Whether designed to keep undesirables out or the occupants in, the trend for gated developments first seen in the US, remains as prevalent today as ever in the affluent Home County of Surrey.
On the exclusive Wentworth Estate in particular where resident footballers, celebrities, Hollywood A-listers and politicians value their privacy over all else, it is extremely common to have properties and their occupants hidden from view by oversized firs, perimeter fencing and 10 foot high gates.
Be they ornate wrought iron works of art, simple yet sturdy electronically operated wooden gates or high tech, bullet proof technological masterpieces with full CCTV and alarm systems which view the humble Postie with dubious suspicion, the Surrey set take their life behind bars very seriously.
James Wyatt, Partner of 7 times winning Best Estate Agents Surrey, Barton Wyatt and Wentworth resident himself, comments:
“Gated properties have been popular in and around Virginia Water and the Wentworth Estate for some time but “Surreygate” seems to have hit in recent times with the need for ever more lavish entrance gates. Keeping up with the local property fashion is hard work for home owners – wrought iron or wooden, flamboyant or plain, full obscurity or not. Then there are decisions on the intercom, video and remote systems. The biggest question I wonder is ‘Are they blocking people out or trapping people in?
“The Wentworth Estate’s rumoured latest celebrity residents Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for example, in what one can only assume was an attempt to retain some privacy from the insatiable paparazzi, ‘filled’ their gate in with coloured plastic recently.
“That said, sometimes it’s not all about hiding away; on a personal level, we have installed a simple gate to our home mainly for safety reasons to ensure that the children don’t run onto the road after a rogue football when playing outside which offers invaluable peace of mind.
“Currently winning the popularity stakes are solid wooden gates – so nosey parkers can’t see in at all yet many smaller houses that don’t have room for traditionally opening gates use roller gates which slide sideways and I’ve even seen a house in Sunninghill with anti-terrorist bollards which rise out of the ground as a second line of defence.”
For more information, please contact Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000.
Barton Wyatt provide luxury golf villas in Florida and select Property in Sunningdale. James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt Letting Agents Surrey. Tel: 01344 843000
