COLIN Crickmore bought his first park almost 20 years ago, since then he and his family have expanded their operations so that they now run four of the most modern parks in some of the best locations in East Anglia.
Each park is laid out with the emphasis on quality not quantity. Hence, the homes are set out on each side of made-up roads, with each home having its own parking and garden area. There is a variety of homes – all built to the latest BS 3632 standard – from some of the country’s leading residential home manufacturers, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Currently, all show homes on the parks cost in the region of £87,750 to £125,000 to cash buyers, with prices being negotiable in the cases of houses taken in part-exchange. The show homes are fully furnished and ready to move into.
HARDWICK BRIDGE
The company’s largest park is Hardwick Bridge at Kings Lynn, where there are 68 homes. Each is heated by natural gas with the electricity being billed directly by the supplier. Importantly, too, as at the Grove, each home’s water and sewage is metered, which means, of course, that you only pay for what you use. And there’s a warm welcome for pets, too.
Kings Lynn is one of area’s most important towns, with lots of shops, two theatres, the old port, and many historic buildings where you can while away your leisure hours.
And within easy driving distance of the park are other places to visit such as the delightful seaside resort of Hunstanton, the nearby lavender fields at Heacham, Sandringham House, Holkham Hall and Oxburgh Hall.
For the sporting enthusiast, Fakenham Racecourse is also within easy reach. All of which makes Hardwick Bridge Park an ideal choice for retired people who still enjoy life to the full!
FOR SALE – New homes for immediate occupation at Hardwick Bridge include a range of 2-bed
Omars (Ashbourne, Suffolk Cottage, Newmarkey, Hardwick Deluxe, Oulton Excel Contemporary and Sandringham) at £125,000; a
Tingdene Dolben Lodge, a
Manor Classic and a
Homeseeker Brecon, each at £125,000; and an
Omar Oulton Excel single at £78,000.
GROVE PARK
Close to the town of Wisbech, the ancient capital of the Fens, is Grove Park, the latest addition to the Crickmore family of sites. Here you’ll find 39 residential homes, each with its own parking area, either side of a system of made-up roads. Some of the plots are large enough to take a 40ft home and – as at Hardwick Bridge – all the homes have natural gas, plus metered water and sewage.
Surrounding the park are country views overlooking some of the 5,000 acres of fruit and arable crops which have helped to make the area famous, while in Wisbech itself is one of the country’s oldest family breweries – Elgoods – whose history dates back some 200 years.
Other attractions include the North and South Brinks, two of the best Georgian streets in Britain, the Wisbech & Fenland Museum, the National Trust property of Peckover House and Gardens, and a yacht harbour, all of which help the residents of Grove Park recapture the laid-back living style of yesteryear.
FOR SALE – Available for immediate occupation at Grove Park are two 36x20 2-bed 2007
Omar Sandringhams at £89,950 and £87,750.
PLUMTREE PARK
Just 500 yards’ walk from the social and bowls club at Marham, Norfolk – and eight miles west of Swaffham – is Crickmore’s Plumtree Park, a development of 46 residential homes.
The homes are set either side of a central roadway, each with its own parking space. Other plus points include the fact that it has recently received the David Bellamy Conservation Silver Award.
The park is also within walking distance of the village store and doctor’s surgery, while opposite the entrance to the park is a bus stop for when you want to travel further afield.
Although the park is situated in the village, it has views overlooking the surrounding countryside. The LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) supply to each home is invoiced directly by the supplier, while the electricity is invoiced quarterly from the park’s meters. Water and sewage are included in the ground rent. Importantly, too, pets are welcome.
FOR SALE – New homes for immediate occupation at Plumtree include a 40x20 3-bed
Tingdene Hayden Classic at £99,000.
GREENLAWNS PARK
For those who want to live close to the sea, Crickmore’s Greenlawns Park at Little Clacton – about one and a half miles from Clacton-on-Sea itself – will prove attractive. The park has 43 homes, with those along the edge, furthest away from the St Osyth Road entrance, all overlooking fields.
Owners have a choice of either LPG or oil fired heating – in both cases, invoiced directly by the suppliers, as is the electricity – while water and sewage are included in the ground rent. And Greenlawns is another Crickmore Park where pets are welcome.
Clacton-on-Sea is one of East Anglia’s major holiday resorts where, throughout the year, even the most active home-owners will find enough to satisfy them.
FOR SALE – New homes for immediate occupation at Greenlawns include a 46x20 2-bed 2007
Omar Sheringham at £139,000; a 44x20 2-bed 2008
Omar Oulton Excel at £129,995; and a 38x12 2-bed 2008
Omar Oulton Excel single at £79,000.
BUYING YOUR CRICKMORE HOME
In addition to running their parks, the Crickmore family can assist you to find the mortgage or loan to make your dream of living in a residential park home come true.
Via their home exchange scheme, they can even help you to avoid the hassle of selling your existing home. That means no estate agents fees because, having reserved your plot, Crickmore Parks will arrange for a surveyor to value your existing home so that a price can be agreed, following which solicitors are instructed to enable the sale and purchase to proceed with the minimum of delay.
BRITISH HOLIDAY & HOME PARKS ASSOCIATION
It is important to know that Crickmore Parks Ltd is a member of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) and, as such, operates to that organisation’s standards.
The company is also a participant in the Gold Shield Ten Year Warranty Scheme, providing home owners with total peace of mind in the unlikely event their home develops a fault or defect in its structure during the first 10 years of its life.
All of which means that living on a Crickmore Park will help make your retirement dreams a reality!
CONTACT
Crickmore Parks Ltd, Stable House, 70 Fen Road, Chesterton, Cambridge CB4 1TU. Tel: 01223 424 280. Email:
[email protected]. Web:
www.crickmoreparks.co.uk
This review was published in the April 2009 issue of Park & Holiday Homes magazine. To order our latest issue please click here.
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