Dorchester, Dorset

WELCOME TO FORDINGTON FARM - a collection of seven custom-build homes, thoughtfully designed by renowned architect Ben Pentreath.

Ideally located within walking distance of Dorchester town centre, this unique development offers the opportunity to customise your home to suit your lifestyle. With a custom-build approach, you can be involved in the final specification, ensuring your home is tailored perfectly to your needs.

DISCOVER LIFE AT FORDINGTON FARM
Choose a home just a short walk from Dorchester town centre—a historic town filled with character, stunning architecture, and set on the doorstep of breathtaking countryside and the extraordinary Jurassic Coast.

Nestled to the east of the town centre, Fordington was once a village in its own right. Today, it retains its unique charm and historical significance while benefiting from all the conveniences of Dorchester. Previously a farmyard owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Fordington Farm offers a peaceful setting.

Dorchester enjoys excellent transport links, with two mainline stations providing direct services to London Waterloo, Bath, and Bristol. The town also features a variety of shops, restaurants, and highly regarded schools.

Residents enjoy a wealth of leisure facilities, including a golf course, two cinemas, a state-of-the-art leisure centre, a bowling club, tennis courts, and numerous thriving sports clubs.

WHAT IS CUSTOM-BUILD AND IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
Building your own custom home gives you the freedom to design a home that perfectly fits your lifestyle. This approach not only delivers a higher-quality finish but also promotes greater sustainability, ensuring your home is both beautifully crafted and future-proof.

IN A NUTSHELL
Your home can be tailored to suit your needs, with a wide range of options to choose from. Decide on the number and size of bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, and how each floor is configured to create a space that works perfectly for you.

HOW IT WORKS
When you purchase your plot, you will simultaneously enter into a build contract for the construction of your home, designed to your chosen specification.

CAN I GET A MORTGAGE?
Yes! Custom-build mortgages are widely available for up to 80% of the land and build costs. Leaper can guide you through the process to help secure the right mortgage for your new home.

BENEFITS OF THIS APPROACH
* Personalisation: You have control over the layout and specification of your home.
* Stamp Duty savings: You only pay Stamp Duty on the land cost, not the finished house.
* No CIL payment: The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge imposed by local authorities on new developments to fund infrastructure improvements such as schools and transport. However, custom-build homes are exempt -provided the buyer uses the home as their main residence and remains in occupation for at least three years. This saving is passed on to the purchaser and is already factored into the quoted price.

PLOT PRICES
Available on request.

DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW
Fordington Farm offers seven serviced building plots, including five large plots for detached houses and two smaller COACH HOUSE PLOTS -AVAILABLE AT A DISCOUNT TO OPEN MARKET PRICE.

Once you’ve chosen your plot, you’ll work with the sales and design team at Leaper, the developer, to customise your home and have it built to your exact specifications.

COACH HOUSE
Available on Plots 6 & 7
1 Bedroom Coach House

Plots 6 and 7 are stylish coach houses offering three ground and first-floor layout options. Each design includes a one-bedroom configuration, located either on the ground or first floor.

Each Coach House includes an enclosed garage directly beneath the flat, with vehicular access via Armada Way.

Other additions and alternatives are available, including alternative first-floor windows, built-in joinery, or an added balcony wall for more privacy. Consult the relevant plot passport in the brochure for a detailed description.

Illustrations are for identification purposes only and are not to scale. Measurements are approximate.

Plot 6 size: 117.5 sqm | 1,265 sqft
Plot 7 size: 115.3 sqm | 1,241 sqft
Approximate floor area: 88.7 sqm | 954 sqft
Bedrooms: 1 bedroom
Parking spaces: 1, single garage

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
External
External choice of two types of brick
Natural slate roof
Black aluminium rainwater downpipes
Class A chimney (suitable for a log burner)
Parking spaces or garage depending on the plot
Rear garden ready for turfing/seeding
Front garden landscaped
Landscaping and boundary treatments as per drawings
Grey limestone patio/paths as per landscape drawings
Block paving to parking areas in front of garages
Outside tap

