Two residential parks within easy distance of London, in Surrey and Oxfordshire

Cambridge Lodge Park

Three miles from Reigate and 15 miles from central London, Cambridge Lodge Park, in Surrey, is an estate of 80 homes within easy walking distance of the restaurants and shops of the town of Horley.

Shops catering for everyday needs are here, plus a mix of specialist shops and boutiques offering individual service. The town also has a rarity – an independent department store called Collingwood Batchellor. And Horley has its own theatre, called the Archway; it’s located, as its name suggests, under the railway arches.

There are beautiful parks at Reigate, and Crawley. Lingfield is home to the British Wildlife Centre; another great day out idea.

Reigate is a stunning town of fascinating architecture, rather Dutch in style in places. It has all the convenience of a town but retains a village atmosphere; it’s an ancient market town, dating back to 1150.

Cambridge Lodge Park is a long-established park with units and plots in a variety of sizes. Some border the edge of the park, with field views.

Many homes have neat gardens with chippings and pots and low shrubs. One home even has a conservatory fitted onto it.

Some have paved frontages; one has an archway where roses grow; lovely!

As we walked around the park we discovered that new plots are being created, pleasantly backing onto trees and fields beyond.

Oxford Park Homes

Oxford Park Homes, at Sandford-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, is an estate of 132 homes adjacent to Oxford Science Park and a cinema complex. Oxford is only three miles away and, like Cambridge Lodge Park, it’s within easy distance of London; less than two hours by road.

Sandford is beside the Thames, a pretty village with an ancient and picturesque church, and plenty of green open space. You can walk to Sandford Lock across a footbridge from the Kings Arms pub.

Oxford is a magnificent city that you’d never stop exploring. One of its many iconic buildings is the circular Radcliffe Camera, the main reading room of the university’s Bodleian Library. Interestingly, the name derives from the Latin ‘camera’, meaning chamber or room; it was built in the 1730s with money bequeathed by the royal physician, Dr John Radcliffe.

Find out more about the parks here: jjcoopergroup.com