Gloucestershire is without doubt one of the most popular areas of the U.K. for stars and celebrities searching for an idyllic rural retreat. Whether it is a luxury apartment, high spec country house or even a period mansion, Gloucestershire is the preferred place to buy it.

Members of the ‘Gliterati’ have snapped up local properties, almost as enthusiastically  as the many high flyers from London buying second homes here.  Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, Tetbury and Gloucester all boast many household names amongst their residents.

There seems to be an ever-lengthening list of the rich and infamous infiltrating the counties property market. Already the likes of Kate Winslet, Anne Robinson, Dom Jolly, Sharon Davies and Kate Moss have set up home here. There is in fact an impressive list of writers, actors, sports professionals and television regulars to be found wandering the shopping streets of the county. Some may be closer to Z than A-list admittedly!

The most recent purchase of note in our fair county has to be Liz Hurley’s acquisition of a rather humble working farm in Cirencester, a 400 acre £3.3M humble farm that is. Liz has been quick to promote an image of her with working togs surrounded by snorting animals, talking about her  ‘jersey full of holes and mud encrusted wellington boots’. One can’t help wondering if the holes in question were not strategically placed by some Italian designer, the mud I will except as genuine with our latest summer weather mud has been in plentiful supply.

Not satisfied with simply turning her hand to the age-old yokel pass time of raising chickens and planting cereals, Liz seeks to put the county on the reality show map. With her partner the software magnate Arun Nayar, she seeks to bring potential applicants for farm positions onto her estate and have them work on live television to earn a job down on the farm. Actually Arun’s background in his families textile business is far more in keeping with the county history, with towns such as Stroud and Nailsworth having been famous for clothing manufacture in centuries past.

Personally I probably won’t be keeping much of an eye out for a television show depicting celebrities playing at being farmers. I will though keep my eyes peeled for other interesting celebrity real estate purchases in Gloucestershire!

tags: cirencester, cotswolds, farm, gloucestershire