Whether you read the book, watched the TV show, or just want to live in a nice house in the Cotswolds, this townhouse might be for you.
There are no secrets between you and me, dear reader. And that is why, it is with a heavy heart, I must admit something. I have not read any books by Jilly Cooper. I have certainly not read Rivals. And I have not watched the new tv show. I should really be handing in my tweed jacket and my badge.
But, perhaps I can make it up to you, by bringing to your attention a home in Tetbury. You may know Tetbury as the local village of King Charles III; his country home, Highgrove, is here.
The then- Prince Charles writing in his garden at Highgrove, just outside Tetbury, Gloucestershire, in 1986. Which happens to be the year that Rivals is set. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
But you can forget that now. It is also the fictional town of Cotchester, transformed last summer for the filming of the Disney+ show. They even put banners welcoming Margaret Thatcher for the occasion, which is odd as it wasn’t even Hallowe’en when they filmed it.
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Anyway, back to the house. It’s called 19 The Green, it costs £1.05 million, it’s on with Knight Frank and it’s in the heart of Tetbury/Cotchester, depending on how much you want to cosplay.
The house on Tetbury Green.
There are four bedrooms, two reception rooms, and two bathrooms over the three floors, so plenty of space for guests, a family, or to have affairs, which is what I’m reliably told is what happens in the book/tv show.
Not the usual interiors you would expect in a Cotswold townhouse.
The property is a very typical Cotswold townhouse, that has been recently refurbished to an exacting standard throughout — and it has a look that’s much more 2024 than 1986.
The ground floor is occupied by a large sitting/dining room, with a kitchen and study to the rear, as well as a courtyard garden.
The courtyard garden on the ground floor. Comes with a potting shed. A good spot to hide in if you are caught having an affair.
Two bedrooms occupy the first and second floors, while there are two cellars, just in case you need more space for wine/affairs.
One of the bathrooms, transformed into a wet room.
Naturally, the town of Tetbury is one of the jewels of the Cotswolds, with all the amenities you could desire. After all, The King does live nearby — and also Jilly Cooper, apparently.
As well as Rupert Campbell-Black, obviously.
King of the Rivals? Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black. Credit: Robert Viglasky / Disney+
Just one warning, though, should you move here: the series has already been enough of a hit that a second series has been given the green light. So don’t be surprised if you pop down to the shops one day and find the centre of the village overrun with film crew and festooned with Margaret Thatcher banners.
James Fisher is the deputy digital editor of countrylife.co.uk. He lives in London, and is waiting for someone to give him a Disney+ subscription so he can see what all the fuss is about.
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