Jamie Oliver, famed for his presence on TV, books, and podcasts, has been leading a surprisingly low-profile life behind the scenes. Despite his fame, Jamie, 50, cherishes a tranquil life away from the spotlight in an Elizabethan manor nestled within a sleepy Essex hamlet. The impressive Spains Hall, valued at an eye-watering £6million and situated near the picturesque village of Finchingfield, Essex, provides a lush backdrop for Jools, his wife, and their five children: Daisy Boo, Poppy Honey, Buddy Bear, Petal Blossom, and River Rocket.
The celebrated chef, born and bred in Clavering, Essex, decided to swap his 25-year London residency for bucolic charms post-pandemic. Spanning a generous 70 acres, Spains Hall boasts a whopping 10 bathrooms, dual drawing rooms, and a historic great hall. It’s complemented by a six-bedroom 16th-century farmhouse, a three-bedroom lodge, and artfully converted stables also gracing the estate, reports the Express.
Yet, the exact motives behind Jamie, widely known for “The Naked Chef,” choosing this sprawling manor remain under wraps.
“No one really knows why I bought this house,” he previously confessed to The Times, alluding to the timing of his move with the downfall of his restaurant venture, Jamie’s Italian.
He reflected, “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.”
His candid remarks highlight his deep connection to the home: “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 historic mansion, with its captivating tale of a burglary gone awry, is steeped in mystery. Over a century ago, thieves abandoned their stolen hoard in the estate’s lake due to car troubles, leaving the treasure submerged until it was unearthed 150 years later by the property’s new owners.
Finchingfield, often cited as England’s most photographed village, boasts an array of vibrant cottages, a traditional windmill, and a quaint duck pond, all set against the backdrop of a classic village green.
Jamie previously shared his fondness for Finchingfield with ES Magazine, saying, “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 previous London life, spanning 25 years, before deciding post-pandemic to embrace a more rural existence: “Before that [home] was London for 25 years. After Covid, we decided to sort of make the jump.”
In a candid revelation a few years ago, the renowned cook confessed to BBC Radio 4’s Young Again podcast that he would trade his celebrity status for a tranquil life, expressing a desire to lead a “normal” life and manage a pub.
Nestled on the B1052 road between Braintree and Saffron Walden, Finchingfield lies a mere 54 miles from the hustle and bustle of London. Property data from Rightmove indicates that the average price of homes in this idyllic village reached £559,917 over the past year, with semi-detached properties selling for an average price of £445,833.
Overall, the historical sold prices in Finchingfield over the last year were 21% down on the previous year.