Kitchen
Generous allowance for kitchen and utility units and appliances, including fitting
Choice of tiles
Woodwork
Choice of Dordogne Oak or four-panel white shaker doors
Choice of stainless steel, brass, or antique black door handles
White timber, double-glazed windows
Choice of stainless steel, brass, or antique black window locks/handles
White timber patio doors
Composite front and rear doors
White 5” lambs tongue skirtings
Lamb’s tongue architraves
White stair rails (square profile) with half-round oak handrail
White window boards
Fireplace with oak lintel

Heating
Air source heat pump for heating and hot water
Smart two-zone heating controls
Hot water tank with immersion heater

Bathrooms
Half-tiling to bathrooms and full tiling to showers
Half-tiling to downstairs loo
Choice of tiles
Roca sanitaryware

Electrics
Choice of white or stainless-steel switches
Low-energy LED spotlights to kitchen and bathrooms
Three double sockets in bedrooms
Four double sockets in sitting room
Four double sockets in kitchen
Double socket in utility room
Single socket in hallways
TV points in all bedrooms, sitting room, and kitchen
Telephone sockets in sitting room and principal bedroom
Doorbell

CAN I CUSTOMISE FURTHER?
Yes! The additional features listed below are available for each home. Some options are only compatible with specific layouts, so it’s best to discuss your preferences with the sales agent and refer to the plot passport for a full list of available choices.

Bi-fold doors for sitting room
Built-in double wardrobe with doors to match house choice
Built-in single wardrobe with door to match house choice
Oak window boards
Oak skirting and architraves
Log burner in the sitting room
Brushed stainless steel or brass sockets/switches
Additional double electric points
Wall light electrics (x3) to sitting room
Coving
Wired video doorbell
Burglar alarm
Cabling for car charger
Cabling for photovoltaic panels
Upgraded wall insulation

PLEASE ENQUIRE FOR CURRENT PRICE LIST

READY TO BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME?
To secure your plot, simply pay a non-refundable £500 reservation fee. Once reserved, the friendly team at Leaper will guide you through selecting your layout and specification, ensuring your home is perfect for you.

When you’re ready to complete the plot purchase and enter the build contract, you’ll pay the plot price to Leaper. You’ll also cover the cost of electricity, drainage, and broadband installation once these services reach your plot boundary—either at completion or shortly after.

After purchasing your plot and finalising specifications, Leaper will prepare construction drawings within a month. Once approved by the Building Inspector and signed off by you, the build will begin.

Your build contract will be with the appointed builder and paid in six instalments. Construction is expected to take no more than 32 weeks from the completion of the drawings.

Leaper will arrange site insurance and a 10-year new build warranty, both included in the plot price.

ABOUT LEAPER
Leaper specialises in delivering custom and self-build homes in rural areas across the UK.

They focus on this approach because it creates higher-quality, more sustainable homes while offering homeowners better value for money and the freedom to design a home that truly fits their needs.

Leaper is committed to responsible development, working closely with landowners and communities to create exceptional places to live. Their carefully selected sites contribute to addressing the UK housing shortage while providing a welcome boost to rural settlements.

At Leaper, they collaborate with top professionals and consultants with proven expertise, ensuring the best possible outcomes for their clients and the communities they serve.

Location
The site was originally part of the grounds surrounding Kingston Maurward College, an 18th century manor house nestled in the Dorset countryside. It also sits alongside Stinsford, a small, delightful, no-through village with an ancient church at its centre, the churchyard of which holds the heart of Thomas Hardy (his ashes having been interred in Westminster Abbey). This is a magical spot, with riverside walks along the River Frome towards Lower Bockhampton, where the well-regarded Yalbury Cottage hotel and restaurant can be found. Continuing down Bockhampton Lane, you can cycle to West Stafford, which is home to one of Dorset’s best pubs, The Wise Man.

The county town of Dorchester is just over a mile away, and can be reached via a walk across meadows. Facilities in Dorchester include a mainline (London Waterloo) railway station; extensive choice of restaurants and shops; and a wide range of schools (private and state). Inland and coastal recreational activities can also be enjoyed nearby, with golf at Came Down just three miles away, and the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy just nine miles. Transport is easy with the A35 conveniently accessible.

Directions
Use what3words.com to accurately navigate to the exact spot. Search using these three words: relay.pegs.square