Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly set to rent in Chipping Norton while the billionaire superstar is on the UK leg of her Eras tour.
The power couple are rumoured to have bagged a £3.3 million rental close to Cotswold’s institution Soho Farmhouse.
Despite having eight performances planned for Wembley Stadium in London in June and August, Swift appears to have rejected the idea of staying in the capital.
Perhaps London holds too many bad memories after her break up with British actor Joe Alwyn. After all, she did pen ‘So Long, London’ saying a final goodbye to the city, as well as namedropping Brixton pub The Black Dog in reference to a location-sharing relationship snafu.
Chipping Norton is popular with the celebrity set for its countryside vibes and proximity to Waitrose and Dalesford Farm Shop, so Swift and Kelce will have plenty of high profile neighbours to pop round for a cup of tea with.
Kate Moss recently sold off her Highgate home and moved full-time to a 10-bedroom Grade II-listed home in the Cotswolds where she enjoys wild swimming and charging her crystals under the moon. David and Victoria Beckham also have a home in the area, complete with a vast 91-metre-long lake and a football pitch.
Jeremy Clarkson is another a notable resident, where he runs his farm and the Diddly Squat farm shop. Sir David Cameron also has a home in the Cotswolds, although we know he prefers Pink Floyd and The Smiths to the pop princess.
This exclusive corner of the countryside is well connected to London by road and train, making it popular with commuters and weekenders. There’s also Cotswold Airport (formerly RAF Kemble) in Cirencester, should Swift need a parking spot for her private jet(s).
Prime rentals aren’t as popular in this corner of the world, but there are plenty of multi-million pound homes where you could live like the super rich. Here are five other options that Swift could consider if she wants to become a permanent member of the Chipping Norton set:
Long Compton, Stratford-upon-Avon
£1.75 million
This seven-bedroom home was designed by architecture studio Turner.Works, who converted a Dutch barn into a gorgeous holiday home. Swift famously grew up on a Christmas tree farm, and the agricultural vibes of the building, combined with the 14 acres of re-wilded landscape designed by regenerative architect Julia Watson, make it the perfect back-to-nature retreat.
There’s a double-height living room and contemporary interiors lined with Douglas fir (yes, the Christmas tree kind!), with a wraparound deck set up with a fire pit for sundowners. It also comes with permission for five glamping pods, also designed by Turner.Works, to be built on the ground, should she need extra space for the whole squad to come and visit.
The property’s power, heat and light come from a ground source heat pump — an eco-friendly touch that could go a little way to offsetting that private jet-induced carbon footprint. Soho Farmhouse and Dayesford Farm Shop are, importantly, just a ten minute drive away.
The Modern House, 020 3834 8558
1 The Barns, Kingham
£2.95 million
After a jam-packed tour schedule of 152 shows, Swift probably just wants to relax. This four-bedroom home comes with a heap of well-appointed communal facilities only available to those its gated community.
Along with a heated outdoor pool and a state-of-the-art gym complete with a very chic locker room, residents have access to a private lake, an al-fresco kitchen, and a flower-arranging room (naturally). There’s also a dog-wash station and although Swift is, of course, a cat person, Kelce has two pooches of his own: Chauncey the Pomsky and Rambo the Goldendoodle.
The house itself has vaulted ceilings, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a sunken living room set in a glazed bay. An on-site concierge will manage all the maintenance and errands, ideal for when a home is joining a sizeable property portfolio like Swift’s.
United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty, 020 3835 2136
Cleveley, Chipping Norton
£2.25 million
With its Grade II listed facade covered in wisteria, Manor Farm House is in it Folklore/Evermore era. The five-bedroom home has been renovated without losing its rustic charm, and the flagstone kitchen comes with an AGA cooker in Swift’s signature lipstick red.
Along with oak flooring and shuttered sash windows there’s an ancillary barn that is earmarked for entertaining but could be easily turned into a podcast studio for Kelce. The gardens are planted with lavendar and climbing roses, with a fruit orchard and (life was a) willow trees.
Strutt & Parker, 01865 638 995
Kennel Lane, Chippin Norton
£1.5 million
If Swift wants to get back to her Horse Girl roots, then The Tack Rooms is a fitting option. The former equestrian facility has been converted into a six-bedroom property, with four bedrooms in the main house and an extra two above the triple garage in a separate building.
It has all the modern conveniences an American expat could want inside – non of that fridge/freezer combo nonsense. There’s a floor-to-ceiling wine fridge, a separate drinks fridge under the counter, and a separate freezer.
The outdoor areas have views of the picturesque surrounding countryside and walls built from that iconic creamy Cotswolds stone.
Knight Frank, 01451 604019
£2.25 million
Lansdowne Cottage has all the charm of a Cotswolds cottage, with design sensibility added by London-based deign studio Vitruvius.
The vaulted kitchen/diner and the sitting room are clad in pale ship-lap style wood that lends an East Coast charm to help Swift feel right at home. It’s the epitome of a turn-key property, with stylish sage-green painted doors and bathrooms clad in snazzy striped tiles.
There’s manicured gardens with a greenhouse and separate guest annexe, along with a conservatory for a taste of the outdoors while staying dry in the notoriously drizzly English weather.
