Moving to Los Angeles, Wiltshire is the new center of Hollywood’s celebrity residences. And it’s not just the actors who have settled here – the county is a veritable troupe of musicians, comedians, chefs, and influencers.
And who can blame the great and the good for their flock here? With historic cities such as Salisbury, Devizes, and Warminster as well as three Districts of Great National Beauty, the county has a lot to offer.
So scroll down for a few of the big names you might discover while on the move in Wiltshire. Just don’t be too awkward when you ask them for an autograph…
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Gordon Sumner
(Photo: Joel Ryan/PA Wire)
If this music star’s name doesn’t mean much to you, his on-stage nickname might be it: It’s the only sting. The singer made his name as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the new wave band The Police, from 1977 to 1984.
His accolades to date include 17 Grammys, three Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy and an Ivor Novello Award. In 2019, he received a BMI Award for “Every Breath You Take”, the most played song in radio history.
Since 1990, he has maintained a home (and organic farm) on Wellsford Com Lake, near Salisbury, on a Grade II listed estate in Lake House. Written by his wife, Trudy Styler Lake House cookbook there.
material
If you had to ask who Maddie is, you don’t have to be one of her 13,200 Instagram followers. Maddy’s Farm has been sharing footage of its animals since 2016, but things really took off during the pandemic.
Its lovable beasts include emu, rare pigs and sheep, quail, partridge, reindeer, and more. She recently hosted an open day at the Whitehall Garden Center, Lacock, where fans can meet her fur and feathered friends up close.
Edward Michael Grylls
(Photo: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
This is another celebrity not known by their birth name – although the nickname might just bestow upon him. Known as Bear, The Chief Scout (also a record-breaking adventurer and TV host) has a home near Aldbourne.
An avid sailor and enthusiast of skydiving from a young age, Bear set up Eton College’s Mountaineering Club. After a stint as a reserve soldier and military instructor at SAS, he climbed Mount Everest at the age of 23 and sailed around the UK on a jet-bike at the age of 25.
He is most famous for being the face of Channel 4 (and eventually Discovery Channel) Born Survivor, as well as a whole host of wildlife-based programming.
Camilla Parker Bowles
Image credit: Getty Images
There are several royal residences that the woman we now know as the Duchess of Cornwall could call home, but Ray Mill House, the property near Lacock that she bought for £850,000 in 1995, is where she can truly call her home.
Camilla bought the house after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles in 1995, ushering in a new life that would culminate in her marriage to Prince Charles – with whom she had already been romantically involved for several years.
She is said to spend time regularly at Ray Mill House, which has an Aga, outdoor pool, rooftop terrace, and gardens with a river running through it. It was even the picturesque setting for her daughter Laura’s wedding in 2006.
Nick Mason
Image credit: Nicky J Sims/Getty Images
Nick Mason, drummer for music legends, Pink Floyd owns a home in the quintessential town of Corsham. Middlewick House is a Grade II listed, Georgian house formerly owned by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall – to say the least!
Mason’s quiet life in Wiltshire is shared with his wife Nettie, and the couple are known to open their home to the public at an annual fund-raising event for the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust and Wiltshire Air Ambulance, as charitable sponsors.
The event is set to run again this year – on July 30 and 31, with exclusive access to the grounds, plus plants for sale, stalls to browse and farm animals to visit. Tea, coffee and cake will come in handy, not to mention Nick’s famous barbecue.
James May
(Photo: Ian West/PA Wire)
Tucked in the quiet, scenic Wiltshire countryside, in the small village of Swallowcliffe, near Salisbury, is an idyllic country pub owned by Top Gear’s James May. The TV personality owns a home in the area and was a regular at The Royal Oak before investing and often goes to a pint between filming.
James recently presented The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, having previously hosted the hit BBC show Top Gear with the duo for 12 years. Chris Bate, the owner of the pub, took over the project at the same time as James, about two years ago.
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