A BARGATE HOMES DEVELOPMENT FAIR OAK, HAMPSHIRE PB Location means reputation – and at Archers Wood, we’d struggle to be more local. This former paddock is located on the rural edge of Fair Oak, where Bargate head office is based. Archers Wood is found on Allington Lane – a scenic route linking the village of Fair Oak to Southampton. The development is screened from the lane by trees and dense hedgerows, creating a secluded community. The development’s layout is mindful of its rural setting, maintaining the mature trees and enhancing ecology buffers – to create a soft rural edge, adjacent to the fields beyond. 2 3 THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING LOCAL We have a responsibility to create homes and developments that enrich the areas in which we build. We want our customers, families and communities to be proud of the place they call home – and Archers Wood is a place we’re Be part of a community that welcomes everybody. proud to put our name on. ST THOMAS’ CHURCH, FAIR OAK 4 5 With 440 acres of beautiful water meadows and woodland to explore, you’ll never be stuck Escape the hustle and bustle, with a for something to do. relaxing walk through nature. ITCHEN VALLEY COUNTRY PARK ITCHEN VALLEY COUNTRY PARK 6 7 LOCAL SCHOOLS WYVERN TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE THE KING’S SCHOOL FAIR OAK JUNIOR SCHOOL FAIR OAK INFANT SCHOOL A 34 SHOPPING 1 SALISBURY GUNWHARF QUAYS, PORTSMOUTH WINCHESTER A 31 WEST QUAY, SOUTHAMPTON SWAN CENTRE, EASTLEIGH THE BROOKS, WINCHESTER 3 M PETERSFIELD LOCATION MEANS 4 A REPUTATION 36 2 3 SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK We build in cathedral cities, coastal AONB and riverside towns, market towns SOUTHAMPTON M 2 and archetypal English villages. 71 We build homes in the places our 5 customers cherish. All we have to ask is: M 27 “would we live here?” - and with Archers 3 Wood, the answer was a resounding “yes”. A M27 So much so, we built our headquarters NEW FOREST 6 A27 right here, in Fair Oak. NATIONAL PARK CHICHESTER PORTSMOUTH 1 2 3 WINCHESTER MOTORWAY AIRPORT/TRAIN Winchester combines the best of city Stay connected to all the major LINKS life with the freshness of the cities in the area including Easy access to both Southampton surrounding countryside. Southampton, Winchester Airport and Eastleigh train station. and Portsmouth. 4 5 6 MARWELL ZOO CRUISE SHIPS NEW FOREST Enjoy a day out at Marwell Zoo As a major port in the UK, you can Enjoy long walks in one of near Winchester; get up close to sail to anywhere in the world England’s best known beauty spots. giraffes, tigers, rhinos, penguins from Southampton. and more. Be prepared – adventure and family fun await! ITCHEN VALLEY COUNTRY PARK 8 9 AN INTERVIEW WITH SAMUEL BAKER - THE GARDEN SOCIETY The restaurant is the HOW DID YOU START THE GARDEN see it out there. But we’d rather draw people here; this soul of The Garden SOCIETY? is where it all started. It’s a unique site, a unique space and it’s unusual to have this amount of space around Society. My business partner Aaron and I started in 2017, here. People love the experience here - it’s somewhere when we took over the whole site. I had worked here People really enjoy they can come to relax, pick up gifts and get stuff for as a kid, so it’s very much in my roots. After I finished the food we offer - their homes. Hopefully it’s inspirational too, with the University, I met Aaron - a friend from college - and there’s quite a range, displays we put on. We’re constantly changing them, we decided to approach the owners to take on the to give people something new to see each time they encompassing café as our first business. It was very small and very visit. We want it to be a destination centre, somewhere everything from traditional - but we’ve changed it up a bit since then. people choose to come to. breakfast to afternoon A few years ago, there were some big chains looking tea. