Rod Stewart to erect topless statues on his 5m Essex estate

March 2024 · 5 minute read

Pop legend Sir Rod Stewart has applied for planning permission to erect four topless statues at his £5m country estate in Essex.

The 75-year-old singer wants the ancient Greek style sculptures, two male and two female, to adorn a classical portico he plans to build overlooking a pond.

Plans to submitted to his local council reveal the sculptures will be set into the four pillars of the portico.

The four topless statues proposed by the entertainer, which will support pillars of the portico

The four topless statues proposed by the entertainer, which will support pillars of the portico

Rod Stewart, 75, left, and his wife Penny Lancaster, 59, pose with sparkling wine in the country

Rod Stewart, 75, left, and his wife Penny Lancaster, 59, pose with sparkling wine in the country

An architect's drawing of the portico, showing how the sculptures will be integrated

An architect's drawing of the portico, showing how the sculptures will be integrated 

Rod Stewart, right, and Penny Lancaster, left, celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary by eating Chinese food in the back of a limousine in Hyde Park

Rod Stewart, right, and Penny Lancaster, left, celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary by eating Chinese food in the back of a limousine in Hyde Park

A view of the pond which is to be converted at Rod Stewart's £5m Essex mansion

A view of the pond which is to be converted at Rod Stewart's £5m Essex mansion

Photos of the sculptures are included in the plans for sprucing up his extensive garden now that the entertainer and his wife Penny Lancaster, 49, have moved back to Britain from their home in Florida, where they were self isolating during the coronavirus crisis.

The garden makeover is being overseen by an award winning landscape firm who are members of the Society of Garden Designers and will include a tiered stone water feature at the base of the portico.

The designers also plan to create a small paved seating area and lawn pathways within a walled garden close to the main house.

Stewart, whose hits include ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’ and ‘Baby Jane’ bought the Grade II listed mansion on the edge of Epping Forest, Essex in 2013, but only moved in 2016.

As the 18th century 10-bedroom home is a listed building he needs planning permission before carrying out any alterations.

Documents filed with Epping Forest District Council reveal the plans to create a ‘classical garden space’ for the extended Stewart family.

Stewart had originally planned to dig up an existing historic walled garden and erect decking over the pond.

Rod Stewart, right, and Penny Lancaster, left, in Bel Air, Los Angeles in March

Rod Stewart, right, and Penny Lancaster, left, in Bel Air, Los Angeles in March

A simple computer simulation of how the portico structure will look on the singer's estate

A simple computer simulation of how the portico structure will look on the singer's estate

The ornamental pond on Rod Stewart's £5m Essex estate that is in line for a lavish makeover

The ornamental pond on Rod Stewart's £5m Essex estate that is in line for a lavish makeover

Architect's plans showing where the refurbished pond will be located in relation to the house

Architect's plans showing where the refurbished pond will be located in relation to the house

A view of the side of Rod Stewart's Essex property, to which he has returned from America

A view of the side of Rod Stewart's Essex property, to which he has returned from America

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But after discussions with the council’s conservation officer those plans were modified so that the banks around the pond remain in a more ‘naturalised’ state.

The ancient Greek style portico with four statues and water feature were added to the planning application.

The singer’s planning agent Alastair Henderson said: 'It is now proposed to bring the pond and its immediate surroundings in line with the adjacent pool house by creating an enhanced garden surrounding the pond for the enjoyment of the owners.

'The key hard landscaping elements have been fragmented and now sit isolated as individual garden features, distanced by planted soft landscape areas that are accessible via mown lawn pathways. This provides a more subtle enhancement of the area surrounding the pond.

'The planting aims to enhance the setting of the pond by converting what is currently a disused space into a more ecologically diverse habitat and a more aesthetically interesting composition against the original brick wall boundaries to the space.

'A previously proposed deck area that extended over the pond bank has now been removed from the scheme so that the banks remain in a more naturalised state.

'None of the historic fabric of the existing structures are to be removed and the design aims to improve and restore the existing walled garden space into a natural and classical garden.'

Other proposed features at the 18th Century Essex mansion include decorative metal arches to link with the pool house garden, a paved entrance and ornamental planting with scattered topiary globes.

Trees and plants to be installed will help create a ‘ecological diverse habitat’, according to the planning application which was filed under the name of Penny Lancaster/Stewart.

Stewart, who divides his time between his Palm Beach, Florida mansion and Essex, won a previous planning battle three years ago to build a 50ft-long swimming pool to help turn his son into an Olympic champion.

The rocker's son Alastair, who has shown great promise as a swimmer and has already won a host of competitions, has ambitions to compete for Team GB.

An accompanying pool house, that included a massage area, bar and dining area, had to be scaled back in size after planners said it was too large and would harm the character of the area.

Other leisure facilities at the mansion include a seven-a-side football pitch, croquet lawn, stables, a coach house, clock tower, ornamental lakes, a rose garden, family garden, main garden and guest cottage.

Planners at Epping Forest District Council are expected to make a decision on the garden plans next month.

As there have been no objections from neighbours it is likely to be passed.

A spokesman for Aralia Garden Design, who will carry out the work, was unavailable for comment.

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