Cholsey Meadows is a vibrant woodland and riverside development offering a rare blend of heritage and modern living. Set within 100 acres of open parkland, it features beautifully restored Victorian buildings alongside thoughtfully designed contemporary homes. With direct access to the River Thames, mature trees, open green spaces, and walking trails, Cholsey Meadows offers a peaceful, community-focused lifestyle surrounded by nature.
Images from Cholsey Meadows [click below to open]
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Set within breathtaking grounds, the estate is home to over 600 trees, including 150 rare specimen varieties. At its heart stands the Grade II listed Victorian Fairmile Hospital, now thoughtfully converted into characterful apartments. Originally built in the 1860s as the Berkshire County Asylum, Fairmile was a self-sufficient community—with underground service tunnels, surrounding woodland, and large allotments that still shape the landscape today.
This legacy of space and independence defines Cholsey Meadows. The feeling of openness and freedom extends beyond the parkland into the homes themselves—each one carefully designed and beautifully finished to reflect the unique character of the site.
Built between 2012 and 2015, Cholsey Meadows offers 375 homes in addition to the converted Fairmile building. The development includes a wide mix of property types to suit different lifestyles and needs—ranging from two-bedroom apartments to spacious three- and four-bedroom terraced, semi-detached, and townhouse-style homes.
Each property is designed to complement the estate’s character, blending thoughtful architecture with quality finishes in a unique parkland setting.
The new homes are set in small streets, around a cricket pitch, and near the former Chapel. The cricket pitch and its pavilion are in the centre of the development. It is a hub of activities for the games played there throughout the year and the social functions associated with the game.
There are allotments for residents to use and views down to the River Thames. There are fields on one side and a nature reserve and water meadow on the other. On the southern side is bucolic Ferry Lane, popu,lar with dog-owners and where once was a horse and cart ferry across the River Thames to Little Stoke.
Within the Victorian Fairmile buildings, the Great Hall is a magnificent area for entertainment and a hub for communal activities, including classes, concerts and private functions. It has a stage, a sprung wooden floor, and kitchens.
In one corner of the site, a vibrant cafe and a hairdressers have been converted from former agricultural outbuildings.
The former MP for Wantage and Didcot and one-time Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey commented when it was nearing completion –
“I think this is a magnificent scheme and was impressed with the development completed so far. Sites such as this present excellent opportunities to provide new and sustainable communities but it is how they are delivered that is crucial to their future success. Cholsey Meadows seems to be a prime example of how to get such projects right.”
Cholsey Meadows may seem like a rural idyll, but it is also very practically located too. Tucked into the edge of Cholsey, a thriving Oxfordshire village, it’s a ten-minute walk from Cholsey’s own railway station, and so just 30 minutes to Oxford or Reading, or an hour from London Paddington. The A34, M40 and M4 are around 15 miles away.
Cholsey is a quintessential – and historic – Oxfordshire countryside village located to the south of the market town of Wallingford and is a bustling community with fantastic amenities. There is a well-regarded village primary school as well as several high quality independent and other state schools nearby, together with local shops including a Tesco Express, pharmacy, family run butchers, two cafes, hairdressers, and a barbers.
There are many sports clubs on offer including adult and children’s football, cricket and tennis. The Springs Golf Club and Spa, along with riding schools can be found in neighbouring villages. Cholsey Pavilion and the Great Hall host numerous events from performing arts to farmers markets. For socialising, there are two public houses as well as Amwell Springs (a highly regarded microbrewery).
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Strategic Land Development Consultancy – Wallingford, Oxfordshire