OAK Grove Cabins, based in Londonderry, has been building homes for about 10 years and the Ash is the fifth in its lodge range. I was far from alone in being impressed by both its design and build quality. In short, it is a stunning 40ft x 20ft home built to residential standard BS3632.

The model at the show had redwood cladding with wood effect uPVC doors, windows, fascias and soffits, but Canexel cladding is offered as an alternative.

There is a slightly unusual layout, with a ‘front’ entrance on one side of the home and two sets of concertina patio doors on the other, one at each end. The ‘back’ of the home also has a gable hip with apex windows and a pair of tall picture windows below.

The panelled ‘front’ door has a tall narrow window unit either side of it and leads into a vestibule where there is a large coat and storage cupboard. Double glazed doors then give access to the home’s open plan interior. It is worth mentioning at this point that the interior oak shaker doors are one of its star features; they are nothing short of superb.

The home has full central heating throughout, supplied from a condensing combi boiler. The vaulted and panelled ceilings add to a feeling of spaciousness in all the rooms with extra Velux rooflights being offered as an optional extra. I also liked the fact that all the furniture in the main bedroom matches the home’s interior doors.

The kitchen faces you as you enter from the vestibule, with the dining and lounge areas on your left. Off the lounge, in the corner of the home, is the second bedroom, while the main bedroom is off the kitchen at the other end of the home.

Top gear

The kitchen is U shaped and comes complete with a range of appliances that would not be out of place in a home costing twice as much. Included as standard are an integrated double-door fridge/freezer; dishwasher and washer/dryer; a built-in double oven; and a microwave.

There’s a separate five burner hob and fume extractor, plus plenty of storage in both floor and wall cupboards. The walls are tiled from the worktops to the wall units and from the hob to the extractor. The ceiling – which is vaulted throughout the home – features a hip with cathedral type windows above the hob and extractor. There is also a 14 bottle wine rack above the fridge – and, together with the LED plinth lighting, this added an extra touch of luxury.

A low wall separates the kitchen from the dining area, which comes with a table and six padded chairs as standard. To include six chairs in a two bedroom home is, to say the least, unusual. However, as the dining area actually forms part of the lounge, the positioning of the table and chairs is down to personal choice.

Other furniture in the lounge comprises two and three seater sofas plus a coffee table. On the end wall of the lounge is an electric fire with a TV point above it. Either side of the fire is a tall window unit, while in the rear wall is a set of concertina folding glazed doors. Lighting in the kitchen, dining and lounge areas consists of 12 halogen down lights in the ceiling, which in the lounge area is supplemented by a solar-powered, rain sensor Velux rooflight.

Beds and baths

Doors off the lounge lead to the bathroom and second bedroom. The bathroom has a full size bath with a shower attachment. Opposite the bath is a low level toilet with a concealed cistern. Next to the toilet are four drawers followed by a large ceramic rectangular washbasin on top of a two-door vanity unit.

Running along the wall above the toilet and drawers to the washbasin is a granite worktop. Above it is a row of tiles and above them a huge mirror – though there is no light above the washbasin. The walls in the area of the bath have also been tiled but sadly not to the full height of the walls. There’s a tall chrome ladder radiator on the wall at the foot of the bath and an extractor fan in the ceiling in which there are also five downlights.

Turn left out of the bathroom and you come to the door of the second bedroom. This has two full size single beds separated by a large three drawer bedside cabinet. Above this are a power point and a control panel for an audio system – the speakers for which are built into the ceilings. Facing the beds is a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe with fully mirrored sliding doors, low and high hanging rails, plus a unit containing four shelves.

The main bedroom at the opposite end of the home is accessed by a door beside the kitchen. As you enter there is a large walk-in wardrobe on the right, followed by the en suite. As well as the usual washbasin and toilet, the latter has a wet room complete with body spray shower in addition to a conventional shower.

As in the bathroom, the washbasin is set into a two door vanity unit with a granite worktop. Above it is a row of tiles and a huge mirror. To the left of the washbasin is the low level toilet with a concealed cistern. The lighting in the en suite is provided by four downlights in the ceiling plus a second solar-powered, rain sensor Velux rooflight above the washbasin. Importantly, too, the en suite and bathroom both have underfloor heating.

The double bed has been set into an alcove in which is a row of reading lights. Either side  is a large two-drawer bedside cabinet, above which is a light switch and double power point. Additionally, above the cabinet adjacent to the door is another control panel for the audio system. Opposite the bed is a large bow-fronted chest of drawers with a framed mirror above it and in the wall to the right of the bed, a floor-to-ceiling set of concertina patio doors.

VERDICT

I said at the outset that for me the Ash Lodge was the highlight of the Newbury show. And I know that many other visitors thought the same. The attention to detail in the home was obvious as I looked around; so much so that about the only things I could criticise was the lack of a light above the mirror in the bathroom and en suite. The kitchen, I’m sure, is very cook’s dream, while the en suite is to die for. If there is a slight downside to the Ash Lodge it is that it is manufactured in Northern Ireland, which would make it difficult for buyers to see the home being built. However, there is a UK show centre where the finished model can be view at Jaybelle Grange in Sussex (see Info panel).


INFO

Oak Grove Cabins, Carrakeel Drive, Maydown Industrial Estate, Londonderry BT47 6UQ
Tel: 028 7186 1166 Email: [email protected] Web: www.oakgrovecabins.co.uk

Showground, Jaybelle Grange, Climping, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5RU
Tel: 01903 718387 Email: [email protected] Web: www.jaybellegrangelodges.co.uk



Technical details

• Type: Twin unit Lodge
• Standard: BS3632, so can be used on a residential estate if the park owner agrees
• Size: 40ft x 20ft
• Bedrooms: 2
• Price: £105,000 ex works (incl £1,369.16 VAT)

Main features

• Redwood cladding
• Central heating
• Solar powered rain sensor Velux windows
• Concertina patio doors to lounge and master bedroom
• Three-seater and two seater sofas
• Dining table and six chairs
• Granite kitchen worktops
• Double glazing
• Fridge/freezer
• Dishwasher
• Washer/dryer
• Microwave
• Oak shaker interior doors
• Velux rooflights
• En suite with wet room
• Underfloor heating to bathroom and en suite

Selected options

• Low maintenance Canexel cladding
• Additional Velux rooflights


This feature was published in the August 2011 issue of Park & Holiday Homes. To order a copy of Park & Holiday Homes please click here

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