The United States of America came into being after British colonies broke away from their motherland over taxes, identity, enlightenment ideas and restrictive laws. But centuries later, many modern Americans have grown to like the United Kingdom very much indeed, and have even decided to move here.
After seeing Blighty’s green and pleasant rolling hills, scattered with little historic villages in BBC television series and films, some of our friends across the pond have found themselves dreaming of a slower-paced life in the old world. This year, an estate agent based in the Cotswolds has seen an increase of as much as 20% in the number of American clients exploring the possibility of buying a home.
This part of Britain has become a firmly established favourite with our trans-Atlantic cousins, inckuding celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres. It was even rumoured earlier this year that Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z were eyeing up a place in the area of natural beauty.
People from the US say living in the UK is like living inside a BBC drama (Image: Getty)
Buying agent Katy Campbell told CNN that Americans purchase what is usually their second, third or fourth home for between £1million ($1.3 million) and “tens of millions”.
The main selling point seems to be a degree of anonimity.
“They can wander in villages and people don’t really turn and stare,” Ms Campbell said.
“So you can be fairly incognito in the Cotswolds.”
In previous years, it has usually been the case that people from the US of A buying properties in the English countryside already lived across the pond, perhaps in London.
However, it is becoming more common for Americans to be moving all the way from across the sea, straight to the UK’s quieter patches for a more serene existence.
The US Vice President, JD Vance, who is widely thought likely to become Donald Trump’s successor, visited the Cotswolds in the summer, proving that their attractiveness has even affected the highest echelons of America’s political leadership.
The region is made up of more than 100 villages, with the most visited including Bourton-on-the-Water and Bibury.
There are also larger towns, like Cirencester and Stow-on-the-Wold.
