Untitled Genially

Bob Geldof – Davington Former Boomtown Rat and Live Aid co-Founded Bob Geldof has settled into a quiet life in Kent, on a walled estate in Davington, just outside Faversham. The estate, which he has owned since the 1980’s, is a 12th century former Benedictine nunnery and is adjoined to the local parish church of St Magdalene and St Lawrence by a connecting door. The property has strong emotional connection to the Geldof family. Bob Geldof’s wedding to late wife Paula Yates was blessed there in 1986, and his late daughter Peaches Geldof married her husband Tom Cohen there in 2012. Both Paula and Peaches’ funerals were also tragically held at the church. Sir Bob is due to marry his long-term partner Jeanne Marine at the church in August this year.

Paul McCartney – Peasmarsh A sleepy village close to seaside town of Rye is the last place you’d expect to find one of the music icons of the modern age. However, tucked away in a farmhouse in Peasmarsh is one of the biggest names in modern music. Sir Paul McCartney describes himself as ‘very much a local person’ and has thrown himself into local life in the tight knit community. Although he still gets the odd tourist wandering around the village hoping to track down a wayward Beatle for an autograph, he finds that the community generally gather round to protect their villages famous residents: ‘You do get tourists coming round here who will ask “where does Paul McCartney live? And they just say “Who? Never heard of him mate.” They give it the country yokel bit.’ However, he is still aware of his famous status, and tries to keep his life as normal as possible for the sake of his young children. ‘I'm asked to open bazaars and things, but generally I say no. The kids around here all think of me as my kids' father. Which is great. I like that. It's a good balance to what I am on tour.’

Boris Johnson – North Weston Having moved 32 times since he was 15 years old, Boris Johnson is well used to packing his suitcases and settling into a new property. However, it could be that fatherhood (or the weight of ‘looking after London’ as newly-retired mayor) has slowed his down a little, and Boris has seemed to settle in a couple of well-appointed properties. His Islington-based home is often flooded with press and is often featured on the news, as he cycles up on his ‘Boris Bike’, however it is his country property where he and his family can escape from the media glare. The property is based within his Henley-on-Thames constituency, within the tiny village of North Weston and according to neighbours could not be more of a contrast to his showy London pad. ‘It's in the middle of beautiful countryside, but it's quite a squash for all his family to fit in,’ his neighbour remarks. Maybe the Johnson’s should look at instigating a congestion charge?

Claudia Schiffer – Bury St Edmunds Despite a world leading career on the catwalks of the world, Claudia Schiffer has had a more mixed experience of her time in Bury St Edmunds. The supermodel purchased her stately pile, Coldham Hall, in the historic town for £5 million in 2002, and was so enamoured with the property and it’s 40 acres of rolling country side that she even hosted her wedding reception in the grounds. The property was formerly owned by friends of her husbans, Matthew Vaughn, and he used to play in the house as a child. However, disaster struck in 2014, when a fire tore through the property, destroying outbuildings and stables, but fortunately not spreading to the Elizabethan mansion. Fifty firefighters spent hours battling the blaze, and fortunately nobody was injured. Bury St Edmunds average: £296,866

Peter Kay – Bolton Despite being the UK’s highest earning comedians, smashing the earnings of even some of the UK’s top footballers (earning £45,000 a day in 2013!), funny man Peter Kay has not let his new found wealth go to his head – he’s still firmly a Bolton Boy through and through. ‘Staying in Bolton has been hugely important for me,’ he said. ‘Every street is a memory or a story for me. I should be able to go to the shops. This is my home. If it all ended tomorrow and I was still in Bolton, I would only have gained, not lost. If I’d wound up in Ipswich, I’d have thought, “How did I get here?”’ Much of his comedy has been drawn from his experience in life in the greater Manchester area, from his first job as a petrol station attendee at the Majestic Petrol Station in the town, to time he spends there now with his young family – ‘When you live a normal life and keep your ears pricked, you hear all sorts of funny things!’

