Once famed for its sleepy lanes, rolling hills and honey-coloured villages, the Cotswolds has reinvented itself as a billionaire hotspot.
A-list names have poured in, with Sir David and Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres all snapping up grand homes.
Now the latest global superstars are preparing to arrive, with Beyoncé and Jay-Z poised to create an impressive countryside retreat.
The power couple are said to be on the brink of buying an 18-acre Oxfordshire plot, unlocked by a lucrative rural planning loophole.
Now a magnet for fame and influence, the area is also home to royals, including King Charles and Princess Anne.
Here, Daily Mail reveals the stars who have turned the Cotswolds into their rural retreat.
Jay-Z and Beyonce are the latest stars to splash out in the Cotswolds
Here, the Daily Mail takes a look at the celebs who have made the English countryside their new home (pictured Sir David and Victoria Beckham)
Beyonce and Jay-Z
Beyonce and Jaz-Z are the latest in a series of American celebrities to be drawn to the fashionable Cotswolds.
They are only able to build in the beautiful countryside, on a virtually undeveloped site, thanks to a planning loophole increasingly exploited by the rich.
The 18 acres in Oxfordshire they are understood to be on the verge of buying has planning permission for a ‘spectacular rural estate’.
Permission was only granted – despite new building applications on greenfield sites routinely being rejected – under a ‘special exemption’ rule that allows for the erection of ‘architecturally important buildings’ where planners would otherwise say no.
The plans for Beyonce’s believed site seem to fit that bill, with designs featuring a mansion partially suspended above the surface of a man-made lake.
It lies between Banbury and Chipping Norton, long the country haunt of former Prime Minister David Cameron.
Promotional puffs for the property, which currently features only a derelict shack and algae-filled man-made lake, reveal that planning permission has previously been granted for a new mansion.
Plans for the ‘architecturally significant’ property Jay-Z and Beyonce are believed to be poised to build
The 18 acres in Oxfordshire they are understood to be on the verge of buying has planning permission for a ‘spectacular rural estate’
That permission was given by Cherwell District Council in 2021 under a clause allowed for under national planning rules, which gives a free pass to spectacular plans of the type seen on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. It has been dubbed the ‘rich person clause’ by critics.
This particular design is for a ‘large contemporary’ home with seven beds, seven reception rooms, and seven bathrooms.
The ‘totally unique’ property listing – which says it is now ‘sold subject to contract’ – continues: ‘The site for the new house is at the head of a long drive that meanders through beautiful countryside to a magical woodland lake.
‘Permission has been granted to create a dwelling that part cantilevers over its own lake, has incredible room volumes throughout, will be exceptionally light and have stunning views over surrounding countryside.
‘The position and the permission are unrivalled.’
The firm behind the design, Seymour-Smith Architects, has boasted that the planned house is its fifth to win planning consent under the ‘architecturally important buildings’ clause, giving it a 100 per cent success rate.
The architects said online of the ‘rather magical’ project: ‘The brief was for a flexible, multi-generational house, to allow three households of one family to live independently but together – three self-contained yet linked living environments.
‘It was important for each to have its own entrance, living space and outside space – but also that this wasn’t three houses, but rather, one house that could be lived in in different ways.
‘This was to be a home for a family enjoying each other’s time and company, providing care solutions for young and old.
‘The house will be nestled among the trees, and dramatically projecting over the water.’
The local village does not have a single pub or shop, but does boast two churches and a free community book exchange for when celebrities tire of Soho Farmhouse.
A resident who asked only to be identified as David, 71, said: ‘I don’t know much about Beyonce. Everybody has been looking her up to see what she’s like.
‘I don’t think it will make much difference because we have already got David Beckham, Claudia Winkleman, all the people are here. It’s just another one isn’t it?’
Sir David and Victoria Beckham
Sir David and Victoria Beckham snapped up their country retreat in the Cotswolds for a reported £6.15 million in December 2016
Following the Beckhams’ extensive renovations, the property now includes a sauna, plunge pool, gym, swimming pool, football pitch, and even a £50,000 safari tent on the grounds for entertaining
Sir David and Victoria Beckham snapped up their country retreat in the Cotswolds for a reported £6.15 million in December 2016.
