IN 2008 Tingdene had a shell stand at London’s Retirement Show and the public response was so good that this year the company decided to exhibit an actual home. Not only that, it chose the show as the venue for the launch of its latest twin unit lodge, the Woodland.

The model on display was a 40ft x 20ft three-bedroom unit, but a two bedroom version is available and there are also two and three-bed 36ft x 20ft Woodlands. The homes are built to the BS3632 residential standard, so they can be used on residential as well as leisure parks, if the park owner agrees. And, unusually, a roof terrace with an external spiral staircase is available as an optional extra (£7,000 plus VAT for half-width, £13,000 plus VAT for full width).

The external cladding on the show home was timber log, but Tingdene can offer other styles as well. The front end elevation features French doors to the left, with two full-height windows to the right, each side with exterior light above. The main side elevation has another pair of full-height windows towards the centre, next to the flush-fitted main door, which is almost fully glazed with obscure glass and has a modern-style carriage lamp to the left.


Bright kitchen

I chose to enter the lodge through the single door on the side and the L-shaped kitchen with an island unit was straight ahead of me, with the living and dining area to my left. It’s a bright kitchen with a skylight window, high gloss, white eye-level and base cabinets.

Granite-look worktops and upstands are in vogue this season and in this kitchen they sat well with the matt finish stainless steel sink and drainer. There was a built-under single electric oven and integral grill with a gas hob atop it and the three-speed extractor hood vented to the exterior. Surprisingly, the 12-place dishwasher was a free-standing model but the fridge and freezer were built in.

The island unit had two cupboards and four drawers, but created a practical yet friendly divider from the living area.


Light interior

Seating in the living area is courtesy of three two-seat sofas arranged around a rectangular coffee table in front of the electric fire and the wall-mounted TV (included in the price), which are positioned on the end wall between the French doors, to the right, and the two windows. The double doors in the show home opened out onto a 4ft deck, which is an optional extra (6ft and 8ft decks are also available).

The French doors and the full-height windows combined with the light interior décor scheme of cream and green to create a spacious look with a touch of luxury. The dining area seated six people and was just a short hop away from the sofas.


Generous wardrobe

A door from the open plan living area leads into a hall, and to the left at the end is the master bedroom. This accommodated a 4ft 6ins double bed with a bedside cabinet each side. The space between the bed and the window was a touch tight – the user of that side of the bed may have to do the sideways shuffle, alongside the radiator. Thankfully the Buttermilk coloured cotton curtains were windowsill length.

The best feature of the room was the dressing table and generously-sized adjacent walk-in wardrobe/dressing area, which had a four-drawer chest of drawers, an open shelf unit and plenty of hanging space.

Accessed from the walk-in, the en-suite shower room sported a corner entry shower and a built-in lavatory and basin. There was a large mirror over the basin and a cupboard underneath it. I think you might need a bit more storage space, but there was space on the wall to add, perhaps, a couple of glass shelves. There was a towel rail and a radiator behind the door.


Twin bedrooms

The door at the end of the corridor leads into the second bedroom, which had 3ft twin beds separated by a four drawer chest with a mirror over it. The fixed wooden headboards don’t allow for the flexibility of making up a double bed, but the row of cupboards over the beds made the best use of space. The double-door wardrobe was at the foot of the bed nearest the window.

The third bedroom, to the right at the beginning of the hall, also had twin beds, this time 2ft 6in, with a bedside cabinet between them. Again, wooden headboards were in place and there was a single wardrobe and a chest of drawers on the wall opposite the beds and a row of cupboards - four this time - over them.

Like the master bedroom and second bedroom, the wood colour was described as Natural Calvados. The curtains were the same colour and fabric as the master and second bedroom.


Bathrooms and storage

To the left at the beginning of the hall, the family bathroom was really a good size with a white suite and the washbasin and lavatory built in, with a cupboard under the basin, too. It was fully tiled around the bath and there was an overbath shower with an acrylic shower screen. The wall-mounted towel rail was over the radiator. The model I saw had carpet, a late change to the design, as I was expecting a vinyl floor covering.

It only remains to mention a couple of cupboards; one in the hall for the Heatline Capriz boiler, where there was also space to store items like perhaps an iron and ironing board, brushes and a vacuum cleaner.

The second cupboard, the cloaks cupboard, is near the side entrance door, probably where you’d welcome your guests and it was generously sized. Again, there was an opportunity to maximise the space in there with the addition of a few shelves for bags, shoes, welly boots and umbrellas. The loft access was in the hall.


OUR VERDICT

Fully carpeted in all the main living areas and with good quality lined curtains hung on chrome poles to give a contemporary look, this three bedroom model is ideal not just for ownership and sole use, but for the rental market - either through a park, or as an investment opportunity for an individual or consortium.



Technical details
• Type: twin unit leisure lodge
• Standard: BS3632
• Size: 40ft x 20ft
• Bedrooms: 3

Other versions
• 40ft x 20ft 2 bedrooms; 36ft x 20ft 2 or 3 bedrooms; 22ft widths also available

Room sizes
Please note: all dimensions are approximate only.
• Lounge/kitchen/dining area 19ft 3in x 19ft 4in
• Master bedroom 8ft 6in x 9ft 4in
• En suite 5ft 5in x 5ft 3in
• Bedroom 2 8ft 5in x 9ft 5in
• Bedroom 3 9ft 6in x 6ft 5in
• Bathroom 5ft 6in x 6ft 6in

Selected features
• Log timber external finish
• French windows to front elevation
• Roof window in the kitchen
• Double glazing
• 32in LCD TV
• Vaulted ceilings to lounge and dining area
• Loft access
• Gas central heating
• Integrated fridge/freezer
• Freestanding dishwasher

Options
• Built-on decking with balustrade from £2,350 plus VAT
• Roof terrace with spiral staircase from £7,000 plus VAT
• Second set of French doors to front elevation £660 plus VAT
• Oak or rosewood uPVC external window frames.

Price
Price as seen £66,972 ex works


CONTACT

Tingdene Homes Ltd, Bradfield Road, Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4HB Tel: 01933 230130 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tingdene.co.uk


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


Park & Holiday Homes magazine offers reprints of all homes and parks we've reviewed in our magazine. To view our latest index of reviews see our current issue click here.