Beautiful country town where Dame Maggie Smith lives in a home with a stable, orchard and vineyard

The critically-acclaimed actress lives in the West Sussex village of Pulborough

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Solen Le Net

By Solen Le Net


Published: 19/03/2024

- 07:00

Updated: 19/03/2024

- 09:10

The critically-acclaimed actress owns a 15-century home on a secluded plot of land in the English countryside

Since dedicating her career to television and film, Dame Maggie Smith has become one of the most recognisable faces in Britain.

Notable performances by the 89-year-old include her portrayal of Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter and Miss Shepherd in Lady in the Van.


Today, the actress enjoys a secluded life in the small town of Pulborough, West Sussex, where she owns a 15-century homemade from red bricks.

Smith secured the five-bedroom property with her late husband playwright Beverley Cross in 1981.

views in west sussex

Visitors can enjoy sweeping views out onto the sea

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The property, complete with three barns, a vineyard, a horse stable, and an orchard, is the home in which Smith raised her two sons Christopher and Toby.

Dame Maggie has made relentless efforts to keep the details of her countryside life under wraps, but she is sometimes spotted shopping at Waitrose in the nearby Storrington.

Britain Express writes that the village is “an old market town at the confluence of the Rivers Arun and Rother”.

It continues: “Pulborough stands on the route of the Roman Stane Street. The oldest part of the village is a conservation area and has a mix of attractive medieval, Tudor and later Georgian houses.”

The beautiful country town has connections to London and the coast. Visitors claim it is not a destination to drive through but rather one to explore and take in for all its glory.

A highlight is the Brooks Nature Reserve, which is nestled in the Arun Valley, offering visitors outstanding views across the South Downs.

The town is also a haven of box chocolate cottages, reports the Great British Life.

Home to some incredible wildlife from dragonflies, flacons, highland cows and barn owls, Pulborough is considered one of the top areas for nature in Britain.

The region is also making a name for itself in the wine industry thanks to its successful production of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The dry and sunny climate is why many wines in the regions are becoming increasingly well-known.

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Dame Maggie Smith is sometimes spotted shopping in her local Waitrose

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Maggie Smith is not the only Dame who has made the countryside her home. Judi Dench has also resorted to a quieter life in the rolling hills of Surrey.

She owns a £8million mansion that 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.

Known predominantly for its iconic windmill, the Surrey village is also home to three pubs, meadows and farmlands.

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