The farmhouse was their weekend getaway and was converted into a huge family home after extensive renovations.
They even had the help of Marcus Barnett, a three-time Chelsea Flower Show winner, who transformed their garden into a beautiful fairytale oasis.
Built in 2018, the sprawling countryside retreat is packed with luxurious features – from multiple bedrooms and four half-bathrooms to a professional-grade chef’s kitchen.
Following the Beckhams’ extensive renovations, the property now includes a sauna, plunge pool, gym, swimming pool, football pitch, and even a £50,000 safari tent on the grounds for entertaining.
It’s now estimated to be worth around £12 million.
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson’s £12.5million Cotswold mansion near Chipping Norton is the ultimate rural retreat
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour star shares the six-bedroom home with partner Lisa Hogan, 51, on his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton
Jeremy Clarkson’s £12.5million Cotswold mansion near Chipping Norton is the ultimate rural retreat.
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour star shares the six-bedroom home with partner Lisa Hogan, 51, on his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton.
Clarkson, 65, famously blew up his previous £4million cottage for a Grand Tour stunt – but subsequently battled jobsworth planners to open Diddly Squat Farm farmshop and restaurant.
He previously ranted about his life going down the pan due to the extravagant new-build.
He said: ‘I’ve often said that nothing in life is as awful as trying on trousers. It’s the lowest point in a man’s life. Except it isn’t.
‘Being dragged to London to spend a day choosing what sort of flush handle you’d like on your lavatory is worse.’
Last year, Clarkson purchased The Windmill pub in Asthall, near Burford, for a reported £1m.
Simon Cowell
Music mogul Simon Cowell purchased a luxurious £8million farmhouse in the Chipping Norton area in 2021, settling into eight acres of rolling Cotswolds countryside
Music mogul Simon Cowell purchased a luxurious £8million farmhouse in the Chipping Norton area in 2021, settling into eight acres of rolling Cotswolds countryside.
The Daily Mail revealed how the 66-year-old plans for a new 793 sq ft ‘party barn’ to entertain friends and family.
The extension, described by his agents as ‘minor in scale,’ is roughly the size of an average new-build home in the UK and will double as a games room for Cowell’s two sons.
Cowell moved to an estate with fiancée Lauren Silverman following a spate of break-ins at their former £45million Holland Park home.
Perched on a hilltop, the property already boasts a wild swimming pond, indoor pool, and sweeping countryside views.
Cowell joined neighbours, including Kate Moss and Princess Beatrice, in the fashionable rural enclave.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres and partner Portia de Rossi, 52, first purchased a property in Cheltenham, which they described as a ‘part-time house,’ before snapping up Kitesbridge Farm in 2024 for around $20million
The couple have since moved to a spectacular new property which is perched on a hilltop on the edge of a village in Oxfordshire
It is around a 30 minute drive from their original home
Former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, 67, left the US just before Donald Trump’s election victory, disillusioned with life in America.
She and partner Portia de Rossi, 52, first purchased a property in Cheltenham, which they described as a ‘part-time house,’ before snapping up Kitesbridge Farm in 2024 for around $20million.
The couple then moved into a bespoke 10,000-square-foot home nearby named Hiaven, which they purchased for $26million.
Ellen, 67, revealed over the summer at an event in Cheltenham that she was selling Kitesbridge Farm.
She said: ‘We decided we needed a different house, and now we are selling that house.
‘So if anyone wants a house, it’s a beautiful stone farmhouse.
‘To clarify, I’m not selling the new one we now live in. I’m selling the old stone farmhouse.’
Kate Moss
Supermodel Kate Moss has called the Cotswolds home for over two decades, owning a 10-bedroom Grade II-listed manor in Little Faringdon
The supermodel bought her home in the Cotswolds over a decade ago for a cool £2 million, and moved permanently to the property last year
Supermodel Kate Moss has called the Cotswolds home for over two decades, owning a 10-bedroom Grade II-listed manor in Little Faringdon.
