One of just ten lakeside lodges, in a peaceful setting overlooking the water, with the gentle sound of a fountain creating a calm, relaxing atmosphere.
The fountain sits in the middle distance. The sun drops behind the treeline beyond it. The deck is angled to take in both, and in summer that is where the day ends, with the hot tub uncovered, the soffit lights on and the water going still.
Behind the glass balustrade the lodge opens up through a full-height glazed gable, so the living space reads as part of the deck rather than separate from it. It is a 2021 Omar Alderney built to BS3632 residential standard, first sited here in November 2022, and it comes furnished, with the hot tub and the landscaping already done.
Composite boards on a steel sub-frame wrap the front and side elevations behind frameless glass. Nothing to stain each spring and nothing underneath to rot. The balustrade is 10mm throughout, clear where the view is and smoked black along the side and end where the tub sits, so the tub is screened from the plots either side without losing the water and the fountain in front of it.
The tub is set flush within the boards rather than standing on them. A Jacuzzi, serviced annually, records available. The lawn and paved path run below.
The skirt itself opens along its length rather than through a single maintenance hatch, giving dry, walk-up access to the full footprint beneath the lodge. There is room down there for the garden furniture over winter, the bikes and the paddleboards.
Vaulted panelled ceilings, gas central heating and double glazing throughout, with a separate utility room and generous storage. Sold with the furniture and integrated appliances in place.
The vaulted ceiling rises to the glazed gable, and the patio doors put the deck within a step of the sofa. Half the floor plan is given over to it, with the dining table sitting between the lounge and the kitchen.
A full run of shaker units with a central island, double oven, gas hob and extractor, with dishwasher and fridge freezer integrated behind matching doors. All included in the sale. The island doubles as prep space and a spot to sit while someone cooks.
A double with fitted wardrobes, the Alderney's clad feature wall and inset lighting behind the bed, and full-height windows down one side. The en suite opens off it.
A second double, currently made up as a twin, with the same clad headboard wall and lighting, fitted storage and full-height windows.
An en suite with a large separate shower off the principal bedroom, and a family bathroom with a full bath and shower over. Both tiled throughout, with wall-mounted vanity basins and heated towel rails.
A room of its own rather than a cupboard off the kitchen, with built-in washer dryer, sink unit, storage cupboards and the boiler, a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 4000 condensing combi. No cylinder taking up a wardrobe, and the laundry stays out of the living space entirely.
Off the hallway there are two full-height storage cupboards, floor to ceiling. A further shoe and coat cupboard sits beside the front door in the main living area.
The park closes for the last two weeks of February and reopens on 1 March. Gas central heating and double glazing throughout make winter one of the better times to be here: the hot tub steaming in the cold, the glazed gable full of low afternoon light, frost on the balustrade and something warming poured by four o'clock. The water looks better in snow than it does in sunshine.
Pickmere Lake Country & Leisure Park, Pickmere, Knutsford WA16 0LG
A privately owned, owner-only holiday park in the Cheshire village of Pickmere, minutes from Knutsford, Northwich and junction 19 of the M6.
Sub-letting is not permitted, which is much of why it stays as quiet as it does. There is no rental income to offset the fees, and no strangers next door in August.
Separately from the lake in front of the lodge, owners have a private, fully stocked two-acre fishing pond a short walk from the park entrance. It is reserved for owners and their guests, with no day tickets and no public access.
The Farm Club, a wellbeing destination a short walk away, offers open water swimming, outdoor yoga, cold water immersion, breathwork, fitness sessions and a lakeside café, subject to booking and access terms.
This is a holiday park, not a residential one. The lodge cannot be a permanent or sole residence, and owners keep a main address elsewhere.
Pickmere sits between Knutsford and Northwich with the M6 and M56 both close, Manchester Airport a short drive, and Manchester, Chester and Liverpool all within reach for a weekend.
Tatton Park, Arley Hall, Delamere Forest, Jodrell Bank, the Anderton Boat Lift, Quarry Bank Mill and Chester Zoo are all nearby, along with the pubs and restaurants of Knutsford and the village itself.
The lodge is sold as it stands, and a good deal stands with it. The wraparound composite decking on its steel sub-frame, with the frameless glass balustrade and the storage built into the skirt, was a £25,000 installation. The Jacuzzi, set flush into the boards rather than standing on them, a further £10,000.
The planting has had three years to fill out. The furniture stays, the appliances are integrated and stay with the kitchen, and the hot tub has been serviced every year it has been here. It works from the day the keys change hands.
The manufacturer's floorplan for the Omar Alderney 45 x 20 in the two bedroom layout, as built.
| Tenure | Holiday licence agreement with the park operator. Not a freehold or leasehold interest in land. |
|---|---|
| Use | Holiday use only. No permanent residency. |
| Season | 50-week licence. The park closes for the last two weeks of February each year and reopens on 1 March. |
| Licence term | 25 years from siting in November 2022, running to 2047. Twenty-one years remaining. |
| Annual site fees | £4,620 for the 2026/27 year, covering rates, water and waste. |
| Paid to | 28 February 2027. Nothing further falls due until 1 March 2027. |
| Other outgoings | Metered gas and electricity only. |
| Insurance | Arranged by the owner. |
| Sub-letting | Not permitted under current park rules. |
| Make and model | Omar Alderney, 2021 year of manufacture. |
| First sited | 21 November 2022. |
| Dimensions | 45ft x 20ft twin unit. |
| Construction standard | BS3632 residential standard. |
| Heating and glazing | Gas central heating and double glazing throughout. Worcester Bosch Greenstar 4000 condensing combi boiler, housed in the utility room and serviced annually. |
| Decking | Composite boards on a steel sub-frame, with storage doors set into the skirt. |
| Balustrade | Frameless 10mm glass throughout; clear to the water, smoked black for privacy at the hot tub end. |
| Storage | Separate utility room with built-in washer dryer, sink unit and cupboards; two full-height cupboards to the hallway; shoe and coat cupboard beside the front door; full-footprint access beneath the lodge through the deck skirt. |
| Kitchen | Shaker units with central island, double oven, gas hob, extractor, dishwasher and fridge freezer. |
| Bathrooms | En suite with large separate shower; family bathroom with full bath and shower over. |
| Included in the sale | Furniture, integrated white goods, decking and the Jacuzzi hot tub. |
| Hot tub | Jacuzzi, serviced annually. Service records available on request. |
| WiFi | Fast free WiFi provided by the park at no extra charge. |
| Parking | Two spaces on a private driveway serving the lodge. |
| Pets | Permitted, subject to park rules. |