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Inside ‘magical’ £3million English country house once owned by theatre star John Wood who hosted raucous parties for Johnny Depp, Woody Allen and Maggie Smith

Hidcote House in Glos boasts 21 acres of grounds and seven bedrooms

A “MAGICAL” manor house that once held raucous parties for stars including Johnny Depp and Woody Allen has gone on the market for £3million.

Hidcote House in the Cotswolds was previously owned by the late John Wood - one of the theatre world’s most distinguished actors.

 Hidcote House in the Cotswolds has been described as magical by one of its previous residents
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Hidcote House in the Cotswolds has been described as magical by one of its previous residentsCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 The central gable in the house is inscripted with the date 1663
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The central gable in the house is inscripted with the date 1663Credit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 The kitchen/breakfast room features impressive beams
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The kitchen/breakfast room features impressive beamsCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 It also boasts a library alongside drawing and dining rooms
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It also boasts a library alongside drawing and dining roomsCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS

His circle of friends included playwrights Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter, director Woody Allen and actors Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Lauren Bacall and Johnny Depp.

His daughter said he her father, who also starred in the 1983 movie WarGames, had many parties while he lived there.

The Grade I listed manor in Hidcote Boyce, Glos, which comes with a separate cottage and 21 acres of grounds, is now being sold through Strutt & Parker with a guide price of £3million.

John  was best known for his theatre work with Tom Stoppard and the Royal Shakespeare Company but also appeared in many TV shows.

His films included WarGames, in which he appeared as Dr Stephen Falkan alongside Matthew Broderick and also Chocolat with Johnny Depp.

He owned this house for 30 years until his death in 2011, aged 81, and his children Sebastian, Sibylla, Ghislaine and Rufus are now selling the property.

The house has 5,207sq ft with an entrance hall, dining room, drawing room, library, kitchen/breakfast room, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a play room.

The central gable in the house is inscripted with the date 1663 and other period features include the mullion windows, impressive fireplaces and Georgian panelling.

The lead guttering and downpipes were designed by Arts & Crafts architect Norman Jewson and contain owls, rabbits and squirrels.

 John starred as Professor Falken in the 1983 film war games and counted Johnny Depp and Woody Allen as friends
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John starred as Professor Falken in the 1983 film war games and counted Johnny Depp and Woody Allen as friends
 The Grade I listed manor comes with 21 acres of grounds
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The Grade I listed manor comes with 21 acres of groundsCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 The home was owned by star of stage and screen John Wood until his death in 2011
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The home was owned by star of stage and screen John Wood until his death in 2011Credit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 A wide open fireplace dominates the drawing room
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A wide open fireplace dominates the drawing roomCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 Upstairs there are six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a play room
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Upstairs there are six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a play roomCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS

The cottage, which has its own entrance and parking away from the main house, has a living room, dining room, kitchen and three bedrooms.

The grounds include mature gardens, which are believed to have been designed by Lawrence Johnston, parkland and paddocks.

John’s daughter Sibylla Gbadamosi, 50, said: "It's a very beautiful house, we had lived in the area for quite a long time, dad was an actor at the RSC and he passed by it a lot on his way to Stratford.

 The cottage, which has its own entrance and parking away from the main house, has a living room, dining room, kitchen and three bedrooms
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The cottage, which has its own entrance and parking away from the main house, has a living room, dining room, kitchen and three bedroomsCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 Owner John Wood held a number of parties for Hollywood stars like Johnny Depp and Woody Allen
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Owner John Wood held a number of parties for Hollywood stars like Johnny Depp and Woody AllenCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS
 The grounds include mature gardens, which are believed to have been designed by Lawrence Johnston, parkland and paddocks
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The grounds include mature gardens, which are believed to have been designed by Lawrence Johnston, parkland and paddocksCredit: Strutt&Parker/BNPS

"I was probably 13 or 14 when we moved there, it was a really beautiful magical place.

"He did have a lot of parties and lots of actors and playwrights would come to the house. It was just kind of the norm in theatre.”


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