A first look at the new Garendon Park housing estate

Last month, I took a look around the new Garendon Park estate. The little that has been built as of yet is really beginning to take shape.

When I saw the new Google Street View imagery taken last September, I knew I had to get up there and see it myself. That took quite some time - I actually passed that way twice later that autumn on the bus, but both times on the outbound journey I didn't take any pictures: I have a distinct preference for sitting on the right-hand side of motor vehicles, and on both occasions I was also preoccupied with listening to some newly-bought music. On the way back, it was too dark to photograph anything.

Then later in December I took a walk down the now-closed Pear Tree Lane, observing the dramatic reprofiling of the terrain in the field to the north. But my visit last month was the first time I went around the front of the new estate on foot. And things are beginning to take shape, with a new roundabout already finished, and several of the new homes already complete.

The bottom of Pear Tree Lane. On the right is the initial marketing suite.

Looking west up Pear Tree Lane.

A large sign for the development near the bottom of Pear Tree Lane.

Looking from Pear Tree Lane. Derby Road is on the extreme right.

Derby Road, showing the entrance to Pear Tree Lane. On the left, next to the fence, is the entrance to a layby that used to be the main road itself.

Derby Road, looking north towards the new roundabout.

New houses under construction west of Derby Road.

Derby Road, looking toward the new roundabout.

Already-completed homes off Derby Road.

The new roundabout. The first exit is the main road into the new development; the second exit is Derby Road towards Hathern; the third exit is for a yet-to-be-built industrial estate.

Looking back towards Loughborough.

More new homes.

The main road through the development is called William Railton Road, named after the architect William Railton (1800-77), designer of various monuments on the Garendon Estate, various parish churches such as All Saints Thorpe Acre with Dishley (one of my favourite church buildings), Beaumanor Hall and Nelson's Column in London!

The new roundabout.

Looking west up William Railton Way.

A Skylink bus navigates the new roundabout on its way to Leicester.

Crossing the road, we find a small lake in a corner of the junction.

New houses off William Railton Road.

Looking up William Railton Road.

The new lake.

The opening is that of Carew Drive.

Looking up William Railton Road.

Looking the other way back towards the junction.

The field to the north of the new main road.

The (first) entrance to Landseer Crescent.

Houses off the new main road.

The entrance of Landseer Crescent. On the right is the new sales suite, with a showhome next to it. I know what a sales suite looks like, in case you're wondering.

The field north of William Railton Road. The imposing Ratcliffe power station, due to be closed next year, looms on the horizon (left).

And we approach the end of what is, and the beginning of what is yet to be. In other words, time to turn around...

…after looking at the last three houses facing the main road, including the showhome with the adjacent sales suite.

William Railton Road continues off into the distance.

Looking back towards Derby Road.

Some nice shrubs.

Landseer Crescent.

The corner of Landseer Crescent.

Take a good look at this sign. You'll thank yourself later for noticing...

Carew Drive.

Carew Drive, looking back towards Landseer Crescent.

The main part of Carew Drive, still yet to be built.

Looking towards the roundabout.

If you did carefully observe the last sign as I told you to, you'll notice that the spellings of Baily Road are at variance. Someone seems to have made a mistake and spelled this sign with an E, which, according to everything else I've seen, isn't supposed to be there this time!
Wait until I tell you in a few weeks about another blooper that I found elsewhere, but this time involving a whole suffix...