Festive lights, lifelong friendships and family life at Brook Fields

More than two years after moving into their Davidsons home at Brook Fields, Ellie Watson and her family say it’s the sense of community that has made the biggest difference. What started as a brand-new development has grown into a place where neighbours become friends, children play safely together and festive traditions bring everyone closer.

Ellie, 30, lives at Brook Fields in Fleckney with her partner Tom, 32, and their two children, a five-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. The family moved into their four-bedroom Darlington in September 2023, and over time have watched both their house and the wider development evolve into somewhere that truly feels like home.

The couple had always been keen to buy a new build, having previously lived in one locally and valuing the ease of being able to move straight in without major work. Their first purchase on another development in Fleckney, however, did not go to plan.

Ellie said: “We had been buying elsewhere in the village, but the move in date kept getting delayed and eventually the sale fell through. By that point, the Davidsons homes at Brook Fields were being built. I had always loved Davidsons anyway, so in the end it really felt like it was meant to be.”

Ellie describes the buying process as quick, clear and well informed, allowing the family to settle in without uncertainty and focus on family life. With four bedrooms, both children have their own space, while the open plan kitchen and living area has become the heart of the home.

Ellie said: “That is where we spend most of our time together. The kids will be playing while we are cooking, and it just works really well for family life. We only really use the lounge as adults when the children are in bed.”

The home itself needed very little decorating, something Ellie says was a big advantage with young children. The main changes the family have made are personal touches, including a media wall and fireplace in the lounge. One of Ellie’s favourite features is the striking void at the front door, which rises up to the second floor.

She said: “It is a beautiful feature, although I will admit it often gets used for drying washing!”

Brook Fields’ location has also played a key role in how settled the family feels. Countryside sits directly opposite their home, offering easy walks across the fields with their Chinese red dog, Myla. Their eldest child now walks to school each morning, reinforcing the sense of village life that first attracted them to Fleckney.

What has surprised Ellie most, however, is how naturally a strong sense of community has formed. The family live on a small close of just three houses and have become very close to the other families living there.

Ellie said: “It feels incredibly safe and secure. The children will often play outside the front together while the adults barbecue and socialise. One of our neighbours is going to be my bridesmaid next year, and both neighbours are coming on my hen do.”

That community spirit was particularly evident during the festive season, when Davidsons Homes invited residents to take part in a Christmas lights competition on Instagram. Ellie and her neighbours decorated their homes and shared photos of their displays, with Ellie going on to win £500 in John Lewis vouchers.

She said: “It was such a fun thing to be part of. Everyone really got involved and it summed up what Brook Fields is like. I am planning to use the vouchers in the New Year sales to buy plates, bowls and a new quilt, things that make the house feel even more like home.”

Now preparing for their wedding next year, Ellie and Tom feel fortunate to have found a home that suits their family so well at this stage of life. Ellie works for JLR, around 40 minutes away in Coventry, and works from home most of the time, while Tom owns his own tattoo studio in Leicester, around 20 minutes away.

Ellie said: “We are young, and we know how lucky we are to be able to buy a home like this. It really does feel like our family home. We have no intention of moving, at least not until the children have finished school.”

More than two years on, Brook Fields no longer feels like a new development to Ellie and her family. It feels settled, lived in and full of life.

Ellie concluded: “It does not feel like a new build anymore. It just feels like home.”