Victoria and David Beckham have a very impressive property portfolio, with residences in London, Florida and the Cotswolds, and it’s the latter that gives them the ultimate “good life” according to an expert.
The £16 million estate has an array of stand-out features, including a £100,000 treehouse, an Estonian sauna, a vast lake, a family swimming pool and a £50,000 safari tent for entertaining, but it’s the focus on homegrown produce and wholesome pastimes like bee-keeping that gardening expert Ade Sellars heralds at the Beckham pad.
Likening the A-list pair to the characters in the iconic 1970s sitcom, The Good Life, Ade told us: “David and Victoria have embraced The Good Life and taken a leaf out of Barbara and Tom’s book. A traditional-looking kitchen garden with a large modern glasshouse, it has a straight path running through it, hugged by veg beds.
“Add the espalier fruit trees and a curious chicken or two, and this garden of Eden will provide the Beckhams all the fresh fruit and veg they need this growing season.”
A-list veg patches
Growing your own fresh fruit and vegetables has had a major popularity spike in A-list circles, with many celebrities proudly showing off their hard work on their social media channels. Nicole Kidman, Pamela Anderson, Kelly Brook and Stacey Solomon are all green-fingered goddesses, for example. The royals are at it too, following King Charles’ eco lead and planting their own produce. Princess Kate is a keen gardener, and across the pond, we’ve seen Duchess Meghan getting her hands dirty in the veg patch too.
Neighbour backlash
Their dream home hasn’t been without its stresses, however. The couple had back-and-forth discussions with West Oxfordshire district council over their addition of a four-meter-deep lake. At the time, the submission explained that “will function as a wind barrier and habitat, as well as enhancing the privacy of the house”. They also argued it would “improve the landscape” by providing a habitat for wildlife. The plans had to be amended to support the area’s biodiversity further, though.
While neighbours branded it “monstrous” and “out of keeping” with the area, the plans were finally granted and now the Beckhams have a giant lake on site that they can enjoy.
Speaking in his Netflix documentary, Beckham, David opened up about his pride and joy – his Cotswolds home: “I wanted a place where we could escape. As soon as I get up into the countryside, I normally get into my whole country get-up.”