Russell Howard – Leamington Spa Bristol-born comedian Russell Howard has shunned the bright lights of London, and his home town – instead choosing to settle in Leamington Spa – all in the name of love! His girlfriend Cerys is studying medicine at Warwick University and the romantic comedian has splashed out on a £600,000 five bedroomed house in order to be close to her whilst she completes her studies. The couple made the decision that her career, rather than his should dictate where they live, as according to Russell ‘being a doctor is a proper job, and you have to respect that.’ What a charmer! In fairness, he does seem fairly happy with the arrangement though. He’s got plenty of open spaces to wander with his Jack Russell dog, and he even plays football with his for his local pub football team!

Robbie Williams – Calne As the most recent bad boy of British pop, Calne locals must have been biting their nails when Robbie Williams moved in to his £9 million palatial pad. However, they shouldn’t have worried, their bigger concern is the planned recycling plant due to be built just two fields away from the village, and the millennium-man’s mansion! Despite his love of the area, Mr Williams is spending less time there – and it’s not all to do with the threat of a pongy parallel plant. Instead, his American wife, supermodel Ayda Field is feeling the full impact of the British weather, finding the climate a little too wet and windy for her taste.

Nicolas Cage – Glastonbury It may be more famous for its rocking music festival, but Glastonbury has become home to one of acting’s most famous mandolin players, Captain Corelli himself, Nicolas Cage. Described by the Hollywood superstar as ‘one of his most treasured possessions’, Nicholas Cage is (Moon)struck by his picturesque Glastonbury-based cottage. With local legend stating that the property is based on mystical ley lines, Cage could be experiencing more than just love for his UK home, he could actually be feeling the pull of a deeper force! ‘I wouldn’t know about that’, reports Cage, ‘but it is a sacred place to me, and I get down there whenever I can.’ Glastonbury average: £288,703

Beckhams – Stroud There’s no disputing that any home of the Beckhams is going to be fabulous, and Amberley House in Stroud is certainly no exception. The six-bedroom country pile is a far cry from their LA mansion, but it’s a prime example of rolling UK real estate perfect for the UK’s second King and Queen. And now Victoria has a London-based shop to run, she’s done well to bag a property in commuting distance to her Bond Street boutique, with the door to door train journey taking just over an hour and a half – ideal for a busy commuting mother of four! However, should she be looking to set up a bit closer to home, Stroud high street could be crying out for VB store – with an existing bustling mix of high street, vintage and one-off boutiques, the locals would no doubt welcome a concession to the London flagship! Stroud average: £427,422

Brian May – Windlesham A man of many talents, singer, songwriter and astrophysicist Dr Brian May has taken Windlesham to his heart. However, he was not so over the moon at the local council’s plans to build 140 new homes on woodland in the area, and is an actively campaigning to put Surrey Heath Borough Council ‘Under Pressure’ to reject the outline for homes, community facilities and landscaping. As founder of the ‘Save Me‘ charity, which works closely with Surrey Heaths Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue service, he also headed up the ‘Wildlife Rocks’ charity fundraising concert in the area, a local rock concert aimed at raising money and awareness about the treatment of wild animals in the UK. Windlesham average: £1,832,865

Twiggy – Southwold Whilst not quite reliving the swinging Sixties, Twiggy settled into life in Southwold, with her actor husband, Leigh Lawson. The pair are often found strolling along the Suffolk coastline, and are huge fans of raiding the local markets for a bargain – especially the farmers markets which are so popular in and around the area. Moving to Southwold hasn’t just presented Twiggy with a gentle pace of life though, it’s also proven a very astute business decision. It was in a local Southwold pub, for which the area is famed as it is home to the Adnams brewery, that the senior supermodel was spotted by M&S marketing exec Steve Sharp. He was responsible for the now-iconic ad campaign which relit her career and breathed new life into womenswear at the ailing fashion store.

