With Hampshire being such a great place to live, it’s no surprise that it has become a hotbed of celebrities. Noel Gallagher, Alan Techmarsh and Andrew Lloyd Webber are among the first list celebrities to call the county their home.
Given how many celebrities live in certain parts of the county, it wouldn’t be too surprising to bump into one of these while enjoying a quiet picnic. East Hampshire is one such area that has become a magnet for celebrities, with a number of well-known faces currently living and formerly living in the area.
Not surprisingly, New Forest is also part of the county that many celebrities call home. With its gorgeous landscape, it’s easy to see why some choose the area to spend life breathing the country air and soaking up the summer sun.
Read more:The Met Office issues thunderstorm warnings for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
With that in mind, we took a look at all the celebrities who are known to live in Hampshire. Who knows, one or two on this list might surprise you.
Noel Gallagher
(Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
In 2022, Noel Gallagher’s life is slightly different from the one he lived in the early ’90s with Oasis. Although the musician is still actively touring with Noel Gallagher’s high-flying birds, the star has traded city life for the South Downs.
Three years ago, the star bought a stunning £8 million mansion near Petersfield. The property, which dates back to the 18th century, is said to have a state-of-the-art gym in the woods, a swimming pool, as well as a tennis court.
The Daily Mail reported at the time that the Man City fan had moved to the area to allow his children access to one of the most exclusive schools in the country. Over the years, the star has been photographed at a Petersfield train station and also at a local village store.
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber
(Photo: PA)
Sticking with the theme of music and another giant of the performance industry also lives in Hampshire. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has lived in a rural area near Basingstoke for more than 40 years.
Sidmonton Court, an English country house located on a 5,000-acre estate in Watership Down, has been Lloyd Webber’s home since 1978. Lloyd Webber is known to live there with his wife, Madeleine Gordon, an equestrian entrepreneur.
Planning documents showed that the property had been altered 74 years ago over the years, with the installation of a conservatory and restored stables for living space and the removal of a dam between two lakes.
The house itself also contains links to King Henry VIII with the mansion that the king gave to the Kingsmill family in the 1530s. Lloyd Webber is believed to be the person who bought the property from the family.
Alan Techmarsh
(Photo: Graham Larter)
A national treasure? definitely. Alan Techmarsh has lived on a Grade II listed Georgian farmhouse in Alton for nearly 20 years.
The star recently restored the listed property, which dates back to the 17th century. In 2018, he told The Times: “The oldest part dates from 1690 and extends from 1777 – it has been scratched in the bricks. We asked a local historian to look it up for us, so that we would know the name of each owner until doomsday.”
Over the weekend, the star hosted Queen’s Platinum Jubilee ITV alongside Tom Cruise and the Bridgerton star. During his stay, he described HM the Queen as the UK’s “heartbeat” to which the Queen received such a strong reaction.
Mrs. Esther Rantzen
(Photo: Manchester Evening News)
From creating the charity ChildLine in 1986 to working for the BBC as a journalist for a number of years, 81-year-old Dame Esther Rantzen has been in the public eye for most of her life.
In recent years the lady has spent much of her time in the New Forest after trading the bustling London life. Talking to Hello! A magazine recently said of her move away from London that she has turned into a “country mouse” as she recalls the joys of living in the Hampshire countryside.
Chris Packham
Image credit: Hasan Esen/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
You can’t call yourself a nature lover if you don’t recognize Chris Packham’s face. The famous naturalist gives shows including Springwatch and Winterwatch for the BBC and is an anti-hunting activist.
He lives in a remote New Forest country house, perhaps unsurprisingly for a man fond of the outdoors. He is said to be living at home alone, with his partner Charlotte Corney busy owning the Isle of Wight Zoo.
Last October, balaclava-clad thugs drove to the remote TV star’s home and set it on fire before fleeing in a car after midnight.
Phil Spencer
(Photo: Getty Images for Cowes Week LTD)
Not far from Alton, the village of Froyle has a relatively small population. Among the inhabitants called the village house, there is one man who surely knows a thing or two about the property.
Site, location, and website star Phil Spencer moved to rural Hampshire in 2015 with his family. The star is said to live in a mansion which was bought for £3.35m.
On-screen partner Kirstie Allsopp also has connections to the county, having boarded and educated at Bedales School near Petersfield.
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