Hollywood director Guy Ritchie’s luxury celeb shooting resort at £10m estate misfires again in 5-year row with council
GUY Ritchie’s plans for a luxury celeb shooting resort have misfired again – FIVE years after they were first submitted.
The film director finally won permission to build a series of five-star cabins at his £10m country mansion for his movie star mates to stay in after a lengthy row with the parish council.
But the self-contained safari-style lodges have hit another snag and will not be ready for this season’s “famous shoot” at the 1,200 acre Ashcombe Estate in Dorset, plans revealed.
It raises questions over the quality of the design of the huts – which have been built by Ritchie’s own firm, the Cashmere Caveman Company.
The timber frames are designed to fold out “origami-style” and are kitted out in the utmost luxury with copper taps, leather sofas and insulated wooden floors.
David Beckham and wife Victoria are said to have already splashed out £50,000 on one.
It is thought guests will pay more than £15,000-a-day to shoot and stay in the pioneer-style cabins where they can also sample his Gritchie beer made in his on-site micro brewery
The buildings have been placed around manmade lakes on the land and appear to be almost complete.
But the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director has been forced to ask the county council for permission to convert part of a barn on his land into rooms because the huts are not ready.
Ritchie, 56, has established an internationally-renowned sporting estate at his estate which he used to share with ex-wife Madonna.
It is thought guests will pay more than £15,000-a-day to shoot and stay in the pioneer-style cabins where they can also sample his Gritchie beer made in his on-site micro brewery.
Plans submitted to Wiltshire County Council said: “Due to the protracted development of the cabins, there will be none available for the coming shoot season.”
It further goes on: “This proposal is to convert the top floor into two bedrooms and bathrooms. There is an existing permission to have cabins in the farmyard, and this would have provided the requisite bedrooms for overnight guns on the shoot.
“This will allow the famous shoot to function effectively. It is envisaged that these and the farmhouse will be used for occasional events and family use out of the shooting season.”
Ritchie was given permission by Wiltshire Council to construct six guest and three staff cabins on a five-year trial basis while removing what he calls an “ugly modern barn”.
His original plans for 11 cabins were initially kiboshed by Donhead St Mary parish council over claims he was turning the area of outstanding natural beauty into a “housing estate”.
Ashcombe’s Georgian manor house was previously the home of renowned photographer Cecil Beaton.
Ritchie bought it with ex-wife Madonna in 2001 before landing it as part of a £50million divorce settlement seven years later.
The singer said of Ashcombe: “It has something very mystical about it…in the summertime it’s the most beautiful place in the world.”
Ritchie now lives on the estate with second wife, Jacqui Ainsley and their children.
He was granted permission to build two lakes on the estate in 2018, and in 2019 planning chiefs agreed he could provide B&B for wealthy guests on his land.
The landed gent has also built a brewery on site that produces beer for his Gritchie ale brand and London pub, Lore of the Land.
He has already hosted clay-pigeon and partridge shooting sessions for celeb pals including Becks and Robert Downey Jr on the site.
Ritchie took over nearby Compton Abbas airfield in Dorset last year which he reopened in June and where he now runs £3,000-a-pop Spitfire flights with an RAF-trained pilot.
The airfield sells his beer and even has a kiosk named The Smoking Barrels after his famous film Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels.
Ritchie was approached for a comment.