Adele – East Sussex With sales of more than 100 million records, Adele is one of the best-selling recording artists in the world and whilst she might come across as ‘someone like You’, but you can bet that Adele’s property portfolio is somewhat different to that of the average UK homeowner! Her varied property empire includes a pair of adjoining seafront properties in Hove, which she purchased in 2012. The West Sussex town, neighbour of funky Brighton, is the home of her long-term partner Simon Konecki, and where his bottled water company is based. Her home is located on so-called ‘Millionaire’s Row’, with her neighbours including DJ Norman Cook, and comedian and Britain’s Got Talent judge, David Walliams. Hove average: £538,129

Gordon Ramsey - Rock Known as the St Tropez of Cornwall, Rock is truly a beautiful part of the country. Blue skies, blue seas, even the air is blue… although that could be down to notoriously vocal celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, who recently broke records when he bought a home in the town. His sea-front home cost £4.4 million (although he did knock £100,000 off the original asking price), although this cost remains the most expensive sale EVER recorded in Cornwall. Gordon’s home cost 25 times the average property in Cornwall and his plans for it…? Well, he wants to knock it all down and start again. His new plans for the plot include two state-of-the-art kitchens, one for prepping food, and one for cooking it. Rock-star living indeed. Rock average: £800,000

John Bishop – Liverpool He may put his comedy success down to his roots on a Liverpool council estate in the 1960s, which he believes had a huge impact on his sense of humour, however comedian John Bishop is certainly not sticking to his roots with his latest property purchase. Located only a few miles from his childhood stomping ground, the property he calls home today is a £2.25 million mansion, surrounded by 24 acres of land. The property boasts a swimming pool, tennis courts, and even a lake with its very own island! However, despite his departure from the Severn Walk estate on which he grew up, he is insistent that he will always live in the North West, and will never be tempted by the bright lights of London life: ‘‘I can’t see any reason to leave. It’s never crossed my mind. I think that if you live in the North of England you are a very, very lucky person. I can’t see myself in Primrose Hill drinking cappuccinos. This is where I belong.

Rowan Atkinson – Wallingford Rowan Atkinson certainly didn’t get off to a good start with his new neighbours when he set about building his new property in Wallingford, near Oxfordshire in 2010. The bright white, modern property is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and many felt that the slick design was not in keeping with the rolling countryside surrounding it. The site includes a main house, guest pavilion, a tennis courts, garage and other buildings.

Catherine Zeta Jones – Mumbles Although she made her name in the Darling Buds of May, Catherine Zeta Jones’ property in her home town of Mumbles in Wales doesn’t have much in common with Home Farm, Mariette Larkin’s countryside home. However, true to her Darling Buds roots, Catherine has ensured she is surrounded by her family at her Welsh estate, building a large property next door to her own for her parents, Dai and Pat. Although she spends most of her time in Hollywood, Catherine has been quoted as saying that she tries to ensure that her children grown up understanding their Welsh heritage, and as such spends as much time as possible on her Mumbles Silverhurst estate. Mumbles average: £422,629

Kate Moss – Lechlade Named by Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential people, it is no surprise that Kate Moss has had quite an impact on the quiet little village of Lechlade. She is said to love the small Gloucester village so much, she frequently holds glamourous star-studded bashes at her home. Her recent 40th birthday party attracted guests including rapper Snoop Dogg, Shirley Bassey, Iggy Pop and Bryan Ferry, as well as more supermodels than the British countryside knows how to handle! Her super cool 2011 wedding to Jamie Hince, guitarist of rock band ‘The Kills’ even took place locally, in St Peter’s Church, Southrop, just a five-minute drive from Lechlade. Lechlade: £444,161

Manolo Blahnik – Bath His shoes were made famous striding round New York in Sex and the city, and they've flashed down catwalks across the world, but ‘Godfather of Sole’ Manolo Blahnik is at his happiest at his home in Bath. According to the stiletto supremo he ‘fell in love with Bath’ over 30 years ago, describing it as his paradise, finding its beauty ‘fascinating and charming’. And whilst you may not see many stillettos striding down the cobbled streets of Bath, according to Blahnik, Manolo-wearers across the globe are unaware that they are likely to be strutting their stuff in a Somerset-inspired stiletto: ‘The beautiful Georgian decoration of Bath has had an impact on my designs – how could you not be inspired by this wonderful place? I twist the concept of the Royal Crescent or The Circus and find a way to translate that beauty onto a shoe.’ Bath average: £594,364