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST ATTRACTION - at buying garden centre sites, and the owners here WHAT GETS PEOPLE THROUGH were looking at selling up - so Aaron and I approached And we’re just about THE DOOR? the owners to develop our own concept. I had been to launch a bar, so doing other design work elsewhere, and there were The restaurant is the soul of The Garden Society. there’ll be something things that I wanted to do - there were gaps in the People really enjoy the food we offer - there’s quite for everybody. market that I could see. And that’s how we came up a range, encompassing everything from breakfast to with this concept of home living, dining and events. afternoon tea. And we’re just about to launch a bar, We wanted to pull all of that together as a so there’ll be something for everybody. destination centre. I guess that’s at the heart of the operation - our food WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST offering, and the unique environment it’s served in. REWARDING PART? We’ve also got a couple of brands which are unique The best part for me is when I’m on the shop floor to us here, and we’re always changing the way we do and see people come in - and they’re like, “Wow, things. Inspiration for the items and brands we sell I love this!” comes from my travels - and so do the products that I design. Travelling helps me identify the next trends We’re constantly changing things, always trying coming in, which inspires my own personal purchases to generate new ideas. I travel a lot so I’m always as well as what I make for the store. looking at new stuff, and I try to make the next big thing accessible. We’ve got a really good team, a WHICH COUNTRY INSPIRES YOU THE really creative team, and they’re passionate about MOST? what we do. They’re here early in the morning and That’s difficult. I spend a lot of time in the Far East - but late at night - whatever the weather. the Nordic influence has been particularly strong for HOW HAVE LOCAL PEOPLE me. The Nordic look and feel has changed a lot, so it’s RESPONDED TO IT? quite an exciting time. Traditionally, the Scandi brands and styles have been very tight. Now, they’re opening Really well. Traditionally, there haven’t been many up to nature - which is what I’m really excited about. people living in this area, but it’s growing all the time. In the past, people in the local area would either have to go to Winchester or London for this kind of thing. Now, we’re being approached to put some pop ups in the Centre of Southampton - because people want to Make time to relax. THE GARDEN SOCIETY 10 11 WHAT MAKES FAIR OAK SUCH A WHAT WOULD THE GARDEN BE LIKE? WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE? I’m a keen diver, always exploring the sea - so there’s I guess for me it’s an anchor point - I’ve been here got to be a water element in my garden. I love since I was a kid. This used to be a fruit farm and architectural plants, and having lots of foliage, too. when I was little, we used to come here and pick A garden should be somewhere you can relax - alone strawberries and dig a Christmas tree up. People ask or with family - and somewhere to entertain. It’s all me why I still live in Southampton all the time, because about getting out there as much as you can when we I work quite a lot internationally. It’s because it has have the weather for it. good connections but you don’t feel like you are in a big city or town - especially here. You’re not in that hustle and bustle of a big city - you can feel like you’re out of the way of all of that, but still have access to it. People ask me why I IF YOU COULD BUILD YOUR DREAM still live in Southampton HOME, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE? all the time, because I like the idea of being able to bring the outdoors I work quite a lot in. There’s always got to be a tree or some plants, internationally. whether real or faux - an element of nature, like in It’s because it has good those Far Eastern or Scandinavian home designs. Functionality and good quality are important to me, connections but you too. It’s got to be somewhere I can go back to and don’t feel like you are relax after a busy day at work. in a big city or town - especially here. HOW WOULD YOU DECORATE IT? I like things very clean and minimal, but very natural You’re not in that hustle as well. Materials like natural stone and wood - you and bustle of a big city can see them in some of the things we have here. - you can feel like I spent ages organising the correct marble for the bar you’re out of the way and the reclaimed timber for the walls, sourcing all of all of that, but still those natural materials which I really love. have access to it. I like a really nice, clean, calm colour - but I’m not afraid of using colour - dark, punchy or moody colours can create a relaxing, comforting space, a whole movement away from the trend of really clean and clinical.