FIRST LOOK: £96m Strawberry Fields later living complex set to open in Cambridge 

Discreet, personalised 24-hour care and support services will be available onsite through the village’s CQC registered agency, Rangeford Care.

Rangeford Villages has announced sectional completion of phase one of its latest full-service Integrated Retirement Community, Strawberry Fields Cambridge

This includes a Club House with ‘Wild Thyme’ restaurant and bar, revive spa, treatment rooms and hair salon. There is a fully equipped gym, pool, steam and sauna, dance studio as well as an activities room, members lounge and private dining, all set in landscaped grounds.

Located in the village of Stapleford near Cambridge, the £96 million project also includes the creation of a new countryside park, which will provide 147 one, two and three-bedroom contemporary apartments and bungalows. Off plan sales reached over 20% at the end of May.

“Strawberry Fields is going to be a phenomenal place to live, and we are proud to provide such high quality homes, facilities and services for all our new owners. We are now looking forward to watching the village community grow and flourish. This new village delivers much-needed and sought after contemporary housing options for the over 60s in the Cambridgeshire area,” says Howard Nankivell, CEO of Rangeford Villages.

Rangeford say the development’s design ‘isn’t just about aesthetics; it also prioritises functionality and sustainability’. The development includes energy-efficient features, including solar panels, air source heat pumps, and triple glazing to reduce carbon emissions. Electric vehicle charging points as well as communal transport, will also be available for owner’s use.

“Retirement communities are becoming more and more like five-star hotels,” says Wesley Ridgway, village manager at Strawberry Fields

The homes are all fully accessible, with wide doorways and corridors and are level access throughout.

Rangeford shared its vision is to ‘break stereotypes around retirement living’.

“Retirement communities are becoming more and more like five-star hotels with fantastic, quality furnishings and facilities, as retirees look to spend their later years living life in style and luxury,” says Wesley Ridgway, Village manager at Strawberry Fields. 

Owners will have access to an array of groups and clubs including fitness classes at the gym, dance, yoga, croquet, arts and crafts and book clubs, for example.

In addition, the village has a dedicated health and wellbeing manager whose role is to deliver and facilitate a wide variety of activities and events. Rangeford say the village ‘fosters a genuine sense of belonging, where people can build friendships and create new lasting memories’.

Discreet, personalised 24-hour care and support services will also be available onsite through the village’s CQC registered domiciliary agency, Rangeford Care, solely dedicated to providing custom care packages for any owners who may need support now or in the future.

The development will incorporate open green spaces, meandering walking paths, and scenic views of the surrounding countryside. These elements are intended to ‘encourage outdoor activity’ and foster a ‘healthy lifestyle for its owners,’ the developers say.

The outdoor spaces will include manicured gardens, a village green with croquet lawn, plus a boule court, potting shed, raised beds and a kitchen garden. The outdoor areas will be maintained by the Rangeford landscaping team to ‘ensure they continue to be well-kept and biodiverse spaces’.

The village, which is on land once used for growing strawberries, will sit alongside a new countryside park that is being created and maintained by the Gog Magog Trust, whose mission is to restore it back to its natural chalk grassland habitat.

The proximity to the historic city of Cambridge means residents have easy access to its cultural amenities.

‘From the construction phase to long-term operations, the development has created local employment opportunities and provides a much-needed boost to local businesses and suppliers’, according to the developers.

Rangeford Villages is supported by Octopus Capital, a leading UK specialist real estate  investor.

“Our ongoing investment in Rangeford Villages reflects our commitment to creating high-quality, sustainable communities where we are reaching the broadest possible demand for excellence in later living. Strawberry Fields is the perfect example of what we are hoping to achieve.

“Not only does it meet the growing demand for modern retirement living, taking a thoughtful approach to location and customer experience, it also continues to deliver strong outcomes—for residents and investors alike,” says Kevin Beirne, head of retirement living at Octopus Capital

Prices start from £399,950 for a one-bedroom apartment.