Placemaking with purpose
East Anglia is home to historic towns and villages shaped by centuries of thoughtful placemaking — where churches, market squares and village greens form natural centres of community life. Places like Orford, where the village square links a castle, church and riverside quay, or Saffron Walden, where a tree-lined high street, market square and common give the town its unique character.
At Manningtree Park, we’ve taken a similar approach. Inspired by traditional settlement patterns, the design is anchored by meaningful spaces – a village square at its heart, a parkland edge with walking routes, and a series of mews, lanes and secondary squares to follow. It’s a place with structure, purpose and character – shaped by people, for people.
Creating characterful communities
At City & Country, our architecture responds to places, not templates. Homes are designed to suit their setting, with more formal Victorian-inspired terraces welcoming you at the entrance to Manningtree Park, echoing the elegance of Lawford’s Green and New Square in Cambridge.
Streets like Excelsior Avenue are shaped to feel like a true high street, with tree-lined frontages, discreet gated parking behind homes, and a short walk to the heart of the development — the village square.
This square is to be more than just a space, it’s the social heart of the community. To be completed with a farm shop, café, and south-facing terrace overlooking the green. It’s where neighbours meet, conversations happen, and life naturally unfolds.
We don’t believe in copy-paste housing. Instead, we create places with variety, soul, and space to grow – including well-sized private gardens and generous public green spaces that encourage community and connection.
House Designs
City & Country’s extensive experience in the restoration and conversion of listed historic buildings has fostered a deep understanding of traditional architecture – from grand country homes to carefully crafted estate workers’ cottages.
This knowledge informs every aspect of our design approach. Where appropriate, we incorporate modern materials such as UPVC windows and composite weatherboarding, but only when they can replicate traditional profiles to preserve the intended character. In cases where modern alternatives fall short, particularly with eaves details, entrance porches, and canopies, we take a more authentic route, using traditionally crafted joinery to ensure accuracy and integrity. For us, the details matter.
