Shortly after property developer Joe Larter began clearing scrubland off a site in the sought-after Hooks Hill area of Sheringham, he knew he was on to something special.
“From the early days of clearing the scrub, I was stunned by the unrivalled views over Sheringham, its golf course and the coastline,” he says. Naturally, for the experienced property developer and businessman, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
People across Norfolk and Suffolk will be familiar with some of Joe’s earlier developments, which include Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, the Sealife Centres in Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth and the Bure Valley Railway, which connects Wroxham to Aylsham.
But all that started with building houses.
Joe was born in 1939 and started his career in construction at the age of 18, after his father, a builder, suffered a stroke.
He went into contracting, then into house development, before a stint building coastal holiday lets led him towards the leisure industry.
Pleasurewood Hills opened in 1983 and Joe says that at its peak it had 12,000 visitors a day and 700,000 in its best season.
He also worked on other international attractions, including Ocean Park in Barbados and a family park in Vlissingen, Holland.
Joe has continued building even into his 80s. “Property and Norfolk has been in my blood,” he says, “I’ll never do anything ordinary.” And the new homes in Sheringham are proof of just that.
The scrubland at Hooks Hill has become Sheringham Heights, an exclusive collection of three and four-bedroom properties, which offer unrivalled views and high-spec finishes and are being sold by Homes & Land.
“It’s one of those absolutely unique sites,” says Joe. “You cannot believe the view you can get from those houses, there’s just nothing like it – and I don’t think there ever will be again.”
Hooks Rise sits at the front of the development and features mock-Tudor detailing on the front as well as a gently sloping lawn, enclosed by a brick wall.
Inside, it offers around 2,178 sq ft of living space and features four reception rooms – including a large kitchen/breakfast room and a lounge with a huge vaulted ceiling. It also has four bedrooms, a utility space, two en suites and a family bathroom.
But it’s the two properties behind it that are Joe’s favourites. 17 and 17a are modern and really maximise their views – thanks largely to their second-floor viewing lounges and balconies.
On the ground floor, each property has an open-plan day room/dining area, kitchen/breakfast room, utility space, wet room and study. Two bedrooms, including one en suite, are located on the second floor, alongside the bathroom, viewing lounge and separate sun lounge.
The master suites are located at the top of the properties and feature an en suite and a dressing room, before leading out and on to the roof terraces. These are open and spacious and have been made to accommodate an array of outdoor living options, from formal yet intimate outdoor dining to large gatherings or family parties.
To the rear of the houses, the gardens are separated into two levels, with a fully landscaped lawn on the top. On the lower level there is a garden room, which offers great versatility: it could be used as a space to relax in, to take in the views, or as a study, playroom or even a den for an older teen.
The homes are beautifully finished and feature luxury fitted kitchens, complete with Neff appliances, modern sanitaryware in the bathrooms and cloakrooms, and oak veneered doors throughout. In fact, Joe says “I’ve built them as if I would live in them myself.”
They are also fitted with fibre optic broadband and electric car charging points.
Hooks Rise is priced at a guide price of £1,300,000, and numbers 17 and 17a at £1,500,000. For more information, contact Homes & Land on 01493 805888.
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