Robin Hughes

Robin Hughes has had an extensive career in property investment, development and operations. As a chartered surveyor with Hillier Parker, Robin went into Central London development on land mark schemes in the city and west end with Norwich Union before joining Mapeley and Network Rail in strategic property advisory roles. Having specialised in the senior living sector from 2006 with Richmond Villages and Shelbourne, Robin set up Retirement and Care Village Partners Ltd in 2010. The business was focussed on the development of a 130,000 sq ft retirement village based on learnings from Robin’s extensive studies of the most successful models in New Zealand. Robin mentored by NZ’s most successful RV developer, Kevin Hickman, went on to create Castle View Retirement Village with key highlights including:

• 2010 -2014 - Assembling a matrix of 6 separately owned land holdings and raising £6m to consolidate into a single site.
• 2014 - Securing detailed planning for the entire scheme including a 72 bed care home and 64 apartments with community facilities
• 2014-2016 - Securing a £26m debt facility to build out and operate the village
• 2016 – 2018 Assembling a team to build the entire project on time and budget opening precisely on schedule on 25th October 2018
• 2018 – 2023 Pre selling the care home to Medicx Healthcare fund and selling 50 apartments and operating the village under the brand Castle Retirement Living
• 2023 – Executing the business sale to LMS for £12.7m

Since selling the business in December 2023, Robin has spent much of his time travelling and renovating a house near Windsor with a 6 car garage for a small collection of cars and motorcycles. Robin spends time at homes in Dent and Pitlochry and his passions are travel, motorcycling and trout and salmon fishing, with annual trips to New Zealand and Norway to get the best of both.

According to Robin – Being Windsor born and bred, creating Castle View in my home town was very special. My Mum was an early resident and as CEO, all residents were very much friends. Taking a career break after selling Castle View has been liberating. I’ve concentrated on all the things I’ve wanted to do more of without any time constraints - mainly enjoying the best of the world’s nature in Scotland, Norway , Tasmania and New Zealand. I’ve motorcycled extensively around these wonderful places and caught many Salmon and Trout in some of the best rivers in the world - all of which all were returned! In 2025, and in pursuit of bigger fish, I bought a camper van and jet boat in New Zealand which allowed me remote access to some of the best fishing in the world. In summer 2025 I finished my house and garden renovation and began to really enjoy my garden with a flourishing Fern plantation, home grown potatoes, leeks and rhubarb. In my 50’s I’ve really got into it gardening concentrating on low maintenance high impact vegetation always borrowing ideas from Kew Gardens and Chelsea Flower show. I’ve also indulged in my varied but outdated music tastes and seeing Simple Minds live at the Sydney Opera House was a real treat.