Of course, you don’t own a castle without having some garage space. Hammond’s property includes a massive barn where he keeps his collection of cars, which is a bit like having a toy store for grown-ups. We’re talking a Porsche 911, a classic Land Rover, and the infamous “Fiat Panda 4x4” he once drove across the Amazon. The barn is probably the only part of the estate that’s actually organized, because a man who crashes for a living needs his tools in order.
But here’s the funny thing: despite living in a castle, Hammond’s life feels surprisingly normal when you dig deeper. He’s been spotted at local pubs, buying milk in town, and complaining about the same weather we all moan about. In interviews, he says the castle is “just a house,” which is a bit like saying Mount Everest is “just a hill.” But you get the point—he’s not swanning around in a robe with a crown; he’s probably fixing a leaking gutter with a roll of duct tape.
Richard Hammond Family Home
The Great Escape: Why Here and Not Hollywood?
You might wonder why he didn’t move to sunny California, where car guys like Jay Leno have massive man-caves. The answer is simple: Richard Hammond is a man of the soil. He grew up in the industrial Midlands, but his heart belongs to the rolling green hills of the Welsh borderlands. It’s a place where you can drive a sports car without seeing a single traffic light, which is basically heaven for anyone who hates city drivers. He once said, “I’m not a city person,” and when you visit Herefordshire, you see why—it’s all pub lunches, muddy boots, and stunning sunsets that make you forget about tax bills.
Living there also means he’s close to The Smallest Cog, the classic car restoration business he founded with a friend. It’s practically in his backyard, so he can walk over in his pajamas to poke at a rusty car—like a 50-year-old boy in a workshop. That kind of access is the dream for any petrolhead: your hobby is literally next door to your medieval home.
