This pretty Cotswolds village is so celebrity-heavy now that the stars have their own collective name – ‘The Chipping Norton Set’
The historical market town of Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds boasts only around 6,500 residents – and more of them than one might expect are A-list celebrities.
Often fondly called ‘Chippy’ by locals, the charming, honey-colored stone village sits in an Area of Outstanding Beauty – surrounded by rolling hills and picturesque countryside, which offer a quintessential English landscape.
So it’s no wonder that Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia Del Rossi chose the town after fleeing the US late last year, a decision that they made in the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election as President.
The couple were in glamorous company as residents of Chipping Norton. Such is the influx of the celebrity elite that they have a collective moniker – ‘The Chipping Norton Set’.
“Yes. We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, ‘He got in.’ And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here,’” Ellen said last weekend at an event at Everyman theatre in nearby Cheltenham.
The couple have subsequently sold the property, citing the lack of horse stables, but Ellen has professed her love for the area, prompting speculation that they’ll stay in the Cotswolds.
“We’re just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture – everything you see is charming, and it’s just a simpler way of life. It’s clean. Everything here is just better – the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.”
Celebrities that have called the area home include Jeremy Clarkson — whose famous farm Diddly Squat is nearby — David Cameron, Jamie Oliver, Kate Moss, David and Victoria Beckham and Ellie Goulding, Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall and Simon Cowell.
Calvin Harris and his wife Vick Hope have recently won local approval by knocking down an ‘ugly’ local property to make way for their Cotswolds dream mansion. In fact, they hired one the Royal Family’s favourite architects to build the gaff.
Local farm shop Daylesford Organic has become an iconic haunt of these A-listers and royalty, with Eddie Redmayne seen pursuing the aisles and Princess Eugenie also spotted having a browse.
The town boasts a variety of independent shops, including antique stores and a regular market, alongside a diverse selection of pubs and restaurants.
For anyone looking to upgrade to full members club luxury, Soho Farmhouse is just down the road, which is frequented by stars from Rita Ora to Meghan Markle (who reportedly held her hen do there) and Taylor Swift, who hired a £3.3m cottage near Chipping Norton during her Eras tour in 2024.
Every year former Blur bassist and local cheesemaker Alex James throws the Big Feastival in nearby Kingham, which “brings together music from the UK’s biggest artists, Michelin-starred chefs, award-winning street food and an exciting array of family activities”. This August, revellers will be able to see Nelly Furtado, The Rizzle Kicks and the Wombats hit the stage.
The addition of these famous-folk has had a mixed reaction locally, though. Unhappy homeowners have rejected plans for 350 new homes near to Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm. Others believe the influx of tourists is good for the area, but is pushing prices up.
