Pop royalty Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z are the latest global celebrities to plot a move to the increasingly fashionable Cotswolds – and are close to securing a £7million mansion.
But the golden hitmaking couple appear to be unaware that the plot they are eyeing is so prone to annual flooding that it is known locally as ‘the paddy field’.
And what’s more, The Daily Mail can reveal, the 58-acre plot isn’t technically in the Cotswolds at all – but just outside an area that has increasingly global cachet.
Instead the property – which they are understood to have visited several times – is just outside the sought after area in west Oxfordshire, in a sleepy nearby hamlet called Wigginton.
But it is just a stone’s throw from the A-list retreat of Soho House – a favourite of David Beckham and wife Victoria – where many members are now looking forward to the arrival of the American super couple, although not all are. More of which later.
The village’s picturesque chocolate box streets looked glorious in the early autumn sunshine when the Daily Mail visited – and found that the talk of the village was about the imminent arrival of Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
One local told the Daily Mail: ‘The word now is that it has all been signed, and the money has been deposited in the bank. That is what we have heard.
‘But I’m not sure if she fully knows what they have let themselves in for as it’s in a dip and is prone to flooding – we call it the paddy field because the water rises up very quickly. It can be like a swamp when there are several days of rain.’
Pop royalty Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z are the latest celebrities to plot a move to the increasingly fashionable Cotswolds – but they appear to be unaware the plot (pictured) they are eyeing is so prone to flooding it is known locally as ‘the paddy field’
What is more, The Daily Mail can reveal, the 58-acre plot (pictured in plans) is not technically in the Cotswolds at all – but just outside an area that has increasingly global cachet
Instead the property (pictured in plans) – which they are understood to have visited several times – is just outside the sought after area in west Oxfordshire
But the land (pictured) is just a stone’s throw from the A-list retreat of Soho House – a favourite of David Beckham and wife Victoria
The imminent arrival of Beyoncé and Jay-Z was the talk of the picturesque village (pictured) when the Daily Mail visited
The place is an impressive setting, with it not hard to see why Jay-Z and Beyoncé (pictured in 2019) were drawn to the area which has become a haven for Americans in recent months
Another told us: ‘At the village fete it’s what everyone was talking about, we know they came and viewed the site by helicopter in the summer and since then negotiations have been ongoing, but it’s apparently been sorted now.
‘We are looking forward to seeing them around the village, but I will be honest they might find it a little boring as there’s not much to do apart from enjoy the glorious countryside.
‘There is no pub, or shops but there are two churches and a community book swap shop in the old bus stop.
‘To be honest, I’ve not heard of Beyoncé and Jay-Z until now, but my children have and they’ve played me some of her songs and they’re quite catchy.’
The village of Wigginton has a nostalgic laid-back atmosphere taking you back to the pre-war days with its thatched roofs, neat hedge rows and flower boxes.
The houses have names that take you back to a bygone age – The Old Forge or The Old Post Office – and the village hall which 150 years ago was once the local school has the slogan ‘Feed my lambs’ carved over the doorway.
It’s a wonderful setting and it’s not hard to see why Jay-Z, the richest music artist in the world and Beyoncé, the fourth richest female artist globally, were drawn to the area which has become a haven for Americans in recent months.
Former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi also have a house in the area – her second after land around the first one they bought was flooded during winter storms last year.
The owners of the plot are Patrick Fennessy and Gillian Kemsley who applied and obtained planning permission for a residential property to be built on the land in 2022, according to publicly available Land Registry documents.
They bought it for £3.25million in 2021 and if the reported selling price is right it’s no wonder they have a smile on their face having doubled their money – although that is small change to Beyoncé and Jay-Z who are said to be worth almost $3billion.
Locals have told the Daily Mail permission was eventually granted after an ’emotional’ local planning meeting where several people were reduced to tears.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It’s a beautiful plot of land and shouldn’t really be built on as it will spoil the view for everyone. There is also the question of its being prone to flooding.
‘Some residents at the meeting were upset by the decision, people were crying they felt that strongly about it.
‘We walk the dogs across there, but it gets very wet because of the river and the springs, and people call it the paddy field as a result – I do hope they know what they have let themselves in for.’
Peter Hill, objected to the proposal and wrote to local council chiefs saying ‘they had the opportunity to rescue a very beautiful landscape from what would be a planning blight’.
