By D.W.G. Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes News
The serene countryside of Oxfordshire is experiencing a surge in popularity among the super rich, with its depiction in books and TV dramas highlighting the opulence of this rural haven. British author Plum Sykes, known for her insider views on exclusive social circles, has turned her attention to the English countryside in her latest novel, Wives Like Us. The book is a satirical comedy of manners set among the wealthy women of the Cotswolds, a region currently trending in pop culture. Similarly, US novelist Armistead Maupin has chosen the Cotswolds for his latest Tales of the City installment, Mona of the Manor. Even Taylor Swift is rumored to be enjoying a £3.3m cottage in the area during breaks from her Eras tour. Additionally, a high profile adaptation of Jilly Cooper's Rivals, set in the fictional Rutshire, will soon hit screens, further cementing the Cotswolds status as a glamorous locale.
Covering nearly 800 square miles in southern England, the Cotswolds is a designated area of natural beauty, attracting about 25 million visitors annually to its rolling hills, charming villages, and iconic honey colored limestone buildings. Its proximity to London makes it a popular weekend retreat for the affluent, including celebrities like Kate Moss, Elizabeth Hurley, and Kate Winslet. However, as Sykes notes, the area's allure has recently escalated, transforming it into a playground for billionaires. This shift is characterized by extravagant displays, such as women dressing for horse rides as if attending a ball and helicopters landing at school sports days. Sykes, who grew up in rural Kent and later immersed herself in the New York social scene, observed these changes upon returning to the UK and settling in the Cotswolds.
Historical and Cultural Significance
Despite its current glamour, the Cotswolds has long attracted fashionable and cultural figures. Its wealth originated in the Middle Ages from the wool and weaving industries, but when these declined, the area experienced poverty and stagnation. This lack of development preserved its beauty until the 19th century when it was rediscovered. According to Jane Bingham, author of The Cotswolds, A Cultural History, the region's transformation from an industrial backwater to a picturesque wilderness began then.
Americans have shown a particular fondness for the Cotswolds. In the 1920s, Henry Ford transported an entire stone cottage from the area to Michigan. Recently, the US furniture brand Restoration Hardware turned Aynhoe Park into a mixed use venue. The area's appeal to wealthy US buyers continues, with many seeking to rent or buy properties. Sykes remarks on the "chocolate box fantasy" Americans associate with the Cotswolds, seeing it as the quintessential English countryside without the harsh realities of rural life. This idealized version contrasts sharply with the criticisms of the late writer AA Gill, who, in "The Angry Island", decried the "new ruralists" for transforming the natural landscape into an unnaturally neat and sanitized version of rural life.