If you’ve ever wanted to see a music mogul battling moles, or a supermodel bathing under a full moon, come to the Cotswolds. There's something about this honey-stoned, rolling-green rural wonderland that attracts the glitterati in droves. It is ram-packed with celebrities who call it home.
From rock stars to royalty, here’s your essential list of stars who can be spotted among the sheep, stone walls and outrageously expensive cheese.
But wait. First of all, what and where is the Cotswolds?
The Cotswolds is America’s (well, England’s) picture-perfect-postcard countryside. This protected, 800-square-mile swathe in south-central England spans Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Worcestershire and Warwickshire, making it England’s largest Area of Natural Beauty (AONB). About 90 miles long and 25 wide, it gleams with Jurassic limestone houses that glow like honey, serving up classic English charm.
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So which celebrities live in the Cotswolds?
Pretty much everyone, it seems. And even more are moving in (looking at you, Liam Gallagher). But here’s our round-up of the biggest names:
1. Kate Moss
Kate Moss lives in a 10-bedroom listed pile in Little Faringdon and has fully embraced the Cotswolds “country chic” lifestyle: think riding boots, very serious tea and pub dinners that look like they were styled by a magazine. The supermodel has been spotted dining at The Swan Inn in Lechlade with celebrity pals. Swapping London’s party scene for the country, her days include wild swimming near secret fields, tending to her vegetable patch (potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, and salad leaves) and "moonbathing” – ie, lying under the night sky to soak up the light of the moon. Cool.
2. Jeremy Clarkson
Presenter Jeremy Clarkson didn’t just move to the Cotswolds; he motored in, bought a farm and turned it into a global brand called Diddly Squat. His 1,000-acre estate in Chadlington, Oxfordshire is now the setting for Clarkson’s Farm, where he battles bad weather, over-enthusiastic employees and the occasional recalcitrant pig. The property features the famous Diddly Squat Farm Shop and his 15th-century country pub, The Farmer's Dog, near Burford.
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3. David and Victoria Beckham
The Beckhams’ Great Tew property is a nine-bedroom luxury nest where football, fashion and family collide. David famously said he moved to the Cotswolds because “it’s one of the most beautiful places… I’m happier than I’ve ever been” (translation: finally, no paparazzi). Escaping their global spotlight, David and Victoria embrace a hands-on country lifestyle focused on beekeeping, tending to a working chicken coop and harvesting organic produce from their greenhouses. Good times.
4. Hugh Grant
True to type, suave-yet-misanthropic actor Hugh Grant owns a pretty Cotswolds cottage in a village that has neither a pub nor a post office, so offers a truly under-the-radar bolthole. Fans say he’s been spotted at local markets, buying bread with the same gentle, slightly awkward charm he uses in romantic comedies. He has also taken an interest in the area’s ecological wellbeing, highlighting the issue of sewage pollution in local waterways. And, of course, as an avid golfer, he also likes to tee off at the local golf course.
5. Princess Anne
Princess Anne has lived at Gatcombe Park near Minchinhampton for many years, making her one of the Cotswolds’ most long-standing and low-key royal residents. She’s less likely to be seen queueing for sourdough than timing a horse event or inspecting a fence with the same focused glare she uses on Parliament. Locals treat her presence as fairly normal: “Oh, that’s just the Princess. She’s been here longer than the village shop.”
6. Alex James
“Lives in a house, a very big house, in the countreeee” sang Blur frontman Damon Albarn - and bassist Alex James took the words to heart. He abandoned the city and moved to the Cotswolds in 2003, turning his 200-acre farm in Kingham into a working cheesemaking operation and proving that yes, you can go from playing stadiums to curdling milk in one lifetime. Taking to country life like a duck to water, he also grows his own fruit and veg and has raised five children in the beautiful Cotswolds landscape. “I think if you're in a great band you either die or end up living on a farm," he told ITV this year. To celebrate his rural reinvention, James runs the Big Feastival, which is now in its 14th year and is basically a music festival where everyone eats cheese and listens to banging tunes from top bands. This year, Basement Jaxx, The Streets, Bastille and Rudimental are leading the charge.
7. Damien Hirst
Artist Damien Hirst owns Toddington Manor, a vast, crumbling Gothic revival mansion that is basically a castle with more formaldehyde. He has plans to restore the 300-room pile as a family home and museum, but since 2006 it has been encased in scaffolding and tarpaulin, so it's slow progress. Some locals are getting frustrated with the wait - in 2022, the chairman of Toddington Parish Council, Nigel Parker, told The Guardian: “It is one of the biggest eyesores in the area. People are fed up with it" – and nothing much has happened since, so local discontent rumbles on.
