Zara and Mike Tindall have called their beautiful cottage on Aston Farm their home since 2013.
The couple, who wed in 2011 and are parents to three children, Mia, Lena, and Lucas, swapped their first marital home in Cheltenham for the countryside abode which once was home to her father, Captain Mark Phillips, after his divorce from Zara’s mother, Princess Anne.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, once Zara and Mike moved in, they put their own stamp on the property to make it their forever home.
According to MailOnline, the parents of three splashed out on giving the Grade II-listed farmhouse a modern, high-tech revamp including installing a games room and brand new kitchen.
Zara and Mike Tindall’s pool at home they were prevented from upgrading
An aerial photo of the outside area of Aston Farm gives us an idea of what the home looked like before Zara and Mike moved in.
It shows that the property boasted a swimming pool at the end of the rear garden nestled between plenty of high trees and shrubbery for added privacy.
The photo also shows a multiple-car garage, a secluded driveway and endless lawn areas. The house sits on 600 acres of grounds so Zara and Mike were no doubt thrilled about the prospect of abundant land at their fingertips for their growing family to utilise.
It seems the pool ended up being another job on the couple’s renovation list.
In more recent years, Zara and Mike were keen to upgrade their swimming pool and give it a modern refresh – making it the perfect place for their three young children to enjoy when the summer months come around.
However, plans were put on hold. Frustratingly for the couple, the COVID years meant that, although they were granted permission to build a new pool in their garden, the backlog accrued a hefty lead time.
Mike submitted his initial proposal to Cotswold District Council to not only build the new swimming pool but also a luxury pool house with a changing room and kitchen.
The council willingly approved the request in March 2021 but, as of last summer, plans have not been resumed.
Meanwhile, the swimming area was not the only sporty element of Gatcombe Estate. In 1999, Princess Anne was given permission to construct an indoor and outdoor riding arena, grooming quarters, plus alterations to an existing barn and tennis court.
With Princess Anne, Zara and Mike all forging successful careers in sport, it seems the estate is the ideal place for them to call home.
