Orchard Gate, is an award-winning rural development of 35 individually designed homes, recognised as Winner of Best Development at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2015, Winner of Best Medium Sized Development at the Premier Excellence Awards 2015, and Highly Commended for Best Family Home.
Built on the former Ditton Laboratories site (established in 1929), the scheme replaces redundant institutional buildings with a carefully crafted residential hamlet. Delivered for the East Malling Trust for Horticultural Research, the project transforms the site into a lasting legacy within its edge-of-village setting.
Client
Elivia Homes
Sector
Residential
Location
Ditton, Kent
Ward
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
Status
Completed
The masterplan is conceived as a settlement that has evolved organically over three centuries. A varied composition of cottages, farmhouses and larger manor-style homes is arranged along gently curving lanes and landscaped greens, creating a rich spatial sequence and strong sense of place. Reclaimed materials and an eclectic architectural language draw from Kent’s vernacular traditions, avoiding the character of a conventional modern estate and instead fostering identity, individuality and community.
Set against farmland with long views towards the North Downs, the development integrates extensive landscaping and retained orchards to root the homes within their rural context. A comprehensive SuDS strategy, incorporating swales and a pond, sits alongside allotments and green corridors, reinforcing both sustainability and biodiversity. Located close to East Malling, West Malling, Aylesford and Maidstone, Orchard Gate balances countryside living with accessibility, creating a timeless and distinctive residential environment.
