Graham and Jill Richards move to Pinewood Place, Windsor for a more relaxed lifestyle.

When Graham and Jill Richards decided to downsize from their large home in Hampshire, they started their search for a suitable property on the western fringes of London and found the home they were looking for at Beechcroft’s Pinewood Place in Windsor.

Pinewood Place is an exclusive, gated development of 29 elegant new homes set within beautifully landscaped gardens, just off Hatch Lane, within easy reach of Windsor’s town centre. Designed exclusively for the over 55s, the elegant, energy-efficient houses and apartments feature terraces, balconies, private gardens or a combination of these as well as allocated parking. An Estate Manager is on hand to maintain the communal areas, landscaped setting and private gardens – and to keep a watchful eye on properties whilst owners are away.

The Richards’ decision to move was prompted by the fact that the upkeep of their large house and garden was becoming too much for them to cope with, as Mr Richards explains:

“Even though we employed contractors to maintain the hedges and the trees, we knew that we wouldn’t be able to carry on maintaining the exterior, the interiors and the gardens surrounding our home for much longer. The idea of having someone handle all the principal outdoor work – particularly the gardening – was part of the appeal of the Beechcroft development.”

“We chose Windsor because we had visited the town a few times and often went for walks in Windsor Great Park, so we’d knew we’d be happy in the area. Our new home at Pinewood Place is also slightly closer to our sons and their families.”

“When we viewed Pinewood Place, we soon realised that it ‘ticked all the boxes’ for us. We were extremely pleased to discover that, although we were quite prepared to move into an apartment, we were able to buy a three-bedroom house at Pinewood Place.”

“We have always enjoyed travel but, as our former home was quite rural, we had to ensure the house and the boundaries were secure when we went away. Now, having an Estate Manager on hand is very reassuring, providing us with peace of mind when we go away.”

“Now we’ve made the move to Windsor, we hope to join some local clubs and organisations such as the U3A and Probus. Jill likes to play bridge and I like to swim a couple of times a week and we both enjoy walking. Although we no longer take long or hilly walks, we walk up to five miles several times a week – often in Windsor Great Park or around Sunningdale and Ripley. We intend to familiarise ourselves with the area and find some additional, suitable walks around here, just as we have done in the previous areas in which we’ve lived.”

Mr and Mrs Richards will find plenty to fill their leisure time in Windsor. The Windsor & District U3A holds monthly meetings on a variety of topics along with coach tours, party nights and theatre trips, there’s a branch of the WI at Windsor Great Park, a Probus Club in Windsor, swimming at Windsor Leisure Centre and beautiful walks not only in Windsor Great Park but also across the North Wessex Downs and in Swinley Forest, which extends over 2,600 acres from Bracknell to Crowthorne.

For further information on Pinewood Place, where prices start from £595,000 for a two-bedroom apartment with a private balcony, please contact Beechcroft’s sales team on 01753 963095. If you currently live in Windsor, you may be interested in Bramley House, a collection of 12 two-bedroom apartments set within Pinewood Place. These new homes have been created for discounted market sale for people over the age of 55 and prices start from £350,000. Information on all Beechcroft’s current and forthcoming developments may be found on the website at beechcroft.co.uk