Weston Homes Launch Langley Square, A New Garden Village In Dartford, Kent

Weston Homes is proud to announce the launch of Langley Square, a new waterside ‘Garden Village’ comprising of 400 new homes in the highly desirable commuter town of Dartford.

The former Wellcome Factory site is being transformed into high specification one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses, which are ideal for professionals, couples, first time buyers and families. Fronting onto a historic Mill Pond and the River Darent, the development is ideally located next to Dartford Railway Station and when complete, will feature a large village pond, a new local high street with just under 29,000 sq. ft. of commercial and retail space and landscaped green spaces, leafy lanes and roads.

Bob Weston, CEO of Weston Group commented: “We are delighted to launch Langley Square. The £90 million Garden Village has transformed disused brownfield land into high quality residential housing and commercial space, creating an attractive and enjoyable place to live. Langley Square is ideal for those looking to own a new home in a country village setting and benefits from excellent connections and outstanding lifestyle facilities on the doorstep.”

Each home at Langley Square will include Weston Homes signature high specification interiors with engineered oak flooring and luxury carpeting, designer Oakwood kitchens with stone worktops, Zanussi appliances, Fascino basins and instant boiling water. The luxurious bathrooms will offer Laufen Pro wall hung basin, Roca Laura, wall hung WC and porcelain floor and wall tiling by RAK Ceramics.

The Mill Pond site was once occupied by the Phoenix Paper Mill, built in 1852, with the large mill pond created to help power the facility. This was replaced in 1889 by the Wellcome Pharmaceutical Factory founded by Henry Wellcome and Silas Burroughs.

Initially the factory produced Cod Liver Oil, Malt and Saccharin and supplied medicine chests to explorers, aviators and members of the Royal family. Famous explorers who carried Wellcome medicine chests prepared at the site include H M Stanley (African pioneer), Admiral Peary (first person to reach the North Pole), Captain Amundsen (first to reach the South Pole), Scott of the Antarctic and Shackleton.

In later years the factory produced medicines including Insulin, Migril, Zovirax and Retrovir. In its Edwardian heyday the factory extended beyond its original boundaries and eventually covered 33 acres; employed over 1,300 people and relied on raw materials transported up the River Darent by barge.

After WWII the company opened newer plants on other sites, with the result that by 2008 the Dartford factory was wound down and eventually closed by its then owners GlaxoSmithKline. Plans to remediate and regenerate the former factory’s brownfield land Mill Ponds and neighbouring Northern Gateway sites begun in 2010, with a plan created for the entire 33 acre facility devised by masterplanner Delancey.

Once redeveloped, the Mill Ponds and neighbouring Northern Gateway sites will provide the South East of England with a large new urban centre, built entirely on brownfield land, providing 1,050 new homes; 53,820 sqft of retail and commercial premises; new cafes and restaurants and landscaped areas, children’s playgrounds and parking facilities. The masterplan forms part of the Government’s much anticipated Garden Suburbs Programme, originally announced in March 2012.

Langley Square launches on 5th March. Prices for the new apartments will start from £204,995. For more information on Langley Square or any other Weston Homes development, call 01279 873 300.

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