Their beloved Cotswolds estate has played host to Christmases, weekend escapes and family celebrations since the Beckhams bought it in 2016. But despite it being the famous family’s happy place, we’re told they are planning to bid farewell to their sprawling countryside home, now thought to be worth £12million.
Despite the hard work (and cash) David and Victoria have put into renovating the Grade II listed barn conversion to turn it into their dream home – it now has a sauna, £50k safari tent, pool and football pitch – an insider tells heat that security issues, the noise from nearby Soho Farmhouse, and their fast-growing children have spurred on their decision to say goodbye to the place.
Our source says, “The Cotswolds pad was the dream rural retreat. They loved jumping into the car on a Friday and heading there for the weekend – they could just hang out in the countryside, stress-free. David, especially, loved being there, as he got to indulge his love of bees and farming – it was the perfect antidote to London.”
However, we’re told, there were issues. “The property is a security nightmare,” says the insider.
“They have a permanent on-site team, a guard cabin at the main entrance and full CCTV monitoring inside, which is hugely expensive. They’ve had two break-ins – one where a gang in balaclavas attempted to gain entry – as well as other incidents. They now just feel like the risk level is too high.
“Added to that, Soho Farmhouse has doubled in size. It’s really starting to bother them – they loved going there at first, but now it’s too much. Plus, the expansion means more traffic going by their estate, and people trying to take a peek. It’s no longer the peaceful haven it was supposed to be.”
The entire Beckham family – including Victoria, 48, David, 47, Brooklyn, 23, Romeo, 20, Cruz, 17 and Harper, 11 – have enjoyed many an occasion there, including Romeo’s 16th birthday, and Brooklyn’s 21st (reported to cost £100k) and engagement party, Harper and Cruz’s baptisms were in 2019, and it’s where they all spent the first COVID lockdown in 2020.
And more recently, the family – minus Brooklyn, who lives in America with his wife Nicola – gave a glimpse into their traditional Christmas at the countryside mansion, where they were visited by Santa Claus and wore matching silk pyjamas.
We’re told that moving on from the property will be no easy feat for David and Victoria – who went as far as to enlist a Chelsea Flower Show winner to aid them with their idea of a “fairy-tale” garden – as they had big plans for it.
“They had this vision that when the kids grew up, there would be lots of room for them to stay there with their families. But now Brooklyn’s in America and there’s the ongoing rift with him and Nicola, Vic feels it’s something she has to move on from. She doesn’t even want her other children to have landmark celebrations there, like Brooklyn did, as she’s superstitious about it.”
While it is not clear whether the A-list couple are going to rent out the home or sell, we’re told that, in many ways, VB is happy to move on. “While David and Vic are looking for another place out of town, they want to start simplifying their life, spending more time at their apartment in Miami [where David’s football team is], and looking at the next chapter,” our insider says.
The source adds, “Vic loved her country escapes, but now the kids are growing up and moving out, it’s not the same. It’s bittersweet. but she feels they need to move on.”