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January 2008/…Natural Retreats is proud to announce that 9 new residences are to be built at their Yorkshire Dales site. The new residences that are set to be completed by early July 2008 will bring the total complement to 19.

“It was a fantastic achievement for Natural Retreats to receive planning permission for the new residences and goes some way to show that not only the local community but also the Richmondshire District Council is embracing the Natural Retreats concept.” Ewan Kearney, Director, Natural Retreats.

The Natural Retreats Concept and Vision
The Natural Retreats concept is simple. They want to combine the highest levels of luxury and sensitive development with the most dramatic locations our country has to offer. Matt Spence, Director, Natural Retreats comments “I wanted to challenge the way people saw and experienced the countryside. I wanted to show them there was more to the breathtaking and varied landscapes we have in this amazing country. But more than anything I wanted to do it in a way that had never been seen in the UK before. The creation of truly luxurious residences that blend in with the immediate environment and local communities to create a harmonious, unique experience. The chance to enjoy nature at its most amazing in environmentally friendly luxury.”

Natural Retreats aims to expand its portfolio in the near future to include other sites alongside or within all 14 of the UK’s National Parks. The company recently acquired 2 new sites which are now in the process of development, these are: Natural Retreats, Snowdonia and Natural Retreats, Lake District.

The residences offer the most luxurious way to allow guests to be closer to nature and they benefit from extensive glass wall frontages, designed to bring the natural light, surrounding woodland and meadows directly into the open plan living room. Stylish furnishings offer unrivalled levels of comfort and all the residences have solid wood floors throughout and state of the art island kitchens and bathrooms.

Design of the New Residences
The Natural Retreats team have worked hard on the design concept for the new residences and in doing so they were keen to not only keep some elements of the current residences the same but to make a few changes and improvements to the original design concept following guest feedback.

The contemporary design used makes it clear from the beginning that Natural Retreats is a new type of experience. Some may call it minimal but Natural Retreats prefer to think of it as simple and elegant, without frills. They want the space to feel open and uncluttered with high quality design details and materials used throughout.

Each of the new residences will feature three double bedrooms, all with en-suite showers and the master bedroom has been made slightly larger so to provide a bath for holidaying families. To avoid muddying the living areas after long walks, a spacious entrance has been created that is separate from the rest of the residence to provide a place for wet anoraks and dirty boots!

Leading on from the entrance area the kitchen/dining/living space will stay open plan as before and all the furniture and materials used have been designed and chosen to make the space feel as open and light as possible. To enhance the concept of space further, the glass walls will be made up of as few elements as possible, to allow for unrivalled views. Oak flooring will be put into continued use throughout the new residences to keep them looking as similar to the existing ones as possible.

Natural Retreats will also be adding a number of new green design features to the new residences including the use of organic paints on the interior walls, built in recycling bins for glass, tins and paper, compost bins for natural food waste, efficient gas boilers and under floor heating. They will also be using local Yorkshire stone when building the residences. The Natural Retreats, Yorkshire Dales site will also home to a new environmentally friendly sewage treatment plant, a Klargester system and a detailed Nature Conservation Management Plan to enhance the landscape and the local flora and fauna.

Rates
There is a 2 night minimum stay for guests at Natural Retreats, Yorkshire Dales and rates start from just £325 per residence. A 5 night stay in summer 2008 starts from £880 per residence and prices include accommodation, a food hamper on arrival, logs, linen including towels and VAT. (0161 242 2970; www.naturalretreats.com)

Please note: The Natural Retreats, Yorkshire Dales site will be closed from early January – early July 2008 whilst the new residences are being built. If you would like further information or are interested to make arrangements to review Natural Retreats, Yorkshire Dales or to set up an interview to with Ewan Kearney or Matt Spence please contact Kathryn Peel at Grifco PR.