PRESS RELEASE FROM RICHMOND LETCOMBE REGIS

Maintaining a large old family home and garden in retirement can become a chore rather than a pleasure as one gets older.  Not only is it time consuming, but frequently ties up all your capital, leaving precious few hours and little spare money for life’s pleasures.

In contrast, the sense of freedom and escape from responsibility enjoyed by residents at Richmond Letcombe Regis in Oxfordshire gives them access to a superb new lifestyle in a stunning and secure location, and with time to spend enjoying days out, travelling, hobbies, and a full and active social life.

Whether a foodie, a painter, photographer, fitness or nature lover, Richmond Letcombe Regis retirement properties enable residents to live life to the full and make new friends.  Situated in an idyllic location on the edge of the Ridgeway and Lambourne Downs and minutes from the Vale of the White Horse, Letcombe Regis is a quintessential English village that is around 45 minutes by train to London, Bath or Bristol, a 20 minute bus ride to Oxford, and only ten miles to the M4 motorway.

Ensuring that residents maximise the quality of life with like-minded people, and supplying excellent support facilities in a luxury environment is a top priority at every Richmond retirement village.  At Letcombe Regis, a wellness spa with swimming pool, gym, health & beauty treatment rooms and a hair salon are all available, together with a restaurant offering excellent dining with a menu created using locally sourced ingredients.  There’s also a village shop and a café to meet up with new found friends, IT and craft rooms, a library, bowling green, beautiful nature reserve with lake, and a kitchen garden and greenhouse for more green-fingered residents.

There’s a village car and full time driver for regular scheduled outings and shopping trips, and the freedom to take one’s own excursions, from walks along the Ridgeway to Letcombe Castle hill fort, theatre trips to Oxford or the Watermill at Newbury, or simply a meal out in one of the great local pubs and restaurants nearby.  The Eyston Arms at East Hendred, White Hart at Fyfield, and The Greyhound in Letcombe Regis itself are popular.  And for lovers of historic houses and gardens, Buscot Estate, Basildon Park and Highclere Castle are near by, as are national treasures such as The Ashmolean and Museum of Oxford.

Activities within the village itself are many and varied, and encompass art classes, bridge and bowls, film nights, happy hours in the bar, supper clubs, live performance events and talks to provide further enjoyment and opportunity to ‘meet the neighbours’.

Paddy Brice, managing director of Richmond Villages, says: “Opened just 15 months ago, the first phase of properties at Richmond Letcombe Regis is virtually sold out despite the recession, and demonstrates a real demand for our homes and the immediate success of the village.  This really positive response has given us confidence to progress with the final phase of 34 apartments ahead of schedule, and we’re already seeing great interest in these properties from people living in both the immediate area, and further afield.

“Available to purchase, these properties are ideal for those thinking about living independently yet like the idea of being in a safe and sociable community with care and assistance close at hand if required.  We have listened carefully to our residents, who tell us that they particularly want a large living space and up to two bedrooms, especially important if they are downsizing to some degree.”

The apartments have a spacious kitchen and living room, the choice of one or two bedrooms, and an en-suite to the main bedroom.  All are generously proportioned and compare well against the average size of a three or four bedroom new-build home. Prices range from £310,000 for a large one bedroom apartment to £620,000 for a very large, two bedroom apartment measuring 1,460 sq ft.

An Open Day is being help on Saturday 15 October, 10am – 4pm.  This will be on an ‘open house’ basis, and provides an opportunity for anyone interested in looking around the village with a view to purchasing one of the 34 new properties off-plan, to drop in at a time that suits them.

There will be presentations and tours running throughout the day, as well refreshments.

The company offers its own domiciliary care team who are on-site 24 hours a day to provide tailored care to individuals, while a Care Home at the heart of the village provides 24-hour nursing and dementia care.

Richmond Letcombe Regis has already won numerous awards including ‘Best Retirement Development’ in the What House? Awards and the Daily Mail Property Awards, the London Evening Standard New Homes Awards ‘Best New Retirement Development’ title, the Pinders Healthcare Design Award for ‘Independent Living’, and the What House? ‘Best Innovation in Over 50s Housing Award’.

A ‘Try before you buy’ scheme in self-catering accommodation is available for prospective purchasers at Letcombe Regis.  Guests stay in a beautifully furnished apartment comprising living room, double bedroom, shower-room, a kitchen and balcony.  Full English breakfast, lunch and evening meals can be booked in the restaurant, and includes full use of the village facilities.

Richmond Villages offers a wide choice of retirement villages in five locations around the UK.  For further information please call 0844 4119 390 or visit www.richmond-villages.com , or for the ‘Try before you buy’ scheme further details are available from www.richmondretreats.co.uk.