We visit two prestigious estates, on site of a former fruit farm in Sussex and on the beautiful Isle of Wight, 15 minutes from a beach

Words by Val Chapman

PettyChar Court in West Sussex

In West Sussex, half an hour from the coast and 40 minutes from London, a top-class new residential park home estate is being developed.

The entrance gives you a strong clue as to the meticulous care with which PettyChar Court is being created by Cavendish Starglade Park Homes Group. Elegant brickwork curves its way alongside a wide paving-sett entrance towards the gates. A sophisticated security system operates, involving phone calls from visitors to residents, in response to which the residents can open the gates.

PettyChar Court is a welcoming park, with homes on large plots, set at different angles. It’s already becoming populated and more plots are being created ready for the next homes.

Brickwork is used to create walls to border plots, as well as skirting for the homes. The result is an ultra-smart estate where attention to detail is paramount.

There are block paved and cobbled areas to add style and interest. The slight undulations in the land are used to add interest; some are outlined with heritage railway sleepers.

Work on the next phase, of 44 homes, is now under way. The final phase of development will follow.

Next to a National Park

The land on which this charming estate sits was once a fruit farm. As part of the transformation, a natural lake will become a venue for fishing and a dog walk will be created.

PettyChar Court is in the hamlet of Rowfold, on the fringe of the South Downs National Park.

It’s surrounded by the pretty villages for which this area is renowned. The nearest large village is Billingshurst, a character place that provides all needs – shops, a post office, dentists’ and doctors’ surgeries – plus take-aways, a supermarket and a train station. The intriguing name of the park derives from the people who owned the fruit farm: a wife whose nickname was Petty and her husband, Charles.

A new show home has just arrived on the park. It’s a Stately-Albion Kensington (pictured on these pages). The keynote of this superb home is its ultra modern décor using black, white and grey to create a stunning look.

The grey granite kitchen surface sparkles in the beams from the spotlights set into the ceiling. The vaulted ceiling creates a large, lofty feel. There’s a breakfast bar, a wine cooler, a ceramic hob and an oven and microwave at waist height. This is a magnificent kitchen. The six-seater dining suite is in an alcove created by windowed walls.

The Kensington is a fabulous home, with a cathedral-style window in the main bedroom and, in the main bathroom, a freestanding bath on a raised area with three lights set into the step.

On the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a magical place to live. There are miles of coast to explore and the hinterland has a quiet, remote charm. Starglade has established a high-class park home estate on the west side of the island, 15 minutes from the beach.

The first residents are now well settled in and a new show homes has just arrived. It’s a Stately-Albion Goodwood. This model had been re-styled for the current year; it gets a new look to both the kitchen and dining area.

The new kitchen look introduces a cream theme for the galley-style kitchen and utility room leading off it, with a sink and tumble drier and washing machine.

Extremely pale wood has been introduced for the splash-back wall and surfaces.

This home has a separate lounge with traditional log burning stove. It features patio doors and box-bay windows, hardwood furniture and a spacious walk-in wardrobe to the master bedroom.

Riverview Court is just 15 minutes’ walk from the resort of Sandown, which has a long sandy beach and a traditional pier. The River Yar runs along one side of the park, hence its name.

A large, imposing brick entrance sets the tone for this beautifully created park. There are 45 plots in total; some will have river views. Well-surfaced avenues are fringed with flint stone chippings and lawns; there’s a fresh, bright appeal here It’s a charming place in which to make your next home.

Cavendish Starglade Parks

In addition to the parks reviewed here, the group has parks in Hertfordshire, the Cotswolds, Wiltshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and East Sussex. Cavendish Starglade offers a part-exchange scheme.

Take a hovercraft trip

And if you want to take a trip there to have a look, the hovercraft service from Southsea is excellent, as we discovered when we visited this park.

We also discovered some of the attractions which make the Isle of Wight a brilliant place in which to live. A 70-mile coastal path to explore, a hinterland where downs provide endless walking opportunities, the Victorian resort of Ryde just four miles from the park - and Shanklin, a charming seaside town with an old thatched village.

The island is rich in history and heritage. There are vineyards here - and Ventnor Botanic Garden, which enjoys a microclimate that enables plants to grow here that can’t thrive elsewhere on the island.