Brian May and Anita Dobson made the move from their £7million home in Kensington in London to Windlesham in Surrey following a basement flood which ruined childhood photo albums and memorabilia. The area boasts a beautiful forest and the average detached house can sell for almost £1million. In January Anita admitted: “Brian has never been happier since we moved.” Clearly the area has had a profound effect on the couple and it is easy to see why.
While Surrey has many charming villages Windlesham is truly fit for royalty – and not just the rock and roll variety. Windlesham Moor was the first marital home for the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip. They resided there until 1949 when they moved to Clarence House following her coronation. In more recent years the village also paid host to their former daughter-in-law Sarah, Duchess of York, as she rented a property there for 18 months before buying a house elsewhere in Surrey.
The area has a rich history of notable residents. Windlesham Manor, which is currently used as a care home, is an Edwardian house that is the former home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Homes series. The author spent his final 23 years living there with his family.
One of the passages in his 1913 novel The Poison Belt is said to be based on the view outside the property’s study window.
He welcomed many notable friends during his time there including The War of the Worlds writer H.G. Wells, The Jungle book author Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchener and Sir Edward Marshall Hall.
Despite being such a peaceful, rural village, part of what makes it so appealing is it’s proximity to London. At just 25 miles away you can get to the capital in just over an hour driving or approximately 40 minutes by train.
Windlesham has plenty of outdoor activities for visitors and residents with a heavy focus on nature. It was the first village in the UK to become hedgehog friendly, which surely appeals to renowned animal lover Brian.
The nearby Swinley Forest is the most popular thing to do in the area according to Tripadvisor ratings with those who visited the route have highly recommended it for a visit. The area also boasts a fabulous garden centre with tea rooms, which serves afternoon tea.
Windlesham Field of Remembrance is owned, funded and run by the village community and is a hub for the residents. The land was purchased from Admiral Cochrane in 1950 as a permanent memorial to the men and women of the village who lost their lives in the two World Wars, and is the site for the village’s Remembrance Day ceremony.
It includes open space and woodland and a play area. Many of the village events take place on the field, including the annual Village Fete. The field is also used by the village’s football and cricket clubs. An annual highlight is the Pram Race, which happens every Boxing Day and raises money for local charities. Teams race around the village stopping at every pub,
If you want to be neighbours with Brian it will cost you. In the past year house prices in Windlesham have an overall average of £680,694 according to RightMove. However you are looking at closer to an average price of £821,136 for a detached property. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £585,786, with terraced properties fetching £385,000.
Admitting the transition to their new home, 25 miles away, was more of a shock for her, Anita said Brian “loves” their new lifestyle, and is keeping busy feeding all of the animals living around them”.
