Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, 51, has swapped his London life for a tranquil existence in England's most photographed village, Finchingfield, Essex. Known for his television appearances, bestselling books, and popular podcasts, Oliver now enjoys a remarkably private life away from the public eye.
Jamie Oliver's Elizabethan Manor
Jamie and his wife Jools, along with their five children—Daisy Boo, Poppy Honey, Buddy Bear, Petal Blossom, and River Rocket—reside in Spains Hall, a magnificent Elizabethan manor worth £6 million. The property sits near the charming village of Finchingfield, offering an idyllic setting. Spanning 70 acres, Spains Hall includes 10 bathrooms, two drawing rooms, a period great hall, a six-bedroom 16th-century farmhouse, a three-bedroom lodge, and converted stables.
The chef, originally from Clavering, Essex, left his 25-year life in London for rural tranquillity after the pandemic. The reasons behind his choice of Spains Hall remain guarded. He once admitted to The Times, "No one really knows why I bought this house... I don't feel ready to share yet. But if I was just being media savvy, I wouldn't have moved there when everything was going wrong."
Oliver expressed his deep attachment: "It's an old gaff that's falling down; only an idiot would buy it. But to have come from where I was born to that house that's only had three families owning it in 600 years, for me as a kid that went through special needs in school, it's social mobility."
The Village of Finchingfield
Finchingfield, often called England's most photographed village, features colourful cottages, a traditional windmill, a charming duck pond, and a quintessential village green. Oliver told ES Magazine, "Home is a little village in Essex called Finchingfield. It's a beautiful little place and somewhere I used to take Jools for dates when we were younger."
He reflected on his former London lifestyle: "Before that [home] was London for 25 years. After Covid, we decided to sort of make the jump." In a candid admission on BBC Radio 4's Young Again podcast, he said he would gladly swap his fame for a peaceful existence, wishing to live a "normal" life and run a pub.
Finchingfield is located along the B1052 between Braintree and Saffron Walden, just 54 miles from London. According to Rightmove, house prices in Finchingfield average £606,395 over the last year, though historical sold prices were 11% down on the previous year and 15% down on the 2023 peak of £716,036.
Intrigue at Spains Hall
The historic estate has a fascinating story of a botched burglary. Over a century ago, criminals ditched stolen loot in the property's lake after vehicle problems. The haul remained underwater until discovered 150 years later by new occupants.
