Lifestyle Escape to the
Flat Living at home with leaSehold
Maidstonefor thefirst timesinceitwas built in 1797. Situated in the heart ofMote Park, the historic Grade II*listedGeorgianhouse,which has beensympathetically restored,willhouse 14 luxury apartments andthe Audley
Club.The club’s facilities will include a bar and bistro, restaurant,gym,swimming pool andlibrary. Peoplefrom thelocalcommunity aged 55 and over will be invited to join as well as residents. TheapartmentsatAudleyMoteHouse
*
areavailabletoviewbyappointment.The show apartment,whichboastsanumber of original period features,was createdby interior designer Carol Gearing. Having been in developmentfor five years, therenovationof Mote Houseisdue forcompletionthissummer. TheMoteHouse Villagewillultimately consist of 100houses, cottages andapartments,which are available to purchase by anyone over theage of
55.There is currentlyamixture of properties forsaleincluding 12 remaining apartments available in themain house. Therenovation,whichincludesthe
designofthe surroundinggrounds,has beenundertakeninaccordance with strict
FascinatingFacts
Thehousewas designed by DanielAsherAlexander.He also designedMaidstoneand Dartmoorprisons,although hisfirstcommissionwas to widentheMedwayBridge in Rochester In 1531,HenryVIIIandAnne
Boleyn visitedMotePark before theirmarriage. In 1799, KingGeorge III
andPrimeMinisterWilliam Pitt visitedtheproperty to inspectaround3,000 assembledtroops of theKent
14
Volunteers,alocalmilitia trained to defendthecountry fromapossible invasionby Napoleon1 of France. Between1932and 1941,MoteHouse
(knownthen as “The Mote”)washome to theCaldecott Community (now theCaldecott Foundation), anursery
organisation that had relocatedto
Maidstonefromits original homeinLondonfollowing theFirstWorldWar.
In 1941,MoteHouse
Daniel Asher Alexander
was commandeered by theBritishArmedForces asaheadquarters andtrainingfacility duringtheSecond
WorldWar.Itwas subsequently used as offices fortheMinistry ofAgriculture,
FisheriesandFood.
wasdesignedbyinterior designercarolgearing
guidelines to ensure that thehouse retains itsoriginalcharacter.Originalfeaturesofthe
house and the estate include: nTheclock towerfrom theoriginalmedieval fifteenth-centurymansion
nOriginal stables nThe Old Brew House nGeorgian water pump nIce houses nOriginal staircase in themain house nGeorgian steps within the grounds
overlooking the Len Valley. Much of the renovation work has been
undertaken byemployeesfrom Kent. Once the main househas opened,Audleywillcontinue to recruitlocally, particularly forguest services includingrestaurant staff,bar staff,health& fitness staff. Audley has been building andmanaging
luxury retirement villages formorethana
decade.The company’saimis to enable residents to live an independentand healthylater life in theirownhomes, in alike-minded community with access to flexible care packages and a wide rangeofleisure facilities viathe on-site club.
Summer 2012 Flat Living theshowapartment
INAPRIL,AudleyRetirement Villages opened thedoors of the main houseatits newMoteHouse developmentnearBearsted,
country
Audley Retirement Villages has just openedthe doorsofits latest development in Kent. FLAT LIVING takes a look inside
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