and in terms of material availability, the experience has been excellent too. It was very simple to select the products we wanted and access the design visuals we needed for planning.”