The village of Wigginton (pictured) has a nostalgic laid-back atmosphere taking visitors back to the pre-war days with its thatched roofs, neat hedge rows and flower boxes
The houses have names recalling a bygone age – The Old Forge or The Old Post Office – and the village hall has the slogan ‘Feed my lambs’ carved over the doorway. Pictured: Wigginton
Locals told the Daily Mail permission for development of the land (pictured in plans) was eventually granted after an ’emotional’ local planning meeting
One resident, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It’s a beautiful plot of land and shouldn’t really be built on as it will spoil the view for everyone’. Pictured: Plans for the plot
The owners of the land bought it for £3.25million in 2021 – although that is small change to Beyoncé and Jay-Z (pictured last year) who are said to be worth almost $3billion
He told the Daily Mail: ‘The plan went through but personally, I hope that nothing is built on there because it’s so beautiful and people with money shouldn’t be able to come along and plonk a house anywhere.’
A planning application, available on the Cherwell District Council website, shows plans for a Japanese-style pagoda house by the edge of an artificial lake on the plot.
The proposed property has permission for seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, as well as a boathouse, pool, guest annexe and there is also space for a helicopter pad.
A survey undertaken as part of the application highlights how the area is ‘susceptible’ to ground water flooding and there are no ‘flooding defences’.
The plans describe the project as a ‘spectacular rural estate’ but currently there is just one ramshackle old cattle barn and a lake filled with algae populated by two swans.
The area which the Crazy in Love singer is set to call home is also close to several footpaths as well which cross very close to the plot and which means the site will be potentially overlooked.
While the area where the music power couple has bought is in a stunning setting, with the picturesque village of Stow-on-the-Wold on their doorstep amid rolling vistas, unfortunately for them, it’s also just minutes away from Banbury, which, rather less salubriously, has a growing reputation for fly-tipping and litter.
A stroll through the town centre of Banbury revealed several abandoned shopping trollies and overflowing bins were clearly visible outside some homes.
Elsewhere, several shops were boarded up after closing down – the downbeat atmosphere was even commented on by the local Oxford Mail last year.
They ran a letter from a local who asked: ‘Is Banbury a terrible place to live after incidents?’ as they highlighted a run of stabbing and other anti-social behaviour.
While on Mumsnet, Banbury was described as ‘rundown and depressing’ by several people after a member asked the platform for views on the town.
According to the latest available crime statistics for Banbury, it is the most dangerous medium-size town in Oxfordshire, with violence and sex offences being the highest.
Latest figures say there are 78 crimes per 1,000 with the majority of offences taking place in the town centre; the rate is 45 percent higher than for the rest of the county which is 54 per 1,000.
The area is just minutes away from Banbury (pictured) which, rather less salubriously, has a growing reputation for fly tipping and litter
A stroll through the town centre of Banbury (pictured) revealed several abandoned shopping trollies and overflowing bins were clearly visible outside some homes
Elsewhere, several shops were boarded up after closing down – the downbeat atmosphere (pictured) was even commented upon by the local Oxford Mail last year
While in a report last year, Cherwell District Council highlighted how some parts of Banbury had higher than average areas of depravation.
It its Brighter Futures area report it said the Grimsbury and Hightown areas were in the 20 per cent most deprived wards nationally adding ‘this is surprising to people who think of North Oxfordshire as a leafy, wealthy area’.
The report also added that parts of Banbury had ‘one of the lowest life expectancy rates for males and females in Oxfordshire’.
That said, locals in Wigginton wax lyrical about what the area has to offer with quaint pubs and country walkways.
One resident said: ‘I’m American and moved over from LA a few years ago – it’s a beautiful part of the world and we love it here.
‘It’s not hard to see why they would want to live here but I hope it doesn’t go crazy with paparazzi.
‘We saw a helicopter buzzing about over the summer and the rumour was it was Beyonce and Jay-Z.’
When contacted by the Daily Mail, Mr Fennessy, who is renovating another property in nearby Burford, said: ‘I’ve been told not to say anything at all about this, it’s all being kept very hush hush.
‘The plans are out there, and a property will be built on that site, it’s an ideal location for a house and I know there have been complaints, but you are always going to get people moaning.
‘The style of the house was my wife’s idea, she loves bricks and dust but whether that’s what gets built there who knows but permission has been given so something will go up on the plot.’
If they do move in, then next year, they can pay a visit to the fete, which this year featured The Adderbury Morris Men and the Main Street folk band – who knows, maybe Beyoncé and Jay-Z can provide some alternative entertainment.
