IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Angwin Avenue, RUGBY, CV23 1AA

A small block of industrial units stuck out in the fields for no obvious reason. They may have been connected with Rugby Radio Station once. Currently unoccupied and to let.

The building on the left is the sales office for Davidsons Homes, one of the house builders involved with the development of Houlton. It is designed to resemble a Victorian shop - or, at least, a sanitised museum depiction of one - with examples of the available properties displayed in the windows. Presumably when this role ends more conventional house windows will be fitted.

The Newstead is the name given by Davidsons Homes to this design, one of their showhomes, on Angwin Avenue. It is a substantial 5-bedroom detached house in a Georgian style.

Davidsons is one of the house builders involved with the development of Houlton. The sign tells us that a new phase is coming soon and that the 'stamp duty holiday continues with Davidsons Homes'. (Stamp duty is a tax normally paid on properties costing £125,000 or more but in a move to help buyers, who might have taken a financial hit because of Covid, this was temporarily increased to £500,000 in summer 2020). Behind the sign is one of the showhomes, 'The Newstead'.

The days when new housing estates consisted of rows of identical buildings are long gone. This terrace could be seen as a mere architectural pastiche or as a worthy attempt to mix things up and make them more interesting. Certainly future generations may well marvel at the inventiveness on display. Further along the street a sign for Davidsons Homes sales office can be seen.

'Blue Bliss' is by Jasmine Humphries and is one of a number of similar works around Houlton - see also Image located nearby.

The picture displayed here beside Houlton Wildlife Walk is called 'This is my lovely new home' by Monika Leszczyk featuring a child looking across a meadow at Houlton's newly built houses. It is part of an outdoor exhibition 'installed along the growing development’s extensive nature trails and features 20 rustic frames which will host a wide range of local artwork throughout the year'. According to an adjacent sign, the wildlife walk is one of several wildlife corridors around Houlton purposefully designed to accommodate great crested newts.

Looking across one of Houlton's 'wildlife corridors' to new houses on Hughes Drive.

This area of open space around a balancing pond is adjacent to Dollman Road and St Gabriel's way. The houses in the background on the left are showhomes for Davidsons Homes, one of the builders involved in the development of Houlton.

Looking across one of Houlton's 'wildlife corridors' to new houses on Hughes Drive.