Richard Hammond, the former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter, has purchased a £1.9 million Georgian manor house in Wales following his divorce from his wife of 28 years, Mindy. The 56-year-old, known as 'Hamster', paid cash for the six-bedroom property near Abergavenny, which had been on the market for £2.25 million.
The Grade-II-listed manor features a tennis court, orangery, wine cellar, boating lake, and 21 acres of gardens within a larger parkland setting. The house includes seven reception rooms, a grand entrance hall with sweeping staircase, and period plasterwork throughout. Two front-facing double bedrooms enjoy south-facing views over the garden and lake to the River Usk and Blorenge.
Hammond left the former marital home, Bollitree Castle in Herefordshire, after the couple split in January last year. He had been renting a farmhouse before settling on the new property, which has room for his two adult children, Izzy and Willow. His ex-wife remains at the £7 million mock-Gothic castle they bought together in 2008.
The presenter's car restoration business, The Smallest Cog, reportedly accumulated debts of over £700,000. Earlier this year, Hammond sold several cars at auction, raising more than £50,000. The new home is a mile's walk from Abergavenny market town, with train connections to London taking over two hours.
