24 PROJECT REPORT: LUXURY DEVELOPMENTS
THERE IS A MAIN ‘HIGH STREET’ RUNNING NORTH TO SOUTH THAT LEADS TO A CENTRAL VILLAGE GREEN
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entrance to the development was designed to immediately reference both uses. “You pass through a paddock with rare breed sheep on one side and a species-rich lawn on the other,” explains Vernon-Harcourt. “No over-mown amenity grass, but a rich landscape that refl ects the heritage of the site,” he continues. “The purchasers who have moved in love to see the sheep in the paddock and it helps connect them to the countryside.” The presence of the sheep is also a strong part of the site’s biodiversity. Before work could begin onsite, extensive archaeological trenching had to be undertaken, but thankfully nothing major was discovered. There were also high voltage cables that needed to be relocated, but because the site was an empty, arable fi eld it was relatively straightforward to do this,” Vernon- Harcourt says.
The developer thought carefully about every detail, including the layout of the development. The project team drew inspiration from the Manningtree and Mistley villages which, says Vernon- Harcourt, “have some great examples of street patterns and vernacular architecture.” The development’s longevity was also considered, with the team
wanting to create a community that would stand the test of time. They looked at all kinds of nearby settlements from villages to cities, including Orford, Finchingfi eld, Saffron Walden and New Square in Cambridge, with all “providing clues as to how we can develop a community of homes that will improve with age.”
A LUXURY FEEL
The time and care taken by City & Country to get Manningtree Park right is not an alien process to the developer. “Good design is at the heart of how City & Country operates,” Vernon-Harcourt says. In particular the team drew inspiration from the historic layout of Saffron Walden, which follows a simple street pattern. The main high street runs from north to south, with the other roads branching off it east to west to market squares and greens. “We mapped this onto our design for Manningtree Park,” he says. This resulted in a similar main ‘high street’ running north to south that leads to a central village green, with an east to west road leading to a second green, explains Vernon-Harcourt. “Off this main street spur there are mews and lanes,” he adds. The team wanted to avoid the maze-like
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