Ricky Gervais Sells £2.95M Riverside Home Amid Marriage Plans

Ricky Gervais has found a buyer for his £2.95 million riverside home in Buckinghamshire, days after listing the property. Gervais, who primarily resides in a nine-bedroom mansion in Hampstead, London, purchased the country retreat in 2014 for £2.75 million. He had obtained council approval this year to demolish the existing 1920s four-bedroom house and replace it with a Grand Designs-style mansion following a two-year planning dispute. However, he has now opted to sell the property.

The comedian, 65, revealed last month that he and his partner of 44 years, Jane Fallon, 65, plan to marry. Gervais stated that tax avoidance is a primary reason for the impending nuptials, explaining that unmarried couples do not benefit from the inheritance tax exemption that allows an estate to be passed to a surviving spouse tax-free. Without this exemption, estates are taxed at 40% above the £325,000 threshold, a significant consideration for Gervais, whose fortune is estimated at £53 million and includes properties in London and two apartments in New York.

Planning and Property Details

Gervais's initial plans for a new neo-Georgian mansion were rejected due to non-compliance with local and national guidelines, and concerns about the property's flood history, having been flooded five times since 1947. The approved plans for a replacement home include building a 26-foot-wide flood buffer zone along the Thames and raising the ground floor by three feet. The design also incorporates an entrance hall, gym, drawing room, reading area, lift, and a master bedroom with a terrace overlooking a tennis court and pond.

Site and Environmental Considerations

During the planning process, a planning agent acting for Gervais described the current house as having a "poor design quality" and a "disjointed internal layout." The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead granted approval, but Gervais would have required a special flood permit and a bat license. Approximately 333 soprano pipistrelle bats were recorded emerging from the dwelling in 2023, with a peak of 276 seen in 2025. To mitigate disturbance, Gervais committed to constructing a new bat loft in his garage and erecting two bat boxes in nearby trees.

Estate agents Savills described the existing property as "a detached family home in an outstanding position" with a private mooring and tennis court. The listing also noted its "wonderfully private and secluded setting" on the banks of the River Thames. The property offers the option to live in the current house or rebuild with full planning consent in place for a substantial four-bedroom home and a detached carport.