Inside the English village where Dame Judi Dench owns a sprawling mansion worth £8million
Judi Dench owns a home in Surrey
GETTY
Dame Judi Dench has enjoyed roaring success over a career spanning eight decades, both on stage and camera.
With several James Bond movies under her belt and an award-winning performance in Shakespeare, the actress has withdrawn from the limelight in recent years.
In 2012, Judi was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration after noticing her eyesight deteriorate and has resorted to a quieter life in her Surrey countryside home.
The £ 8 million mansion is nestled among the rolling hills of the Surrey countryside, just outside the city of London.
Judi Dench has received a string of accolades for her performances in Bond movies
PAThe star secured the estate some 40 years ago with her husband Michael Williams, who died from lung cancer in 2001.
The surrounding village of Outwood is inhabited by no more than 720 inhabitants, making it an ideal retreat from the noisy city.
Judi has spoken fondly of her property and ambition to rewild its sprawling gardens. The property reportedly also has a barn, a pond and a swimming pool.
Despite its impressive stature, Judi has previously admitted struggling with the property “falling” and becoming infested with “mice”.
She said: “The mice have moved in since lockdown and I’m battling the mice. They have moved in and taken over a bit. My house is falling down a bit here and there.”
However, the actress finds solace in the house’s “wonderful gardens”. The property also comes with a separate and spans an area of 7,000 square feet.
Known predominantly for its iconic windmill, the Surrey village is also home to three pubs, meadows and farmlands.
Lucinda Charlesworth, Outwood Paris Clerk, said: “For a small village of only around 500 residents, Outwood is a welcoming and sociable community with clubs and society for both young and old.
She added: “Outwood Cricket Club has a number of league and non-league teams and is a social friendly club.”
In previous years, Judi has joined more than 1,500 people to celebrate the annual Outwood Show, which welcomes Morris dancers, dog displays and a Lingfield Silver Band.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Surrey is covered in woodland
GETTY
Despite its proximity to London, the county is steeped in mature woodland. Beauty spots include Frensham Pond, Newland Corner and Crooksbury Commons.
“It is the most wooded county in Great Britain, with 22.4 per cent coverage,” explains the website Visit Surrey.
“Box Hill has the oldest untouched area of natural woodland in the UK, one of the oldest in Europe.”
Other celebrities who have resorted to a quieter life away from the city include Kate Winslet, who owns a home in the idyllic seaside town of West Wittering.