Davina McCall – Wadhurst Slightly more comfortable than the Big brother house is Davina McCall’s property in Wadhurst, East Sussex. The Grade Two listed Georgian property, where Davina lives with her husband Matthew and three young children, is a former nunnery, a perfect fit for former convent girl Davina! Set in 37 acres, the property is a perfect family home for a celebrity family, with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a paddock, a tennis court, and a private path to the railway station, which has direct links into London. However, this private path has caused Davina heartache in recent years. Apparently, cheeky commuters have been using her path as a public toilet – meaning she has had to erect a strict sign telling them firmly to stop!

Beckhams – Kensington As well as a country pile in Stroud, the Beckham family also enjoy a very comfortable London base, vital for their various commitments in the capital. Rumour has it that they blew over £30 million on buying and renovating the Kensington-based property, which has eight bedrooms and seven luxurious bathrooms. Victoria and Harper are well catered for, with girlie luxuries such as a massage parlour and personal nail bar, however the London pad is really all about David and the boys. Brooklyn and Romeo can chill out with their famous dad in the ‘Man Cave’, which features a pool table and mini bar, or work out in the fully equipped gym. However, despite a 100ft private garden (a major plus in central London!), there’s no space for a kick around outside… it’s all beautifully landscaped in an Oriental style.

JK Rowling – Perth and Kinross It would be disappointing to discover that the world’s most famous author lived in semi-detached new build, so it’s good to know that J K Rowling has a Hogwarts-style 19th century estate, located on the banks of the River Tay. Mystery and magic swirls round the Killiechassie House estate. Harry Potter fans will recognize Hagrid’s Hut in the grounds of the property, and the private lake is even said to be home to a ‘murderous water sprite’… although this could be the stuff of legend! As neighbours go, Rowling is certainly popular with the local community. She has made generous donations to local community causes, donating £1.5 million to the Aberfeldy Town Hall project, turning the community hall into a music and drama resource. Perth and Kinross average: £180,258

Stephen Fry – West Bilney Originally born and bred in Norfolk, Stephen Fry has gravitated back to his home country to settle in a home just outside of Kings Lynn, in the small town of West Bilney. He confessed that he had kept a crumpled up picture of his Norfolk home in his wallet for decades before taking the plunge and buying his property. You either get Norfolk, with its wold roughness and uncultivated oddities, or you don’t. it’s not all soft and lovely. It doesn’t as to be loved.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – Richmond It’s not often you find two of the world’s biggest superstars strolling round a British shopping centre, but if you frequent The Bentalls Centre in Richmond, you might just catch Angelina Jolie dragging Brad Pitt round the shops, they have a house just down the road. However, Angelina might prefer to shop with neighbour Sandra Bullock, who lives next door to the pair in their star-studded Surrey neighbourhood. The Jolie-Pitt’s UK home is Whornes place, a property with nearly as much celebrity status as the award-winning couple themselves. Before they bought it for £10 million in 2012, they rented it for £30,000 a month whilst brad was filming World War Z at the nearby Shepperton Studios. But they are not the only famous faces to have rented the property – Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have all been tempted by this impressive period property. Richmond average: £1,558,911

Rod Stewart – Sheering Despite spending much of his year in sunny LA, you can’t keep him away for long, and Rod Stewart certainly knows how to make the most of his time in his home country when he comes back to stay! His Essex pad, the Grade Two listed Durrington house, has been adjusted and tweaked to suit every requirement a rock star could possibly require, including a full size five-a-side football pitch, with 20-car parking spaces, and a fencing border – although it is unclear whether that is to keep the screaming fans out, or the wild free kicks in… The pitch is not allowed to be floodlit, in order to comply with planning regulations, although you would expect that rock stars would be busy partying come nightfall anyway! Sheering average: £558,017

