To recreate the tranquillity and style of a traditional 19th Century Dutch village in this small private development of 45 houses and cottages, sitting alongside the river Soar in rural Leicestershire.
Developers, Black Hawk Properties, created a unique traffic-free layout with planted verges, cobbled paths, arches and hidden courtyards to reinforce the continental village atmosphere. Characterised by different coloured facades, the homes abound with Dutch Revivalist features, and extraordinary attention has been paid to giving each home an aged aesthetic. Specially sourced for their distinctive appearance and character, a palette of bricks from Ibstock’s Birtley brickworks were processed to create the weathered look required. Working closely with Ibstock, a special blend of seconds quality bricks, chosen for their imperfections, were further weathered in Birtley’s Rumbling machine to create an authentic aged appearance.