She purchased the property in the early 2000s for £2million and quit London permanently in 2021 for life in rural Oxfordshire.
The manor features deep red living rooms, wood-panelled walls, stone floors and bold artworks.
Outside, the gardens include a pond, statues and vibrant flower displays.
The former city-loving hedonist, 51, has embraced country life, previously telling The Times: ‘You do things you could never do in the city – sleeping outside, cooking on a fire, all of those things that, growing up in Croydon, I didn’t have.
‘It’s like having another childhood or being in the Famous Five. It’s those simple things that make your life proper, isn’t it?’
Calvin Harris and Vick Hope
Calvin Harris (right), worth an eye-watering £250million, lives in a stunning mansion with his wife, the Countryfile and Radio 1 presenter Vick Hope (left)
Calvin won praise from locals and planners after demolishing an ‘ugly’ post-war property and building a grand ‘Cotswold country house’ in its place
He hired one of the Royal Family’s favourite architects to build a home fit for a king and now plans to swap rave culture for agriculture
DJ Calvin Harris and presenter Vick Hope found their Cotswolds escape in 2019, paying £3.9million for a stylish property in the picturesque market town of Moreton-in-Marsh.
Calvin, 41, won praise from locals after demolishing an ‘ugly’ post-war property to build a grand Cotswold country house in its place.
He and Vick, 36, hired Ben Pentreath, one of the Royal Family’s trusted architects, to design a home fit for a king.
Set on 10 acres on the outskirts of the desirable Gloucestershire village, the property boasts a vineyard, swimming pool, tennis court, and landscaped gardens.
Yet not everyone was happy with the arrival of the One Kiss DJ, real name Adam Wiles.
Local Ken Mercer previously told the Daily Mail of his mixed feelings about another multimillionaire star relocating to the desirable spot.
The retired Norfolk holiday cottage boss said: ‘Another big celebrity name coming to The Cotswolds who can afford to buy a massive plot of land which could house 20 homes for ordinary people.’
He added: ‘I can’t imagine Calvin will mix with local villagers when he moves here.’
Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher has reportedly spent his Oasis reunion tour money on purchasing a Cotswolds mansion
The singer, 53, is believed to have snapped up the impressive countryside abode from Arsenal icon Tony Adams
Liam Gallagher has reportedly spent his Oasis reunion tour money on purchasing a Cotswolds mansion.
The singer, 53, is believed to have snapped up the impressive countryside abode from Arsenal icon Tony Adams.
Boasting eight bedrooms, the lavish home in the highly sought-after location is reported to have sold for £4.25million.
Located near Cirencester, Gloucs, the house sits on five acres and also features a swimming pool as well as tennis courts.
There are also stables and a two-bedroom cottage on the land.
A source told The Sun: ‘Liam loves the countryside and the house is the perfect retreat following the mammoth Oasis tour.
‘Liam is also very fond of his rescue dog Buttons so wanted to find a home with plenty of outdoor space.
‘He loves hosting so is looking forward to welcoming friends and family to the home.’
Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Liam for comment.
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise could be set to join the Cotswolds celebrity elite after ‘eyeing up’ mega mansions in the affluent region, The Mail on Sunday previously revealed
Tom Cruise could be set to join the Cotswolds celebrity elite after ‘eyeing up’ mega mansions in the affluent region, The Mail on Sunday revealed.
The Mission: Impossible actor has sent his personal assistant to find a suitable multi-million pound house for him in the wealthy locale that’s home to billionaires, politicians and celebrities including Cruise’s close friends, the Beckhams, the MoS understands.
But locals appear far from enamoured at the prospect of Tom, 63, becoming the latest well-heeled American to arrive.
One disgruntled resident of the town of Charlbury said: ‘We call it the American invasion.
‘Tom Cruise will be yet another American celebrity who won’t integrate in the community.’
Another said the stars ‘don’t speak to us’ – and that they eschew local pubs for more upmarket hostelries such as The Bull in Charlbury.
Tom already has a £35million penthouse in Knightsbridge, as well as multiple sprawling mansions in Beverly Hills.
