THE Lincolnshire Wolds were designated an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as far back as 1973, and situated a few miles from these peaceful and rolling chalk hills with their fine views and mixed woodland, rare flowers and insects, is another area of peace and tranquility – Oaklands- Grange Parks.

The parks are just one and a half miles away from the beautiful inland resort of Woodhall Spa, famed for its world class golf courses, its beautiful rhododendrons and the famous Kinema in the Woods, Britain’s only rear projection cinema. Only four miles away is the thriving market town of Horncastle, and Oaklands-Grange Parks are ideally placed for visits to the nearby cathedral city of Lincoln, and the bracing air of Skegness on the east coast.

And if you truly wish to get back to nature, a stone’s throw away from the Parks is Roughton Moor Wood Nature Reserve, one of four Reserves within 15 miles of Woodhall Spa.


Ideal surroundings

For anyone contemplating retirement in beautiful surroundings, Oaklands-Grange Parks is the idea venue. These two adjoining parks, which cover a thoughtfully landscaped 121/2 acres, are managed and operated ‘as one’, being connected by an attractive pergola walkway.

The parks have strong links with the Tingdene Group, the majority of the homes covering the range of Tingdene models. They took over Oaklands Park in 1994, then Grange Park in 1997, but the parks have been in existence – in one form or another – for around 50 years.

The Oaklands-Grange Parks management team is headed by John Curtis, MD of Oaklands Park (Tingdene) Limited, ably assisted by office manager/company secretary Heather Shepherd, and park manager Ian Parkes.

The team keeps the parks looking smart and pretty and, visiting on an early summer’s morning, walking in through a walkway lined with mature fir trees, passing by neatly lawned green areas, blossoming trees, flowering shrubs and magnificent rhododendrons, they maintain it beautifully.

Each area of the park has its own green area – Nursery View, The Paddocks, Meadowlands – and the residents take great pride in looking after their gardens, having an annual garden contest where the winner of the present year becomes the judge of the next one.

There are no endlessly straight avenues but pleasantly winding roads past the homes, all of which blend beautifully with their surroundings. Most of the homes have quite large spacings, rather than the usual 20ft, so with that little bit more room, and with good sized gardens front and back, nowhere seems overcrowded.


The homes

But what of the homes? There are 81 on Oaklands Park and 36 on the smaller Grange Park – predominantly Tingdene, but also one or two Paddock Park homes. Sizes range from 45x10 to 48x20, and all sizes in between, depending on the size of the plot. All the homes are modern, smart and attractive with pavior drives, each having a garage or garage space on the plot. No gravel is allowed on the front gardens, in order not to spoil the green aspect.

There are several refurbished homes on the market at the time of writing, these having had a top-to-bottom ‘makeover’ – new kitchen and bathroom, carpets and curtains, and redecorated throughout. Visitors to Oaklands-Grange Parks will be able to see first-hand the quality of workmanship at the open weekend, on June 27 and 28.

With just one way in and out of both the parks, security is not a problem, and there have been no instances of crime. There are always residents about, so they are their own Neighourhood Watch. There is street lighting, regularly spaced ‘Fire Stations’, and the usual council recycling bins.

A great sense of community becomes apparent with a stroll round the park, residents chatting, lawnmowers humming and gardening tips exchanged. The Residents’ Association meets once a month in the local village hall, and organises social events and trips out. They run a Camera Club once a month, and have an annual summer barbecue with live entertainment. There’s also a meeting room in the parks offices that the residents can use for coffee mornings.

The parks are also pet friendly, with a total of 43 dogs on site. And with countryside walks only five minutes away, it’s not only the residents who find Oaklands-Grange Parks a safe and secure piece of heaven on earth!


WHAT TO YOU THINK, VAL AND VIC?

Val and Vic Blythe moved to Oaklands-Grange Park eight years ago this month and they say it was the best thing they’ve done. They’d live in the little village of Peak Dale near Buxton in Derbyshire in a large detached bungalow.

“We wanted somewhere smaller and somewhere quiet,” says Val. “We have no children, so we thought of moving to this area.” Vic, who was in the construction industry, had worked in Lincolnshire from time and time and had often said it would be nice to move to the area when they retired.

They had bought Park & Holiday Homes magazine to find out more, had visited one or two parks, and various shows, but it was Oaklands-Grange they fell in love with: “We were amazed at how well kept the park was,” says Vic. They bought their home, a 40x20 Dolben Lodge, which was two years’ old, in 2001. And Kelly, their West Higland White Terrier, came too. Sadly Kelly is no longer with them, but Luka the Blythe’s Shih-Tzu is just as at home as Val and Vic, judging by the welcome he gives visitors!

“It’s so peaceful and quiet here, and everything’s so handy. If we don’t want to drive, the bus stop at the entrance will take us to Woodhall Spa, or to Horncastle. And the dog enjoys his walks on the beach near Sutton on Sea – it’s perfect for us.”

“We can stand in the kitchen and look out over the field at the rabbits, the pheasants come calling, and we sit watching the birds for hours.”

And Vic adds, “Our home is easy to maintain and it’s warm in winter – we wouldn’t go back to bricks and mortar.”


WHAT TO YOU THINK, SUE AND DAVID?

Moving from a noisy council estate to the haven of quiet that is Oaklands-Grange Park seemed like heaven to Sue and David Green from Rotherham.

