Between 7-10th September, the Habitat First Group challenge team; comprising team members from across Silverlake and Lower Mill Estate, embarked on the first edition of Tour De HFG. Inspired by the Tour De Britain, this…

Rory Paxton explains the story behind the Tour de HFG: After our father Jeremy, founder of Habitat First Group, passed away in 2013, we wanted to set up a foundation in his memory regarding a…

If you’re looking to get away this April, spend your Easter break with us at Silverlake (Dorset) or Lower Mill Estate (Cotswolds). We’re offering up to £150* on Easter getaways at Silverlake in April and Habitat Escapes have some…

We recently commissioned Falcon House, a striking new modular build at our Cotswolds Estate, Lower Mill Estate. Comprising of two stacked black timber-clad cabins, this new concept property was designed by British architecture company, Koto,…

We are delighted to announce that both Lower Mill Estate and Silverlake, Dorset have been recognised as category winners at this year’s prestigious UK Property Awards.    Habitat First Group – Sustainable Residential Development, The…

This year, Habitat First Group is celebrating the incredible milestone of 25 years of developing outstanding holiday communities; a journey that started with Lower Mill Estate.  To celebrate such an achievement Diane Wynell-Sutherland, the very…

We are delighted to announce that our estate, Birchwood in North Devon, has been announced as a World Biosphere Partner. North Devon has recently been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; from the highlands…

Finding your way around Silverlake, Dorset has never been easier, with the new Estate map. Beautifully illustrated and fully interactive, the map highlights key points of interest around the estate and provides further information on…

We recently had the pleasure of hosting conservationist, Lucy Lapwing at Silverlake, Dorset. This is her story… I’d only been at Silverlake for around an hour when I heard it. A faint, constant noise –…

At Habitat First Group, we’re passionate about sustainability and ethical living. Our on-site restaurant and shop, Ballihoo, is no exception. To support our quest to reduce food miles, Bob, our Handyman, and our dedicated team…

Despite very tricky times in the past 12 months, we have continued to work hard to deliver the same attention to detail and personalised service our guests are used to.  With life slowly returning to…

If you’re aching for something to look forward to at the moment and have had to cancel an important celebration in recent months, you may be in luck. This autumn, we are giving you the…

Red Paxton talks as part of an exclusive panel with TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp, Interior Designer Emma Sims-Hilditch and Tom Bill Head of UK Residential Research Knight Frank, to discuss the UK property market’s reaction…

We’ve had a wonderful array of press coverage recently, from reviews of our stunning holiday homes at Lower Mill Estate in The Cotswolds and Silverlake in Dorset to features about our founders and details of…

After a particularly tricky year, it’s fair to say that the pandemic has made people rethink many aspects of their lives. Owning a holiday home now presents an opportunity for many to enhance their lifestyle,…

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, our Silverlake Dorset estate has launched a competition with our neighbour, Sculpture by the Lakes, to find an artist who can create a new sculpture for our estate. We will be…

If you’re currently back in the conundrum of juggling work and home-schooling, why not challenge the kids to become an Eco Explorer? To do this activity, have a look at our wildlife video page and download a…

Twenty-five years ago, we set about transforming Lower Mill Estate into something never seen before. A lakeside holiday home community where families could enjoy the beauty of the Cotswold countryside, within the safety of a…

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Habitat First Group, so having already installed electric vehicle charging points on our estates and investing in electric buggies for use by our housekeeping team,…

We’ve recently welcomed a new fleet of electric buggies to Silverlake. These nifty vehicles will be used by our Housekeeping and Maintenance teams to transport necessities around the estate, leaving us safe in the knowledge that they will…

After 15 years of waiting, an Osprey has arrived at Lower Mill Estate and has been putting on some spectacular displays as it fishes in Somerford Lagoon in the heart of the development. Ospreys are awe-inspiring…

