All aboard for a visit to Royal Clarence Marina

An open weekend on 18th and 19th October at Royal Clarence Marina, Gosport in Portsmouth Harbour, will showcase the latest show homes at this flagship development. Anyone who reserves a new home this weekend will also receive a collection of tailor-made designer furniture from bespoke interior designer, David Phillips Living.

Visitors to Royal Clarence Marina, will find the restoration and conversion by Berkeley Homes Southern of the Grade II listed Granary & Bakery Building, on the edge of the marina, an inspiration. But don't take their word for it. Ask the Franklin family have who recently bought there. Kim Franklin says the family are delighted with the quirky, original features of their airy and spacious two-bedroom apartment in The Bakery which is on the site of the Royal Navy's old fleet victualling base.

The Franklins' exciting new home is one of a number that inherit loading doors of the original functional building that fed the Navy for nearly 200 years. Berkeley Homes, with its renowned luxury standards and attention to detail, has also made sure that all the apartments, each with pillars and beams from yesteryear, meet the demands of today's discerning buyers. They deliver modern, loft-style living with a fantastic, new contemporary specification. Many have spectacular views over the Marina and Portsmouth Harbour.

"We love the loading doors," say Kim. "We made that room our bedroom, so we can open them up and then snuggle down under the duvet and take in the fabulous views over Portsmouth Harbour to the The Spinnaker Tower. They're stunning."

The history of the old building really appeals to the family, which includes 13 year-old Eve. It's a marked difference to their Godalming home which is an equally dramatic property - a very modern, timber-framed Huf Haus, renowned for their light, airy ambience; qualities delivered in equal abundance at The Bakery.

The apartment is situated at one corner of the building, so especially offers plenty of light, something Kim, an artist, particularly appreciates. Their bathroom has the added bonus of a double aspect, again something of a special feature that caught their eye.

"We have been spending a lot of time here since we moved in during February of this year," Kim adds. "It's so easy to get here at the weekends. Eve, our daughter, was really keen that we bought it, as she loves Gunwharf Quays and all that it offers teenagers."

The Franklins bought their property, one of 44 spacious apartments, as a second home. It's a very convenient base for their leisure sailing activities, and husband Mark made sure they booked a berth for their boat at the Marina as well. Their principal home is just one hour away by car, along the A3.

The development at Royal Clarence Marina also offers a rich choice for prospective purchasers, including contemporary homes as well as the refurbished apartments that appealed to the Franklins.

Royal Clarence Marina will soon enjoy its own selection of restaurants and retail outlets; Kim reckons it will make their weekends even more of a holiday. In the meantime, Gunwharf Quays, the major retail and leisure centre across the water at Portsmouth, is a real bonus for Marina residents. A private water taxi service for residents from the Marina means that its waterside bars, shops and cinema are only ten minutes away. The water taxi also delivers Marina residents to the harbour railway station that puts Waterloo Station in London at just over 90 minutes away by a direct service. Ferries serve the Isle of Wight and the continent and for road users, like the Franklins, the M275/M27 from Portsmouth gives access to the M3 and A3. Another ferry service runs to Gosport throughout each day and most of the night.

Prices at Royal Clarence Marina start from £180,000 for a one-bedroom mews house, £250,000 for a fully-furnished, interior-designed two-bedroom apartment in The Bakery and £315,000 for a penthouse apartment in Flagstaff House, awarded ‘Runner Up' status in the Regeneration category in the highly sought-after Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 2008 Awards.

For more information, log on to Royal-clarence-marina.co.uk.