I live by UK’s most photographed house…I take extreme action to avoid snaps
A WOMAN who lives next to the UK’s most photographed home has told how she is forced to take extreme measures to avoid being snapped.
Georgina Kingshott, 44, moved to the picturesque Castle Combe, the Cotswolds, in 2019 after escaping London for a quieter life.
But after, Georgina soon realised that she was just a few doors down from the most pictured house in Britain.
The house has attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Visitors are keen to see the property – which featured in Doctor Dolittle in 1967 – and the village, Castle Combe, where filming took place for Stardust in 2007 and War Horse in 2011.
Georgina, a post-doctoral scientist, said: “I dread this time of year, on really hot days it turns into Brighton Beach.
“I hide out at the back of the house to avoid being snapped – it is the drones that are particularly intrusive.
“It is the price that you pay for living somewhere so idyllic.
“We have thought about putting signs up telling people this is private land.
“People will wade through the water when it is low and have picnics on the side.”
Georgina moved to Castle Combe in November 2016 for a “fresh start” and said it was complete luck that she found a house in the village.
The cottages overlook the Bybrook River – with a view from the nearby bridge up the main street, one of the Cotswolds’ most iconic sites due to its chocolate box look.
Georgina said despite a fence and clear signs stating the road is private property she and her neighbours still have to contend with ignorant tourists.
She said: “My neighbours – who I am great friends with – face the brunt of the problem.
“People are always sneaking through the gate and ignoring the signs.
“People constantly taking pictures can feel invasive – as soon as they see me pull up in the car, they might think I am an eccentric millionaire.
“On a Sunday morning, I sleep with my window open, and I can be woken up by the crowds outside as they start gathering pretty early.
“Even on a day like today when the weather isn’t great, there are still lots of people standing outside.”
The Bridge House – which has been dubbed the most photographed house in the country – is up for sale.
The Grade II-listed three-bed is on sale for a hefty £1.8 million.
The estate agents responsible for selling the property describe the enclosed rear gardens as being “well laid out and private”.
The listing reads: “They amount to just under half an acre and provide a calm oasis as they back onto Parsonage Wood.
“The rear gardens are well thought out with a paved seating/patio area leading off the back of the house, which opens up to a large level lawn with pathways to either side, well-stocked flower beds and a few trees.”