8. Prue Leith
You won’t find a more classic Cotswolds celebrity than Prue Leith. The cooking maestro has lived in the area for more than 40 years and is the star of the ITV cooking and lifestyle show Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen, which is filmed at her home and features local produce and celebrity guests. The series doesn't just focus on the stove; her husband John travels the region to explore local crafts such as dry-stone walling and traditional food producers.
9. Sir Patrick Stewart
Acting grandee Sir Patrick Stewart owns a Cotswolds mansion near Lacock and Chipping Norton, splitting his time between Brooklyn and the countryside, where he enjoys the village pubs and quiet life. Ironically, he is not fan of starry new arrivals, and has joined locals in objecting to luxury developments and the gentrification of the area, as well as speeding celebrities causing havoc in country lanes.
10. Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have been linked to the Cotswolds after moving to the UK in 2024, when they bought and renovated the 17th-century Kitesbridge Farm near Burford. However, the River Windrush was not so welcoming, and following issues with flooding, they moved instead to a glass-fronted, modern hilltop mansion in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, furnished with an infinity pool and plenty of space for Portia's beloved horses. Embracing country life, the couple keep chickens, raise sheep and enjoy spending time outdoors. They have also been spotted at Jeremy Clarkson's pub, The Farmer's Dog, in Burford.
11. Liam Gallagher
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher recently announced he’s moving to the Cotswolds, saying he’s “coming in peace” while simultaneously looking like he might still accidentally start a fight with a hedge. He is said to have bought English footballer Tony Adams’ former home near Coates, Cirencester, turning it into a rock-star cottage with probably at least one very loud amplifier.
However, he has promised to keep a low profile, writing on social media: "To all the beautiful people from the Cotswolds, I come in peace… You won't even know I'm there. I'm not like all those divvy celebrities who like to show off." Liam likes to spend his country days walking his dog Buttons, metal detecting and enjoying a flask of Earl Grey tea.
12. Ben Miller
Actor and comedian Ben Miller lives with his wife and children in the Cotswolds in a quirky cottage complex that suits them perfectly. "We have a fake front door. If you open it, there's a little terrace and steps leading up to the woods. We love how bonkers it is," he told The Telegraph. He has become a regular at local events, often spotted with a slightly bemused smile and a very sensible jacket.
13. Ellie Goulding
The singer has lived in Cirencester, in the heart of the Cotswolds, since 2021. To balance motherhood with her music career, Ellie built a recording studio on her Gloucestershire property, so she can sing and juggle children at the same time. She admits the Cotswolds “isn’t very rock ’n’ roll” but she loves its tranquil, rustic nature and has often been spotted browsing the organic offerings at Daylesford Farmshop.
14. Ian McEwan
Author Ian McEwan and his wife, writer Annalena McAfee, live in a nine-acre country estate near Miserden in the Cotswolds. The property features a 1920s limestone manor, a rewilded meadow, lily ponds and a converted barn where McEwan writes his novels. He’s known for long walks through the fields and occasionally vanishing into the woods for hours to plot his next novel. Walking in nature offers him "profound refreshment," he has said.
15. King Charles III
King Charles owns Highgrove House near Tetbury, a beloved Cotswolds estate where he tends the gardens, champions organic farming and occasionally pops into the village. Although the nine-bedroom house itself remains closed to the public, the King opens Highgrove's renowned gardens for guided tourse. He spent four decades transforming the gardens, using entirely organic and sustainable practices, so he's understandably keen to show them off.
16. Beyoncé and Jay‑Z (almost)
Beyoncé and Jay-Z were widely reported to be buying a 58-acre estate near Wigginton, with plans for an “exceptional quality” rural build. However, plans were dropped after surveys revealed the plot’s vulnerability to flooding. English weather really can put a dampener on things. Still, megastars don't do setbacks, so watch this space.
17. Simon Cowell
Following a series of break-ins at his London mansion, Simon Cowell decided to ditch the city for the quaint delights of the Cotswolds. He lives in a sprawling Grade II mansion near Chipping Norton with his fiancee Lauren, their son Eric and two Yorkshire terriers, Squiddy and Diddly. According to Lauren, their country lifestyle is a far cry from glittery galas and red carpets: "“We switch off properly. We also watch movies, do yoga and clay pigeon shooting. We walk the dogs together. We cook,” she said. So far, so relaxing, but the couple didn't count on a different form of home invader terrorising their space. An army of moles wreaked havoc on their extensive gardens, leaving it resembling "swiss cheese".
18. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (potentially)
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly stayed in a £3.3 million cottage near Chipping Norton during her Eras Tour, turning the Cotswolds into a pop-star sanctuary. A source at the time said: "She wants a place to unwind away from the tour, and the countryside is her happy place... she loves dressing up in sequins on stage but is most at home in muddy boots in the fresh air." Rumour has it that the newlyweds may revisit those golden memories by honeymooning in the Cotswolds this year.