“We’d had enough of cities and big towns and urban living,” says David, who’s a retired builder, “and longed for the quiet of the countryside. Living on the estate was quite stressful and, frankly, we wanted to get away from the children and the teenagers there who were so noisy. We’d looked at various parks local to us but they didn’t offer what we wanted. And we’d brought our caravan several times to a park near here, so we knew
the area”.

They liked Oaklands-Grange immediately, so in May 2006, Sue and David took the plunge and bought their home, a 36x20 Hayden Classic, at Oaklands-Grange Park. And took to it like ducks to water.

Being keen cyclists, a move to this part of the country has been ideal for Sue and David. They’ve cycled everywhere, and think nothing of 12 to 15 mile rides. “We just have to cross the main road at the entrance of the park, and we’re off into the country lanes,” says Sue, a former office administrator. “It’s clean and peaceful here, all the people around us are in roughly the same age group, and it’s safe and secure.”

Both Sue and David say there’s a great sense of community on Oaklands-Grange Parks. There’s plenty to do, both on and off site. David and Sue are members of the Residents’ Association, with its social events, and Sue goes to its Camera Club once a month.

They also visit nearby Woodhall Spa Organ Club, go sequence dancing in Tattershall with their neighbours, they’ve visited RAF Coningsby, and they can jump on the local bus if they don’t feel like driving.

The Greens also have four children and six grandchildren, and always look forward to their visits, so life is never dull. As to considering going back to Rotherham – “No way,” they chorus!


FOR SALE

At the time of writing there were several pre-owned homes available, including a 40x20 Tingdene Dolben Lodge, completely refurbished, £92,750; a 45x20 Tingdene Dolben Lodge, completely refurbished, £94,750; 40x20 Tingdene Milton Cottage, £95,000; 40x20 Tingdene Dolben Lodge, completely refurbished, £98,500; 42x 20 Paddock Park Jubilee, £99,000; 40x 20 Tingdene Dolben Lodge, £99,250; 45x20 Tingdene Milton Cottage, £110,50.


LOCAL INFO

• Local amenities: Milk, newspapers, fish van delivery on site, two newsagents nearby. All basic requirements in Woodhall Spa, including Co-operative and Budgens Mini Market, Post Office, two butchers, patisserie, hairdressers. Tesco and Somerfield supermarkets, Post Office in Horncastle (four miles away).
• Health: Two GPs’ surgeries, two dentists (one private) and opticians in Woodhall Spa. The nearest hospitals are Louth (20 miles) Boston (22 miles) and Lincoln (27 miles).
• Public transport: Two buses a day to Woodhall Spa centre and Horncastle. From Woodhall, buses to Boston and Lincoln. From Horncastle, buses to all regions.
• Eating and drinking: Plenty of choice in and around Woodhall Spa, eg The Golf Hotel, Petwood Hotel, Smarties Bar, The Teahouse in the Woods and small cafés. The nearest pub is at Bainland Country Park, a short walk from the parks.
• Entertainment: Kinema in the Woods, showing the latest films, also has organ concerts. Horncastle has a local theatre group. Nearest professional theatre, Lincoln Theatre Royal.
• Sports: Jubilee Park has tennis courts, croquet, bowls and swimming pool; Bainland Country Park has tennis, swimming pool, nine-hole golf course (both in Woodhall Spa). Woodhall Spa National Golf Course (visit: www.woodhallspagolf.com for more information).


WHAT CAN I DO AROUND HERE?

Big skies - If anyone tells you Lincolnshire is just flat fenland, take a visit to the rolling Lincolnshire Wolds. Visit market towns, tea rooms and traditional pubs. Great for walking, hiking, cycling and fishing. Website: www.tastesoflincolnshire.com

Catch a film - The Kinema in the Woods, once known as ‘The Flicks in the Sticks’ was converted from a concert pavilion in the Spa grounds. All the latest films. Website: www.thekinemainthewoods.co.uk.

Find the imp! - Visit Lincoln and its Cathedral, one of the finest gothic buildings in Europe – and see if you can find the imp high up on a column. Lincoln is great for shopping, eating, and entertainment at the Theatre Royal. Web: www.theatreroyallincoln.com.

Airborne memories - Visit RAF Coningsby and view the WW11 Battle of Britain Memorial Flight aircraft. There’s visitors’ centre, a shop and a Forgotten Heroes exhibition (June 29 – July 3). Website: www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf.


OAKLANDS-GRANGE PARKS OPEN WEEKEND

There are open days on Saturday June 27 and Sunday June 28 from 10am to 4pm, including guided tours around the park. There will be a number of fully reburbished show homes available to look round, all at prices under £100,000. Cold buffet, tea and coffee available. For more details, contact: 01526 352312.


CONTACT

Horncastle Road, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6UU. Tel: 01526 352312. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.ukparks.co.uk/oaklandspark

• Prices start at £94,750
• Pitch Fee, including services carried out by the park, from £1176 to £1472.
• Council tax, band A
• Electricity and mains gas supplied directly by the utility companies.
• Water is communal and costs between £150 and £200pa, sewerage charges inclusive.
• ‘Semi-retirement retirement park’ – generally over 50, no children except
as visitors.
• Pets permitted.


This review was published in the June 2009 issue of Park & Holiday Homes magazine. To order our latest issue please click here.


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