Richard Hammond is turning the page on one of the toughest chapters of his life — and he’s doing it in serious style.
The former Top Gear presenter, 56, has reportedly snapped up a stunning £2million bachelor mansion outright in cash, following what he once described as a “year from hell” marked by heartbreak, loss, and life changes.
The six-bedroom Georgian manor — complete with four bathrooms, a tennis court, a wine cellar, and even outbuildings for storing his beloved cars — is said to have been purchased for £1.99million, below its original £2.25million asking price. The impressive home also boasts a sweeping staircase and even an electric stairlift, hinting at both grandeur and practicality.
The move comes after the breakdown of Hammond’s 23-year marriage to his wife Mindy, with whom he shares two daughters. In a joint statement released in January 2025, the couple insisted they had shared an “amazing” relationship and would “always be in each other’s lives”, adding that they were proud of the family they had built together.
But behind that calm statement lay a far more difficult reality. Reflecting on the period in a previous interview, Hammond admitted it had been a “year from hell”, describing the split as “devastating” — a painful end to a relationship that had spanned nearly three decades.
The divorce followed closely on the heels of several other major upheavals, including the end of The Grand Tour — the hit Amazon series he co-hosted with Jeremy Clarkson and James May — and the death of his father Alan at the age of 80.
For years, Hammond had lived with his family at the sprawling Bollitree Castle in Herefordshire, a Grade II-listed property worth around £7million. He even spent 15 years transforming a granary barn on the estate into his dream “clubhouse”, pouring time and passion into the project.
After the split, he temporarily moved into a rented countryside farmhouse before finally settling into his new bachelor pad — a symbolic fresh start after months of emotional upheaval.
According to reports, the property is currently undergoing renovation, with scaffolding and builders frequently seen on-site as Hammond puts his own stamp on the home.
Despite the personal turmoil, locals say the TV star is already embracing his new life. One neighbour revealed they had spotted him shopping nearby, noting that he “seems to be settling into life very happily.”
Hammond’s high-octane lifestyle has long been a source of concern for those closest to him. His dangerous stunts on The Grand Tour and Top Gear famously led to multiple near-fatal accidents — including a terrifying crash in Switzerland where his electric supercar burst into flames moments after he escaped, leaving him in a coma for two weeks.
Years earlier, in 2006, he suffered life-threatening brain injuries in another high-speed crash while filming Top Gear, once again slipping into a coma before making a remarkable recovery.
At the time, Mindy even joked during a joint TV appearance that she had warned him: he had “three strikes and you’re out” — adding that after two serious crashes, she had “marked the next one in my diary.”
Now, with a new home, a quieter chapter ahead, and the dust slowly settling on a turbulent period, Hammond appears ready to rebuild — on his own terms.
