Celebrities Like Ellen DeGeneres, David Beckham And Simon Cowell Have Turned England's Idyllic Cotswolds Into A-list Mecca

Ellen DeGeneres recently left America to escape politics and celebrity culture. However, she might be in shock in the idyllic English setting that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have decided to call home.

The Cotswolds – an area of 800 square miles of rolling hills less than two hours away from London, comprising six counties – Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, as well as some parts of Somerset, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Wiltshire – in Southern England is the kind of unspoiled rural environment you expect to see Miss Marple sleuthing around. It is the setting for village fetes and vicarage tea parties. More recently, however, it’s become a haven for U.K. A-list celebrities, U.S. transplants and multi-million-pound homes.

Don't Miss:

Who Ellen’s Hanging Out With In The Cotswolds

A social media post from British pub The Farmer’s Dog – which TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson owns – featured Ellen with partner de Rossi, singer James Blunt, Irish pop band The Corrs, who performed, and Aussie singer Natalie Imbruglia. Like The Hamptons, the Cotswolds is spread over a large area, but well-known pubs and restaurants can attract a glitzy gathering.

David and Victoria Beckham

One of the most well-known celeb couples in the Cotswolds is the Beckhams. The global soccer icon, David and his ex-Spice Girl wife-turned-fashion mogul wife, Victoria, routinely share social media footage from their country pile. They paid around $15 million for the sprawling estate, featured heavily in the Netflix documentary Beckham. Among the amenities shown on the doc were a garden, pool, sauna, football pitch, spa, bee farm, chicken coop and tree house. You’d expect nothing less from Posh and Becks.

See Also: Unlock the hidden potential of commercial real estate — This platform allows individuals to invest in commercial real estate offering a 12% target yield with a bonus 1% return boost today!

Simon Cowell

Pop music exec turned TV talent judge and entertainment mogul Simon Cowell went public about escaping London for his family’s safety. He sold his $57 million home in the capital’s Holland Park after being targeted by a group of criminals for burglary, having already been stolen in 2015, losing passports and more than $1.26 million worth of jewelry.

His new home in the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire has been attracting invaders of another kind – moles. The subterranean furry creatures have been digging up his garden with underground tunnels and creeping ever closer to it.

A source told The Sun newspaper earlier this year: “There are holes everywhere – like Swiss cheese.”

Kate Moss

Former British supermodel and agency owner Kate Moss offered The Times a look at her historic Grade II-listed home. The former catwalk queen enjoys vintage curtains made from silk chinoiserie, polished brass fixtures, reclaimed oak flooring and a vegetable garden. 

Trending: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." These high-yield real estate notes that pay 7.5% – 9% make earning passive income easier than ever.

Other Cotswolds Celebs

It is no secret that outspoken TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson, best known for the car show Top Gear, lives in Oxfordshire. He routinely invites viewers into his estate on his Amazon Prime series, Clarkson’s Farm. According to the Guardian, he lives in a neighboring village to ex-British PM David Cameron.

Actress and former model Elizabeth Hurley was also a Cotswold resident, reportedly selling her home for $11.3 million to move away from her celebrity neighbors, according to Gloucestershire Live. She told the website:

“I previously spent 10 years in the Cotswolds, which I loved, but it was annoying bumping into people I cross the road to avoid in London.”

Trending: Arrived Home's Private Credit Fund’s has historically paid an annualized dividend yield of 8.1%*, which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with just a $100 minimum. 

American Invasion

It’s not just Brit celebs who are flooding the Cotswolds. Now, Americans are moving in droves. Harry Gladwin, head of the Cotswolds at the Buying Solution, told Bloomberg that his American clients have increased by 30% in the past year and have been growing since the U.S. election.

“The Cotswolds seems to be a mecca for Americans who want the ‘London lite’ lifestyle with great schooling,” Gladwin said, adding that his American clients aren’t afraid of a big historical renovation project either.

Many artisanal stores and restaurants have opened to cater to new, well-heeled American clientele. Some Americans have even opened their businesses, such as D’Ambrosi Fine Foods, which opened in the historic market town of Stow-on-the-Wold during the pandemic. It flies the U.S. flag outside and is owned by Americans Jesse and Andrew D’Ambrosi (as seen on Top Chef), Cotswold’s transplants. They cater to a growing contingent of U.S. expats and, as such, go big on July Fourth and Thanksgiving. 

“This year, we’ve had a 40% increase in orders for our Thanksgiving menu, which includes a rather extraordinary smoked and glazed turkey and the meanest dark chocolate pecan pie in the land,” owner Jesse said. “It seems to hit the ticket for those craving a taste of home."

Ellen should feel right at home.

Read Next:

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In:
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!