Sonning is a small, idyllic village on the River Thames the kind of place that feels like it slipped out of time. Wrapped in green fields, woodland walks, and gentle waterway curves, it sits quietly between Reading and Henley-on-Thames, yet feels worlds away from the pace of modern life.
This is a village of old stone bridges, riverside pubs, Georgian houses, and long shadows across the water. At sunrise, the Thames turns silver. In the evenings, rowers pass silently through mist that settles just above the surface. Swans drift close to the banks. Boats moor lazily along the towpath. The rhythm here is slow, steady, almost cinematic.
Although Sonning is peaceful, it has an unusually creative heartbeat. Writers, musicians, filmmakers, actors, and artists have lived here for decades. The air carries that strange combination of calm and quiet inspiration a place where ideas arrive easily, and life feels a little lighter. It’s not uncommon to see well-known faces in the village lanes, at the Coppa Club by the bridge, or walking along the towpath with dogs, families, or cups of coffee.
The village itself is small, refined, and beautifully kept. Narrow streets wind between cottages, old brick walls, gardens overflowing with flowers, and the scent of river air drifting through the trees. Sonning feels both private and open an English escape with just enough character to spark imagination.
For a creative person, it’s an unusual and wonderful place to live: quiet enough to think, inspiring enough to build, and connected enough to feel part of something larger. Sonning is not just a location it’s a mood. A calm pocket of the world where life pauses long enough for ideas to form.
Our Home in Sonning (just a part of it)
The Coppa Next Door
The Bull Inn - Sonning
Gate to the Village Church
Uri Gallers Home Next Door
Our Home - My Cats Playground
The Red House and Entrance to My Home
Gourge Cloony Lives Next Door Too + The Mill
Our Home and The Coopa Bar on the River
The Hollywood actor (George) and human-rights lawyer (Amal) reportedly bought a 17th-century manor on the river in Sonning Eye around 2015–2016.
Their presence made national and international headlines and cemented Sonning’s reputation as a quiet but high-profile village.
The illusionist and television personality has been one of Sonning’s most famous long-time residents.
His home and public profile contribute to the village’s mystique; Sonning has often been referenced in media as “the village of Uri Geller.”
Legendary rock guitarist of Led Zeppelin; reportedly among the famous musicians who have lived in or around Sonning.
His presence speaks to Sonning’s appeal not only to film and media personalities but to musical legends too.
Former England international footballer and manager; listed among Sonning’s notable residents.
Adds a sporting dimension to the village’s eclectic mix of residents.
A major 19th-century artist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement; he spent his later years living in Sonning.
Connects Sonning’s heritage with classical art history — making the village not just contemporary-celebrity rich, but historically artistic too.
Long-time Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, the area that includes Sonning. Sources often mention her among the village’s local dignitaries.
Her association reinforces Sonning’s reputation as a prestigious — yet peaceful — residential area.
Ric Lee — drummer from 1970s band Ten Years After.
Jon Lord — composer and founding member of 1970s band Deep Purple.
These artists show that Sonning’s appeal spans across eras and genres: rock, classical art, film, politics — a richly layered creative-political-musical heritage.
And, of course…
Michael Cottam a wildly inventive 3D artist originally from Blackburn, known for:
building TV studios inside suitcases
dragging four world-travelling cats across continents
making over 60 AAA games
designing industrial CAD systems before most people had seen a computer
turning imagination into engineering
and somehow ending up living between George Clooney and Uri Geller
A man who has survived the fall of more game studios than most people have worked for and who treats creativity like oxygen and chaos like fuel.