Competition winner announced after naming new retirement development in Highcliffe

A local resident is celebrating after being announced as the lucky winner of a competition to name Churchill Retirement Living’s new development on Stuart Road in Highcliffe. 

Val House, who lives locally in Christchurch, was presented with a cheque for £100 at a naming ceremony for the new Rothesay Lodge development, located in the heart of the popular town.

Mrs House said: “I wanted to choose a name with a strong historical connection to Highcliffe, so I suggested Rothesay Lodge after Lord Stuart de Rothesay, who built Highcliffe Castle in the 1830s. Stuart was the son of Sir Charles Crichton-Stuart, the younger son of Prime Minister John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. He was the Ambassador to France twice and also served as Ambassador to Russia for a short time. Lord Stuart died in Highcliffe in 1845 and is buried at St Mark’s Church.”

Deborah Waldeck, regional marketing executive at Churchill Retirement Living who presented Mrs House with her winner’s cheque, said: “At Churchill, we like to involve the local community in choosing the names for our developments and we often do so by running a competition asking for suggestions. We received a number of fantastic entries for Highcliffe, but Mrs House’s really stood out.”

When complete, Rothesay Lodge will comprise 48 private, self-contained apartments that are specially designed for the over 60s with features such as a video-entry system, lift to all floors, a 24 hour care and support system and a Lodge Manager. Communal facilities include an Owners’ Lounge, Guest Suite and landscaped gardens.

Like all Churchill Retirement Living developments, the location has been chosen for convenience and is within easy walking distance of the wide selection of shops and amenities on offer in Highcliffe.   

For more information on Rothesay Lodge, please call 0800 458 1856 or click here.