Starting with five plots, The Shrublands development is now entering its second phase, which will total 17 homes that take inspiration from the local vernacular. Situated on the rural edge of the village of Beetley, in Norfolk, the location made it essential that the scheme blended seamlessly into the natural woodland setting and preserved the village's character, while offering luxury living. With this in mind, a soft and traditional material palette was selected; this included a variety of Vandersanden’s facing bricks that helped root the homes in their surroundings.

Clayland Homes, the award-winning, Norfolk based developer, handled construction and design in-house to create a spacious development of high-quality, country homes with generous plot sizes and a winding road that follows the site’s topography. The aim was to create homes with character and gardens, offering residents something to be proud of and comfortable in. The development team was also determined to avoid the harsh appearance of bricks from the 1970s and 80s. The soft tones of the selected Vandersanden bricks perfectly suited the brief, ensuring the houses are timeless and will remain looking good long into the future.

Before the project could begin, a significant part of the work involved protecting the slow worms on site. “Ecologists spent a year relocating them to another field,” explains Henry Isotta-Day, Clayland Homes’ land and planning consultant. “All gardens have hedgehog houses and runs, and we built a barn-garage with a roof specifically designed for bats, which has been called one of the best bat houses ever built.”

At The Shrublands, seven different Vandersanden bricks were used. These ranged from the Camberley Red Multi to the orange and pinkish hues of the Old Henley and Old Windsor, and the yellow buffs of the Old Ascot, along with the reds and browns of the Old Richmond and the beige, yellow and buff of the Chaucer Antique and the Cambridge Light Weathered.

“We’re passionate about bricks,” says Adam Scott, Clayland Homes’ architectural technologist. “We’ve used Vandersanden bricks for about twenty years. We’ve tried others but always return to our favourites. We're often enthusiastic about brick choices during planning, so each plot ends up being unique. Bricks are versatile, low-maintenance and can be used for both traditional cottages and contemporary houses."

Experience has helped the team at Clayland Homes understand which blends work best, and sometimes custom mixes are created. A rustic finish may be chosen, typically using two or three types of bricks on a development with a base colour interspersed with others as appropriate. This creates facades which have a real depth of character and individuality.

The detailing at The Shrublands has focused on elements like brick headers, plinth details and dentil courses to add character. In the past, the team has experimented with unique chimneys, at one point designing 29 different chimneys for 29 houses. Now one or two are included as features. Mortar mixes are equally important, and these were carefully fine-tuned to avoid a poor mortar ruining a good brick. Although the mortar is generally toned to the brick to create a harmonious appearance, sometimes the design team has opted for a whiter finish with red bricks.

The Shrublands scheme has received positive feedback locally, and sales have gone well with all plots now sold, after customers saw the quality materials and exceptional design. The first phase helped set expectations for the rest of the development and, with the five plots at the front of the development completed, the rear section, comprising twelve additional plots, is moving forward.

“Vandersanden has been very helpful and provided excellent service, especially with samples and visits,” comments Adam Scott. “Their bricks have timeless character, suiting both old and modern styles. We appreciate the range and quality, and we know that we can always get what we need.”

For more information about this project and on the wide range of high-quality bricks available, visit the Vandersanden website here.

Details on Clayland Homes can be found here.