When Freeman Homes, a division of local, family-owned company MF Freeman Group, began work on their latest development at Weston-under-Penyard, the site was yet to be named. The company prides itself on building homes that not only provide modern and comfortable living spaces, but that also become woven into the tapestry of the area in which they are constructed.

MF Freeman Group Chief Executive Luke Freeman told the Ross Gazette: “It’s really important to us that the homes we build cater for our purchasers’ wellbeing as well as their comfort and security. We work hard to ensure that our developments not only complement the aesthetic of the surrounding area but also become part of the local community. That’s why we involve and consult with local residents and businesses throughout our build programmes.”

Freeman Homes ran a competition with a Weston-under-Penyard primary school to choose the name for the development. Pupils attended a session with archaeologist Thomas Wellicome, who shared some of his finds with them, including artefacts linked to the area’s rich ironworking history dating back over 2,000 years. Pupils were then given the opportunity to choose a name based on Thomas’ work and any further research they wanted to do.

The winning name was ‘Ariconium Place’ which was considered perfect for the development which is at the gateway to the village. Ariconium was the Roman name for the area, and it was the central hub of the extensive smelting activity that took place in South Herefordshire during the era of Roman occupation, which is believed to have been as early as 100 AD.

Works are now well underway and the development is expected to be completed early 2020. The district council determine postal addresses for new developments, and development names are often left out of registered addresses. However, the council have now confirmed that ‘Ariconium Place’ has officially been adopted as part of the postal address for the site. This is due to the name’s strong connection to the distinguished and ancient history of the local area.

Luke Freeman adds: “We’re delighted that Herefordshire Council chose to adopt the name ‘Ariconium Place’ as part of the postal address. It’s a credit to the research skills and creativity of the pupil who chose the name, and it honours the unique, ancient history of Weston-under-Penyard, too.”

Freeman Homes was founded in 1999. Since its origination, the division has won numerous awards for its quality and customer service, including ‘Best Small Housebuilder’ at the prestigious WhatHouse? Awards in 2017 and ‘Best Residential Development’ at the 2017 UK International Property Awards. Freeman Homes specialises in providing high-quality, new homes that are designed with unique character and style to complement the local area.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.