Gerard Butler – Giffnock Whichever side of the Atlantic he chooses to settle on, Gerard Butler sets hearts fluttering, even more so when he spends time in his native Scotland – he recently treated an entire bar of people to pizza when he came back to Paisley for a weekend! They may well be getting their hands on a few more free slices as well, as Mr Butler has just spent £600,000 on a Scottish bachelor pad in Giffnock, and is settling back into his Scottish roots. ‘Whenever I go home, I always return to LA feeling more like myself, that little bit more bullish,’ he said. ‘Life in LA can be a bit soft. I like to come back with Scottish attitude’ Mind you, his new place isn’t exactly rough and ready – with three bedrooms, a private balcony, drawing room and underfloor heating, the 300 star is showing his LA side in his choice of property! Giffnock average: £311,300

Jay Kay – Horseden Known around the world as the car-obsessed, hat-wearing front man of funk jazz band Jamiroquai, Jay Kay is one of the coolest men in music. It is no surprise that his home, a 200-year old manor house in Horsenden, Buckinghamshire, is quite extraordinary. Nestled within its own 80 acre estate, visitors have to cross two moats, drive through a field of sheep (emblazoned with Jay Kay’s initials), and travel through Capability Brown designed gardens before they reach the property. Most won’t even make it into the house though, choosing instead to stop off at the Space Cowboy’s private pub or go ‘Deeper Underground’ and pay a visit to the most impressive part of the estate, the 30-car underground garage! Horseden average: £808,189

George and Amal Clooney – Sonning-On-Thames It’s not often a Hollywood superstar and a human rights dynamo move into the home counties, but when they do, it certainly causes a bit of a stir. When the notoriously private George Clooney and his new bride Amal purchased their £10 million, nine-bedroom, Grade Two listed manor house recently the residents of Sonning-On-Thames were certainly surprised by their new A-list neighbours. The Clooneys have certainly thrown themselves into local life. Following their lavish, star-studded Italian wedding, they hosted a British wedding reception at the Danesfield House hotel and spa I Marlow, just ten minutes down the road from their new marital home, and they are often found taking full advantage of all the local amenities: ‘There’s a great pub we go to, it’s fantastic and we drink all kinds of pints of things,’ said George. ‘There’s a great restaurant, The French horn, and it’s a really beautiful, fun place to be.’ However, the Thames-side property hasn’t all been plain sailing for the couple. Their love nest was ransacked by the winter storms in 2014, when severe floods caused chaos along the Thames estuary. It doesn’t seem to have dampened their ardour through, and they still seem totally in love with Sonning life. Sonning-On-Thames average: £1,047,813

Hugh Grant – Stinchcombe Whether he’s bumbling through Four Weddings and a Funeral, or dastardly double crossing poor Bridget Jones, we just can’t get enough of Hugh Grant. It would only be proper for the most British of British actors to have a home in the Cotswolds, and the picture perfect village of Stinchcombe fits the bill perfectly. What’s more, it’s only a few miles away from his good friend (and former girlfriend!) Liz Hurley. Since he moved in to his Grade two listed Melksham Court in 2003, Grant has discovered another bonus to countryside living – you’re never far from a golf course! The golf-mad actor is often found teeing off at the Nearby Stinchcombe Hill course, between Hollywood blockbusters of course!

Damien Hirst – Toddington Best known for his quirkier works, such as ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ (the shark in a vat of formaldehyde), you wouldn’t expect to find Damien Hurts rolling up his sleeves and taking on the renovation of a 300-roomed Victorian Manor house. However, as the wealthiest living artist in Britain (valued at over £200 million), Hirst certainly has the means to take on a project the scale of Toddington Manor. He bought the property in 2004 for £3 million, with a view to renovating the property in order to use the gothic manor as a location to display his collections however with 300 rooms having laid derelict for 20 years it is a slow, and expensive, process! With a £10 million restoration budget, Hirst is not holding back with his plans for Toddington manor, and there is no doubt that the property will be show stopping when it is complete! Toddington average: £357,586

Zayn Malik – Arkley Prices in Arkley are only going in One Direction, having risen 14% in a year. This may or may not have anything to do with the area’s most famous resident, teen heartthrob Zayn Malik. After a whirlwind few months splitting from boy band supremo’s One Direction and breaking out on his own, Bradford-born solo superstar Zayn loves nothing more than spending time at his five-bedroom, four-bathroom contemporary house in Arkley. The property is built for entertaining, with a steam room, a spiralled wine cellar, terrace and a Jacuzzi – as well as an optimistic outdoor pool and sun deck.

