Homeowner Stories

Tabitha & Betsy

The Calder
Bingley
Tabitha Jackson - Owens Quay, Bingley - Case Study - Family together at dining table
“When I stood in the kitchen overlooking the canal, I just knew this was the one. It felt perfect the moment I stepped inside.”
The waterways, bingley
Development

Waterways - Bingley

Finding Home Beside the Water: Tabitha’s Story at Waterways, Bingley

Thirteen years ago, Tabitha stepped into a three-bedroom townhouse at Waterways in Bingley and instantly felt something she’d never experienced before the feeling of home.

Growing up, she moved often and never stayed anywhere longer than a few years. But the moment she walked into the bright, open kitchen overlooking the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, everything clicked. She’d viewed another home on the development first, admiring its high ceilings, but it was the view across the water, the stillness, the wildlife and the sense of place that made this one feel right.

“I stood in the kitchen and just knew,” she recalls. “It felt perfect.”

Today, Tabitha lives here with her eight-year-old daughter Betsy, and their home is a joyful expression of who they are: colourful, creative, wonderfully bold, and full of life. From the pink velvet sofa chair to the gallery walls, every corner tells a story, shaped by years of memories and a love of art, colour and quirky design.

Tabitha Jackson - Owens Quay, Bingley - Case Study - Family together on sofa
Tabitha Jackson - Owens Quay, Bingley - Case Study - family pet dog

Life Along the Canal

Canal-side Living

Living so close to the water has woven nature into their everyday routine. They can walk to school and work without needing a car, passing swans across the canal and pigeons nesting by the walkway. They’ve watched goslings and cygnets hatch and grow, finding the small rhythms of wildlife grounding and magical.

Her favourite place in the house? The lounge, the heart of their home and her “happy spot.” From here, she people-watches, waves at dog walkers, and enjoys those peaceful moments looking out across the towpath, where life gently unfolds just beyond her window.

“It even helped me decide what kind of dog to get”

Tabitha Jackson - Owens Quay, Bingley - Case Study - family pet dog

A Neighbourhood That Feels Like Family

Waterways isn’t just a place to live, it’s a community Tabitha feels deeply connected to.

“The whole development feels extremely safe,” she shares. Residents have formed their own small neighbourhood watch group, hold annual meetings, and work together with the management company to shape the environment they live in. Speed signs, speed bumps, communal decisions, everything is done as a collective.

Children play together on summer evenings. Her daughter’s best friend lives just across the road. There’s real friendship here, real neighbourliness.

A Home That’s Grown with Them

Over the years, the house has evolved alongside their lives. When her daughter was a baby, Tabitha redesigned the garden with astroturf to make it safer for little feet. As her daughter grows older, she’ll eventually have her own floor, a space to make her own.

Tabitha’s imagination hasn’t stopped there. She dreams of converting the garage into a chill-out den for the local children and one day extending her Juliet balcony to create an even more immersive view of the canal.

The home has never stopped inspiring her.

quality that lasts

What surprised Tabitha most when she moved in was discovering a fully landscaped garden, something she’d never expected from a new-build home. The skylights, the natural stone, the individuality of each plot, they all made the home feel crafted rather than produced.

After more than a decade, she still speaks with unwavering confidence about the build quality.

“They’re so warm, and I’ve never had a single major issue,” she says. “I tell everyone to buy a Verity & Co home.”

What “Home” Means Now

For Tabitha, home is more than bricks and mortar. It’s safety, comfort, and family. It’s the life she’s built with her daughter, the routines, the laughter, the slow mornings, the canal walks, the colourful corners shaped lovingly over the years.

Most of all, it’s the first place she has ever felt she could stay. And after 13 years, she has no intention of leaving.

Explore our communities

Find a place you’ll love coming home to.