Life at the Top at Wadswick Green

At a time when we are all being encouraged to stay home to keep safe, many of us long for more spacious and airy homes with easy access to nature. At Wadswick Green, the later living village for over 60s in Corsham, residents enjoy their retirement in spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments complete with modern designs, as well as private balconies and large terraces to make the most of the surrounding countryside.

Graham and Diana Wilkins, 72 and 71 respectively, settled last year into their brand-new penthouse apartment at the top of Almond Close, one of the village’s latest developments. They made the most of their large private terrace, which overlooks the beautiful landscaped gardens around the development and nature surrounding the village.

Graham says: “Our terrace was a blessing during the lockdown. We used it almost every day, whenever the weather was nice to get some fresh air and enjoy the views. The whole apartment feels very modern and spacious, it’s really well designed.”

Like all apartments at Wadswick Green, their home was built with the needs of over 60s in mind and boasts a single floor, open-plan layout for ease of mobility, walk-in showers, moveable kitchen units and waist-height appliances.

The property features picture windows to make the most of the views on the picturesque Wiltshire countryside and offers residents unrestricted access to nature and to beautiful landscaped gardens which are tended to by a full-time team of gardeners. Green-fingered residents are also encouraged to take part.

Graham says: “We love the many walking trails around the village, and we have nice daily walks. Diana’s also always loved gardening, so as soon as she was able to, she started to help tend to Almond Close’s gardens, weeding, and tidying which she finds very therapeutic and relaxing.”

The couple had made the decision to “rightsize” into a three-bedroom flat, rather than downsize into a one-bedroom home.

Graham says: “It’s just what we needed. Diana paints, so we turned one of the bedrooms into an art studio with a pull-down bed for guest visits. I make model aircraft so the other bedroom doubles as a study and my workshop. We never felt bored or cramped at all during the lockdown, even when we couldn’t go outside - in fact, time went by really quickly!”

Their flat boasts a modern design carried throughout with floor-to-ceiling double-glazed windows in the living areas to make the most of the natural daylight, and thorough insulation to support the energy efficient underfloor heating.

Graham says: “We had a look at one or two retirement developments nearer Winchester where we lived, but nothing particularly had appealed to us. When we visited Wadswick Green and saw the facilities and amenities, we had seen nothing quite like it - that’s what convinced us to move here.”

Graham and Diana, who are still in their early 70s, enjoyed an active lifestyle and took part in the many activities, hobby groups and outings on offer before the Covid-19 crisis hit.

Graham says: “Of course most of the activities were put on hold for now, but we never felt isolated. Diana took part in art classes before the lockdown, and members of the group called to check up on each other during the lockdown. The staff also organised balcony and socially distanced exercise classes for everyone to keep fit and motivated, which was a great boost. Everyone was very supportive, there was this real sense of community and the staff really made things as easy as possible for everyone.”

The couple also enjoy meals from the onsite Greenhouse Coffee Shop and Restaurant, located at the heart of the village, which has now reopened to residents, their friends and family.

Graham explains: “Their takeaway service has been great, and now that they’ve opened the terrace it makes a great space to catch up with friends and other residents. It’s been really well organised, so that everyone is still well-distanced from one another whilst being able to feel part of the community and chat comfortably.”

Reopening The Greenhouse came as part of a detailed set of working practices and protocols that has been put in place throughout the village to ensure staff, residents and visitors keep safe and that services operate safely and in line with the latest guidance from Government and Public Health Authorities regarding Covid-19.

“The staff have been great,” Graham comments. “They put strict safety measures in place very quickly and it’s all worked out very well. They were really good at communicating with us the whole time: each week we received a newsletter with updates about what was going on in the village, what they were doing, as well as summaries of government announcements. That made us feel very informed.”

The village can offer residents in need of a little extra help tailored personal care and support plans via its Rangeford Care service, which means a team of professional carers can also be on call 24/7 to provide support, companionship, and help with daily chores.

Graham concludes: “Overall, I’d say that the lockdown has made us even happier that we had made the move to Wadswick Green. We would probably have had less mobility and maybe felt a lot more isolated if we had stayed in our old house. I don’t think there could have been a better place to spend the lockdown than in Wadswick Green.”