Ed Sheeran – Framlingham It’s been a big few years for Ed Sheeran, with his fame showing no sign of slowing. But the Yorkshire lad hasn’t let the fame go to his head – he’s still sticking close to mum and dad! Although he was born in West Yorkshire, Ed was brought up in Framlingham in Suffolk. He splashed out on a four-bedroom property close to where he was brought up. The property comes with a wine cellar, stables, a games room and unusually for a global superstar, a vegetable patch… Framlingham average: £153,771

Judi Dench – York Born and bred in the Yorkshire town, Judi Dench has always called the medieval city her home, and continues to live in and love the walled Northern city. As well as vocally supporting local causes, Dame Judi has been active in her support of local causes, including backing plans to develop the site of a new build village into a nature conservation area instead. A developer has been trying for a decade to build 540 homes on the site in the York vicinity, however Dame Judi, along with a team of campaigners, were so stringent in the protest it seemed unlikely that the plans would go ahead.

Jason Manford – Stockport Despite his career taking him to London regularly, northern funny-man Jason Manford is insistent he could never live there, instead preferring to spend much of his life on trains! His ‘homing instinct’ has led to him settling in his home town of Stockport, and he is so keen on the area he has even moved his family to be closed to him! He waxes lyrical about everything Stockport has to offer, and believes it has everything he could ever need: ‘There’s the town centre with all the shops, a theatre, a cinema and a swimming pool, but I’m only five minutes from countryside. I really like that!’

Alan Sugar – Chigwell Ranked 92nd in the latest edition of the Sunday Times Rich list, with an estimated fortune of around £830 million, Alan Sugar could live anywhere in the world. However, he has chosen to stay true to his Essex roots and settle in Chigwell. As well as his property, Lord Sugar also owns Sheesh, a Turkish restaurant in Chigwell village, which whilst it may not add significantly to his business portfolio, at least he can guarantee a great meal after a hard day at the board room table! At least he doesn’t have to travel far now to get to this office either…. The entire Sugar Empire has just upped sticks and moved to nearby Langston Road in Loughton, taking over the offices next door to Clinton Cards – home to another of the heavy hitters of the Sunday Times Rich List, Don Lewin. Suddenly, Essex is where it is at and London? Well, you’re FIRED!

Richard and Judy – Looe Described by the celebrity couple as their ‘spiritual home’, Richard and Judy have spent 30 years visiting the Looe/Polperro region of Cornwall, and now they have hung up their presenter’s hats, they’ve followed their dreams and moved in full time. Their four-bedroomed home is set amongst six acres, and even enjoys an outdoor pool – allowing them to make the most of the sunny Cornish weather for much of the year. However, their neighbour, a farmer, does point out that his cows to overlook the pool, and therefore the celebrity couple do have to put up with some unpleasant countryside whiffs every now and again! Looe average: £284,699

Michael McIntyre – Compton Bassett Funnyman Michael McIntyre may have performed in front of sell out arenas, performed in front of royalty, topped the charts with sell-out books and DVDs, and stepped into Simon Cowell’s shoes as a host on Britain’s Got Talent, but his desire for a life outside London has caused him nothing but trouble! Having made the move from the capital to Compton Bassett, settling his family into a £2.5million country pile, McIntyre soon discovered that he was an imposter in his new village! Apparently there was already a Michael McIntyre who lives in Lower Compton, so despite having a role-call of accolades to his name, poor Mike is destined to be Mr McIntyre Number Two at his country abode! Compton Bassett average - £270,821