It’s a well-trodden path that leads from the capital to the Cotswolds. Weekending Londoners looking for rural recuperation have always had the region’s thatched cottage beauty on their radar, while a litany of well-known names have bought mellow-yellow stone houses in the leafy lanes.
But now the Cotswolds clamour has reached new heights with a celebrity count to rival Notting Hill.
The latest recruit? Step forward Calvin Harris, DJ-supremo, music producer, songwriter and collaborator with stars from Ellie Goulding to Rihanna. He also once dated Rita Ora and Taylor Swift.
After buying a property in 2019 and spending years rebuilding it, Harris now finally looks set to move in and, along with his TV presenter wife Vick Hope, join a roll call of A-list names with a very big house in the country.
Reports put the Harris-Hope property at the epicentre of celebrity life in the North Cotswolds.
David and Victoria Beckham will be close enough for a regular weekend karaoke session (Harris is said to be a fan) with David no doubt on chef duty in his £50,000 outdoor BBQ tent.
There’s more Spice Girl-energy with Geri Halliwell and her Formula 1 boss husband Christian Horner; some Traitors-style edge with Claudia Winkleman; and, of course, petrolhead-turned-farmer Jeremy Clarkson and his partner Lisa.
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi have their own Cotswolds escape-from-LA pad, a six-bedroom farmhouse in 43 acres with indoor pool and separate guest house, while Idris Elba and Kate Moss each bring a unique superstar vibe.
What is it about the North Cotswolds that lures these famous names?
“The most beautiful part of the Cotswolds is to the north and west of Stow-on-the-Wold, with unspoilt villages in rugged countryside yet with plenty of nearby great pubs and members’ clubs,” says Harry Gladwin from The Buying Solution.
“It’s easy to find locations that are tucked away from public gaze yet well-connected to London by trains from stations at Moreton-in-Marsh and Kingham into Paddington. It does seem to be a trend locally with people from the music industry to head out to the extremities of the North Cotswolds for a quieter location.”
Gladwin works as a buying agent and is tight-lipped on any clients he has helped find a home in the Cotswolds. He will, however, happily share the lowdown on where you can expect to see a famous face or two hanging out with the locals.
“Daylesford, Soho Farmhouse, The Club by Bamford and Estelle Manor are hotels and members’ clubs that have bought a real sophistication,” he says.
“Favoured pubs include The Fox at Oddington, part of the Daylesford empire, and The Wild Rabbit in Kingham.
“You no longer feel cut off in the Cotswolds, one reason why our property searches are predominantly driven by Londoners looking for a slice of English countryside.
“Many keep their London homes too — often in Primrose Hill or Notting Hill — but plan on lengthy stays in the Cotswolds. Some are enrolling their children at schools including Kitebrook and The Dragon.”
The Cotswolds attracts a broad spectrum, families, upsizers and downsizers, international buyers and second-home purchasers, says Gemma Maclaran from buying agency Middleton Advisors.
“Kingham is one of the most exclusive villages in North Cotswolds,” she says. “It’s home to Daylesford Farm Shop and The Plough pub. The surrounding villages of Churchill, Bledington, Broadwell, Evenlode and Oddington are all in hot demand, where properties command a premium.”
One noticeable new trend, she says, is an increase in young professionals with a particular focus on buying close to the A-list members’ clubs.
“These savvy buyers tend to be under 35, corporate leaders with impressive earnings and often the support of their families for deposits,” she says. “They prioritise lifestyle and privacy and are looking for their forever house in these dream locations.”
At 41, Calvin Harris fits in smoothly to this demographic, although the multi-millionaire won’t have had to rely on his Scottish family to buy his new pad.
The original property, set in 10 acres, was rumoured to have cost more than £3.5 million in 2019. He obtained permission to demolish it, with aerial photographs showing an expansive but understated Cotswolds stone mansion being constructed in its place.
“It’s an area where substantial Georgian and Victorian properties were built long ago by the ultra wealthy whose money was made through the wool trade, banking or in far-flung parts of the empire,” says Gladwin.
“Property throughout the North Cotswolds is generally expensive but there are some premier league homes with premier league prices. In a typical village you can find small three-bedroom cottages from £450,000 and larger properties with land from £2.5 million.”
Looks like the Cotswolds has become the Cost-loads.
