Perfecting country living…

in the delightful Coln Valley village of Quenington.

Greener Country Homes

A selection of traditionally-built 2, 3 and 4-bedroom Cotswold stone cottages

Prices from £280,000



Painters Field, Coneygar Road Quenington, Gloucestershire

For further information, please contact Elaine Jones, Lynda Larner or Jo Lawrence at our Lechlade office on 01367 252541 or click here for more details.

Open days at ‘Greener’ Country Homes

Painters Field at Quenington, hit the headlines last summer for its green building credentials and social conscience. Developers Michael Rixon LLP uses local tradesmen, assuring that not only are road miles reduced to complete the project, but that each member of the team takes a professional pride in their work and that wages from the development are kept in the local economy.

Lorry movements to and from the site were reduced because as much material as possible was recycled on site. This included 100 tonnes of rubble from the concrete sheds that stood on the site now occupied by the housing development. The concrete was crushed on site and used in the foundations. “It actually cost us more to crush on site than bury what we had and buy new,” explained builder Mike, “but it’s really cut down on lorry movements through the village.”

Similarly, 60 trees scattered around the site were dug up and replanted to form a new piece of woodland. Small shrubs and diseased trees were shredded on site and provided mulch for the gardens.

One of the most innovative environmental schemes was the incorporation of rainwater harvesters in every property. “They’re like giant water butts,” explained Mike, “but buried underground. The run-off of rainwater from each property is collected by the harvesters and used to flush the toilets. This isn’t an optional extra: each house has one. There are external taps so that residents can use the harvesters to water their gardens and the harvester can also be hooked up to the washing machine if the buyer requests it.”  Water harvesters aren’t just good for the environment; they also save the homeowner a significant sum on their water bills.

Homebuyers will save money on their fuel bills too, as each property is air-tested to prove heat loss is kept to an absolute minimum and every light bulb in every house is an energy-saving one. “We’ve also ensured that all the electrical goods in the fitted kitchens are A-rated energy products, which again is something we’re not bound by law to do but thought was important,” said Mike.  Hardstands are being built into each garden for recycling and compost bins and carpentry off-cuts are being supplied free of charge to nearby villagers with wood burning stoves.   Even the local wildlife is being looked after. A small number of bat boxes are erected within the site to encourage the tiny mammals to flourish.

The development – named after the previous occupant of the site, farmer Cecil Painter, a breeder of chickens and Gloucester Old Spot pigs ­– consists of an interesting mix of two, three and four bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached properties with prices starting at £280,000. Over half of the stone-constructed homes have been purchased and four are now occupied.