New homes at Abbotswood Park revive traditonal family-time
Homes with open plan living /dining rooms may help family cohesion, as a recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health suggests that family meals can contribute to good mental health in young people. The study reveals that regularly sharing a meal benefits a teenagers overall well-being, with the researchers from Queen's University, Belfast and McGill University, Quebec suggesting that communal mealtimes may give young people an opportunity to participate in open family interactions and express concerns, therefore helping with any problems they may have.
In addition to this, according to a study by communications regulator Ofcom, thanks to the rise of connected devices such as smartphones and tablets, UK families are now more likely to watch TV together than they have been in over a decade. As the room with the largest TV in the house, this trend is leading to the rise in the use of the living room, with families brought together just as they were in the 1950’s when a TV was likely to be a home’s only screen.
The properties at Abbotswood Park, Leavesden from Bellway Homes are perfect for modern family life, as many of the homes feature an extensive open plan living/dining rooms that are ideal for families who enjoy spending time together, whether that involves sharing a meal or watching TV together whilst interacting on tablets and smartphones.
With two bedroom apartments and two, three, four and five bedroom homes, Abbotswood Park is ideal for first time buyers and for those with fast-growing families. All the properties are beautifully designed to be high on style and extremely energy-efficient.
Kevin Bowles Sales Manager of Bellway Homes North London comments: “The majority of buyers at the development are families looking for a home they can grow into, and with such a good choice of styles and house types, it’s no surprise that Abbotswood Park is so appealing.
“The homes are planned with families in mind, understanding that sharing meals and taking time to discuss the day can help to build a more content home life for all the family. Not only are the homes beautifully designed and a good size for families, but Abbotswood Park is ideally located for schools, commuting and leisure opportunities, so everyone is catered for.”
The Dorchester show home is a perfect example of a large family home that is ideal for the social family. The roomy property has three double bedrooms and attached garage, and benefits from an open plan kitchen/family/dining room, perfect for sharing meals, discussing each family members’ day and enjoying prime time television programmes together.
On the ground floor the hallway leads past the cloakroom, into the open plan kitchen/family/dining room, with French doors opening out on to the garden. The utility room, providing access to the garage, discreetly hides the functional elements of the home, is accessed through the main living area. A separate living room with bay window gives the adults an option to relax away from the main living area to unwind.
On the first floor there is the master bedroom, with fitted wardrobes and en-suite shower room, two further good size double bedrooms, one of which also has an en-suite shower room, family bathroom and a fourth bedroom that could double up as a study.
Leavesden Aerodrome, where Abbotswood Park is located, has an interesting history. It was one of the large number of new airfields built across the south east of the country during World War II, but the site was also used as a factory, building Halifax heavy bombers and de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers. After the war, the land was sold to Rolls-Royce who operated an aircraft engine factory on the site until its closure in 1994.
In 1995, it was transformed into a filmmaking set to shoot the James Bond movie GoldenEye. Leavesden is still home to the only Hollywood film studio with a permanent base in the UK, Warner Bros. Studios, which has since created a multitude of blockbusters, notably Star Wars episodes I to III, the Harry Potter film series and the newly opened Harry Potter experience.
The county of Hertfordshire has a long-established reputation for the quality of its schooling. At Abbotswood Park you will find both primary and secondary schools close to home, including Leavesden Green Junior mixed infant and nursery school. The Francis Combe Academy, Watford Grammar School for Boys and the Grammar School for Girls are four miles away, while the Haberdashers’ Aske’s School in Elstree is eight miles away. It is rated ‘best school in the country’ and ‘top independent school’ in various surveys and achieves a very high proportion of students who go on to study at Oxford and Cambridge.
Town and country life are beautifully balanced at Abbotswood Park - from the sports, leisure and theatre amenities only a major hub like Watford can offer, to the exploration and enjoyment of the Hertfordshire countryside. Moor Park Golf Club’s two championship golf courses are set in over 300 acres of woodland and fine parkland with a Grade I listed Palladian mansion as stunning backdrop. The Grove at Watford is 5 star hotel resort which boasts a championship golf course, award-winning Sequoia Spa, three luxurious restaurants, lounges and bars plus a tranquil walled garden and woods.
The landscape also makes for wonderful days out all year round: from children’s farms where you can bottle-feed lambs in spring, and ancient woodlands famous for their glorious blue carpets of bluebells, to summer picnics and walks amongst spectacular autumn colours on lakeside walks and nature trails.
With Watford Junction station just three miles away, Abbotswood Park has excellent transport connections to central London. A journey into the capital takes 17 minutes, with direct onward links by underground into the West End, the South Bank at Waterloo, the City and St Pancras for Eurostar.
The properties at Abbotswood Park are priced from £404,995 to £559,995 and are available with Bellway Homes’ Express Mover scheme, subject to availability and terms and conditions. This means Bellway will work with a recommended local agent to market your existing property and encourage them to find a buyer as quickly as possible, so you could move in faster. What’s more, the service is completely free of charge.
For further information, visit bellway.co.uk.
