NOW YOU CAN PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE – QUITE LITERALLY – AS THE WATER GARDEN IS UNVEILED AT LOWER MILL ESTATE

This July marks the launch of the Water Garden at the award-winning Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswolds – an exclusive development of just 10 properties designed for the very best in outdoor as well as indoor living.

The Water Garden is home to the UK’s first canoe safari – where homeowners can step off their doorstep, climb into a canoe and head out to the neighbouring Spinney Lake to catch fresh trout. They can then canoe back and cook the fish on their own roof terrace.

Starting from £525,000, all 10 of the four-bedroom Water Garden properties have been designed by leading architect, Andy Ramus, whose vision aligns with the eco-architecture credentials that Lower Mill Estate has won a multitude of awards for. Building work on the development will start in September, with completion expected in Spring 2014.

Each of the 10 properties, which are perfect for families wanting to relax or seek adventure on calm, safe waters, epitomise open-plan living with internal living spaces leading out onto large external decks. In addition, the roof terrace on each house offers incredible views across Lower Mill Estate and the large open water Spinney Lake.

The properties are also incredibly economic thanks to under-floor heating, LED lighting and a ‘master switch’ to ensure all electricity can be switched off at the flick of a button. Bespoke interior touches can be selected by the buyer as they wish and there is also the option to have pergolas and herb gardens integrated into the design plan for an additional cost.

A central garden, which appears to float like an island in the water, acts as the focal point and community hub of the development. The design concept sees each of the houses positioned like spokes on a wheel while a connecting body of water has been specially shaped to link each house to one another via canoe. The Water Garden houses sit within 550 acres of fresh air and space, with thousands of species thriving within the Estate, enabling owners to truly live side-by-side with nature.

Home owners will further benefit from access to the Estate’s award-winning Spa which is located just a stone’s throw from the development.

Owner, Red Paxton, comments ‘The Water Garden is designed to enable families to enjoy outdoor space with a sense of adventure. Each house is linked by water, ensuring the rich wildlife habitat is protected and grows in and around each building.”

Since it was founded 16 years ago, Lower Mill Estate has been at the forefront of offering fresh concepts to vacation home buyers, all of which put the habitat first. These include the recent launch of Lakeshore Reserve – an über-exclusive nine plot privately-gated development, with plots starting from £525,000.