Soaring two storeys high, the Conservatory at Cedars Village holds decades of history. The dramatic black and white tiles are an indication of its Victorian heritage. In that era it was used as a hot house, a home for tropical plants and animals bought from across ‘the Empire’ by the owner of the Mansion House.

Thankfully, for Cedars Village residents, the crocodiles and lizards are long gone. But the stunning structure remains and, having undergone a complete overhaul in 2010, is now back at the centre of village life.

Cedars Mansion House, a Grade II listed building, is the hub of the village. It features a smart restaurant, ballroom, library, hobbies room, medical centre, snooker room and bar. On the first and second floors are retirement apartments, just some of the 154 privately owned homes which make up the village.

Other retirement properties including cottages and bungalows nestle within the 22 acre site which also has a stretch of woodland, a wildflower meadow and manicured lawns with a croquet lawn.

There is no shortage of open space either in the village or outside. The sweeping drive opens onto Chorleywood common where there is a nine hole golf course and a cricket ground.

The village designed for senior living, has its own bus stop and sits around a mile from the centre of Chorleywood which has a good mix of shops and a railway station with underground and mainline links.

Cedars Village in Hertfordshire is one of the most established within Retirement Villages and the calendar of activities is testament to the thriving retirement community which exists. There are dozens of regular social groups, events, activities and trips from a sewing group, to a scrabble club, a table tennis group to a luncheon club.

Of course, none of these are obligatory. For some residents, just the chance to live in a beautifully designed home, surrounded by a community of like-minded people gives them the peace of mind to enjoy their own space and freedom.