A Place to Grow Up: FamilyLife at Collaton Park, South Devon

When people think about moving home, the first questions are often practical: how many bedrooms, how far the school, whether there’s room for family life to unfold. Those things matter. But for families, the deeper question is usually more emotional; what kind of place will my children grow up in?

That question sits at the heart of Collaton Park. A good family home is not just about the house itself. It is about the life around it: the green space, the neighbours, the paths, the play, the landscape and the everyday experiences that become childhood memories.

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Childhood Needs Space

Children experience places differently from adults. They notice corners, trees, paths and hiding places, and they measure a place by how much freedom it gives them to explore safely. That is why green space matters so much in a family community; room to run, room to play and room to come home muddy, tired and happy.

At Collaton Park, the ambition is to create a setting where families are not boxed in. Homes matter, but so do the spaces between them: the paths, play areas and open green space where everyday outdoor life can happen naturally.

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The Importance of Everyday Nature

One of the great privileges ofliving in South Devon is the closeness of nature. Around the River Yealm, nature is part of daily life; fields, hedgerows, lanes, creeks, birdsong and changing light across the landscape. For children, that kind of setting is formative, teaching attention, encouraging curiosity and building resilience.

At Collaton Park, the landscape is designed to be part of everyday family life; a walk after school, a weekend outdoors, a routine built around paths, green space and fresh air, rather than a distant view from a window.

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A Community Children Can Belong To

Children need more than a home and a garden; they need neighbours they recognise, places to safely meet friends, and a community that feels familiar. Where a place is designed with walking routes and shared green spaces, everyday contact becomes easier: children make friends, parents meet other parents, and community grows through ordinary daily life. That is what Collaton Park is designed to support.

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Safe Freedom

One of the things many parents want most is safe freedom for their children, not total independence too soon, but the ability to explore and play with growing confidence. Good places help that happen, through comfortable routes, overlooked spaces, accessible play areas and neighbourhoods where people recognise one another. Parents are more likely to let children explore when a place feels cared for and neighbourly.

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Homes That Work for Modern Family Life

Family life has changed, and homes now have to work harder than ever; supporting working from home, storage, hobbies and the everyday movement of family life. A good family home needs comfort and flexibility, but the home is only part of the equation: families also need outdoor space and a sense that they are part of something larger than their own front door.

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Growing Up With Community

One of the strengths of village life is that children grow up around different generations, learning that community is not just people their own age. At Collaton Park, the ambition is a mixed community where families, older residents, downsizers and new arrivals all live alongside one another; a place to grow up that is also a place to grow older.

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The Role of Play

Play is one of the ways children learn who they are and where they belong, helping them test independence, build friendships and use their imagination. At Collaton Park, play space is treated seriously; visible, accessible and connected to the wider landscape, rather than a fenced-off afterthought.

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Routines and Ordinary Life

Family life is made up of routines: the school run, weekend walks, a playdate after school, a dog walk before dinner. At Collaton Park, the wider ambition is to support those daily rhythms; movement, green space, play and access to the surrounding landscape, so that everything works together for ordinary, everyday life.

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A Healthier Way to Live

A home close to green space encourages healthier routines almost without effort; a short walk becomes normal, outdoor play becomes easier, and the landscape becomes part of family life rather than something reserved for special occasions.

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Belonging for New Families

Moving to a new home can feel uncertain, and for families that feeling can be even stronger. A new community should help people put down roots; offering opportunities to meet others and making it easier to become neighbours rather than strangers. At Collaton Park, that is part of the purpose: creating the setting in which family life can flourish, not simply providing houses.

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Respecting the Wider Community

Family life at Collaton Park will not exist in isolation. The new community sits within the wider Yealm area, close to villages with their own history and rhythms. Moving to a rural community means supporting local services, respecting lanes and footpaths, and understanding that belonging is built over time.

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A Place to Grow Up

When people look back on childhood, they often remember simple things: the path they walked, the tree they climbed, the friend who lived nearby, the feeling of being safe, known and free. Those memories are created by places, not houses alone.

A good family community needs  thoughtful homes, safe routes, green space, play, nature and neighbourliness; working for the ordinary days as well as the special ones. That is the ambition for Collaton Park: a place where families can settle, children can explore, neighbours can meet, and nature is part of daily life. Not just a place to live. A place to grow.

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Find Out More About Collaton Park

If you’d like to find out more about family life at Collaton Park, our New Homes team would love to help. Get in touch to arrange a conversation, or view available properties at Collaton Park to see what’s on offer in this exceptional corner of South Devon.

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