Lifestyle, Retirement Pensions & Insurance
‘Where do you see yourself in ten years‘ time asked the interviewer when I was 19. ‘Running your company while you relax on a desert island’ was my reply. What I lacked in life experience I made up for in confidence but, the truth was I couldn’t imagine that far ahead. Life was in fact very different; at 29 I was mother to two children and running a home not a company. Could I have seen that coming? No, definitely not.
What life has taught me in my fifties is that I now need to plan ahead; I have enough life experience to anticipate the changes I will have to make in my sixties, seventies and beyond. So, where do I see myself in say 20 years’ time? If you had asked me a few weeks ago I probably wouldn’t have had an answer but that was before I visited Audley Chalfont Dene Village.
Chalfont Dene is the latest in the Audley Retirement portfolio of luxury retirement villages, nestled in 15 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire. The development of 84 apartments and cottages offer luxury independent living in retirement. From the beautifully appointed Chalfont House, the ultimate Club House – with restaurant, bar, swimming pool, steam room, beauty salon and hairdresser, gym, library and hobby room – to the picturesque lakeside gardens, Chalfont Dene offers the ultimate in comfort. Imagine the most beautiful boutique hotel with the advantage of never having to leave, and you will have a good picture of life at Chalfont Dene.
Known for redeveloping beautiful buildings, Chalfont Dene is the first Audley Retirement Village to be built from scratch. This has enabled the company to create a blueprint for the future of living in later years. With a keen eye on conservation, Audley have designed the village to reflect the local area, incorporating the Arts & Crafts influences into the design as well as design elements from local agricultural buildings. The lake is not only aesthetically pleasing; it also serves to store ground water from the site. In fact the local influences are carried through all the buildings which are named after prominent historical people or families from the Chalfont St Peter area.
I believe that a happy and healthy old age will come from having a good level of independence and this is what is available at Chalfont Dene. Once you have purchased your retirement home, you can comfortably be assured that life will be easier. Properties include kitchens which are not only well appointed but designed without handles in case of a fall, taps which make filling a kettle easy and worktops suitable for using in a wheelchair. And the bathrooms follow suit; walk in showers with the controls which can be operated before entering, so no nasty shocks from water either too cold or too hot, baths with low level showers also accessible from a wheelchair and light airy rooms with more than enough power points as you would expect in a new home.
With British Rail and London Underground stations nearby, travel is easy from Chalfont Dene and with plenty of on-site parking you can be assured that you won’t be cut off. The beautiful guest accommodation in the Cub House will also ensure that friends and family will want to visit. The Audley Club is also open to the local community where they can enjoy the gym, pool and restaurants, so living there will mean you are still part of the community.
Whether you are swimming, using the gym or being pampered, life at Chalfont Dene looks pretty good to me. Being stimulated in the library, hobby rooms and gardening club will keep the mind and body active and should you need additional care Audley are on hand for that as well. They have thought of everything, from security to community, this village is safe and secure for life when you start to feel a little more vulnerable.
As more than 70% of properties have already sold at Chalfont Dene, I’m not alone in thinking this is the ideal location to grow old gracefully, without giving up everything you love about life. The peace and tranquillity of the countryside with the amenities on hand and transport links into London make this a very desirable location.
After spending the day at Chalfont Dene, meeting home owners and prospective buyers, I can see how much we need luxury retirement villages. Of course this level of luxury comes at a price with properties starting at £555,000, but you are as much buying or maintaining a lifestyle as you are a new home.
This article was produced in partnership with Audley Retirement