Habitat First Group is committed to creating spaces where wildlife thrives. One species doing really well on all of our sites is the otter. This wonderful mammal suffered a catastrophic decline in numbers during the…

A Hero’s Welcome at Lower Mill Estate “Our family was truly humbled by the dedication, courage and resilience shown by our amazing NHS workers during this pandemic. Moved by their selflessness, we decided that the…

We are extremely pleased to announce the launch of the brand-new Habitat First Foundation website.  The Habitat First Foundation is Habitat First Group’s official charity and has so far raised £23,205 towards building dedicated holiday homes to provide complimentary accommodation…

We are delighted to announce that two of our countryside estates, Silverlake, Dorset and Lower Mill Estate have been short-listed from a list of over 200 entries for a Landscape Institute Award 2020. Among the…

Our Chief Ecologist, Dr Phoebe Carter, has recently been interviewed by Radio 4 as part of the work she undertakes with Building with Nature on the impact of the Government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ mandate. Phoebe…

Habitat First Group has featured in an article by The Daily Telegraph that looks at how families are purchasing second homes as protective bubbles. One of our owners, Red Paxton, explains that we are seeing…

We are super pleased that our eco-friendly Falcon House at Birchwood, North Devon has been featured as House of the Month in the latest Country and Town House publication. Designed by contemporary architects Koto, the…

Red Paxton, Co-Founder of Habitat First Group recently spoke with Jemma Lester, MD of Luxury Marketing House. They discussed the story of Habitat First Group, it’s working with nature ethos and some of the many other…

Silverlake is home to a huge range of wonderful insects thanks to the diversity of habitats it hosts. Of these insects, moths are often overlooked as many only fly at night and even the day-flying…

Habitat First Group have recently been getting things ready to welcome Sand martins back from Africa.  The Sand martin (Riparia riparia) is a tiny earth-brown and white bird that arrives from Africa as early as…

Wildflowers bloom with brilliance at Lower Mill Estate from late spring to autumn. They don’t just bring us great joy, but are also a lifeline for our bees, butterflies, pollinating bugs and birds. Swill Meadow…

We know how unsettling the past few weeks have been for families and understand that the prospect of weeks at home trying to educate and entertain the kids is seriously daunting. To help the days…

Now that we’ve formally left the EU, we are in a period of transition, but at the moment there are no planned policy changes with regards to wildlife legislation. This means business as usual for…

We’re delighted to announce a new partnership with professional big wave surfer, Andrew Cotton. As a fellow outdoor enthusiast and lover of all things North Devon, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to work with him….

Our newest estate, Birchwood, North Devon has launched! Located in a UNESCO Biosphere, Birchwood will offer world-class nature conservation alongside beautifully designed sustainable holiday accommodation in one of the most scenic areas of North Devon….

We are delighted to announce a new Habitat First Group company, Habitat Zero. For the past two decades we have strived to have a positive impact on nature, the community and the well-being of the…

While some people are shivering, we look forward to Autumn at Habitat First Group, as our country estates come into their own. Along with thousands of trees changing colour, this is a great time to…

Read the full article HERE The 2019 EUGIC conference showcased the best of pan European learning focused on creating resilient, healthier cities through nature-based solutions and water sensitive urban design. Green Blue Urban sang the praises…

Read the full article HERE Wilmore Iles Architects have written an excellent article about the benefits of Biophilic Design and its positive impact on mental and physical well-being as well as environmental, economic and social…

As many of you will know, we have motion activated nature cams dotted around the nature reserve to keep track of our resident wildlife and particularly the effectiveness of our ecology management plan. Every now…

Habitat First Group is a family-run development company founded on the principle of creating holiday home communities that share a deep love for Mother Nature. Combining excellence in architecture, interior design, state-of-the-art facilities, security and…

Interaction with nature is critically important to human well-being and development, but has become diminished in modern times. For over 20 years, Habitat First Group has been developing architect-designed homes for people who want to…