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18th June 2007
ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVAL FOR TWO CASTLES
HRH The Duke of Kent is to open a flagship housing development at Burgh-by-Sands as part of the village’s commemoration of the 700th anniversary of the death of King Edward 1.

His Royal Highness will officially open King Edward’s Fauld, a prestigious development of affordable homes built by Two Castles Housing Association, as part of an official tour of the village on Tuesday 3 July.

The Duke of Kent will also plant a tree and make a tour of the small scale development of eight affordable, energy efficient homes.

The visit has been organised as part of the village’s commemoration of the 700th anniversary of the death of King Edward 1, after which the development is named. King Edward 1, so called Hammer of the Scots, died on Burgh Marsh on July 7 1307 while waiting to cross the Solway estuary into Scotland to do battle with Robert the Bruce. His body lay in state at St Michael’s Parish Church in Burgh-by-Sands before being taken back to London for burial at Westminster Abbey.

Two Castles completed its flagship King Edward’s Fauld development in April 2007 which has already contributed to the sustainability and wider economic viability of the picturesque village, where properties are highly priced and in high demand.

Funded by the Regional Housing Board’s Innovation Fund and built by local contractors using local resources, the two and three bedroom bungalows and homes have been made available for local people for low cost shared equity purchase or rent.

They were also built using modern methods of construction – namely, a panellised system called Kingspan Tek which uses two skins of OSB (Orientated Strand Board) with insulation filling, which is very strong and energy efficient.

Stephanie Murphy, chief executive of Two Castles Housing Association, said: “We’re delighted that our flagship development has received Royal approval, and we look forward to welcoming the Duke of Kent and showing him around next month.

“Given the name of our development, the village’s historic Royal links, and the fact that it is the 700th anniversary of the death of King Edward 1, it is appropriate that the Duke should officially open King Edward’s Fauld.”

It is not the first time that Two Castles Housing Association has received Royal approval for its developments – last year its developments at Caldrigg Fold, Staveley, near Kendal, and Spinney House, Lake Windermere, featured in HRH The Prince of Wales’ Affordable Rural Housing Initiative as examples of best practice.

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