The Cotswolds are among the most picturesque landscapes in the UK, containing many prime examples of the country’s green and pleasant land. For years, the region has caught the eye of the rich and famous, including international celebrities. The Beckhams, Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres are some of those known to have a property in the rolling countryside. Now, it is rumoured that American singer Beyoncé, and her husband Jaz-Z, are to join them.

One possible destination for the couple and their three children is thought to be Great Tew, a 3,500 acre estate of diverse countryside. Taylor Swift is believed to have stayed in the area last year when in the UK for her Eras Tour, and Harry and Meghan were reportedly forced to move out of a four-bedroom, Grade-II listed cottage with a separate two-bedroom cottage for guests or staff, as well as a converted barn, on the estate because of press intrusion. Locals say Soho Farmhouse, a pricey members club and hotel, is a key draw.

The Express visited the idyllic village at its centre to ask people what they think about the prospect of another celebrity family living nearby. A steady flow of quite pricey cars were parking up at the side of the road, their drivers and passengers getting out for a stroll and refreshments. Horses intermittently trotted up and down the lane, and, on the notice board was an advert for private jet and helicopter charter.

“Oh, we’re so excited,” says Mary McFarlane, 73, sarcastically. She adds: “I couldn’t give a monkey’s. If Great Tew Estate wants to prostitute itself to celebrities, that’s fine. Which it does.” The retired milk recorder is sitting outside the bustling Quince and Clover Café, which is full of visitors grabbing a coffee and something to eat.

She asks: “Why would you come and live here? It’s just too quiet. But it’s lovely; they might want a really quiet life to shut themselves away.” Sat next to her was Kim, 63, a livery yard proprietor, who lives in Chipping Norton. She recalls an occasion when Simon Cowell “ran across” her fields, adding regarding well-known people living in the area: “They never come out from behind their walls, so they never really affect you. They don’t mix with the locals. In our village, there’s hardly any locals. No, we really don’t care.”

Ian Mowbray-Williams, 40, has worked as a tour guide for five years after moving from near Winchester in 2014. While showing a group around Great Tew, he tells the Express: “There’s a lot of famous people already here. I imagine it’s the fact that it’s almost anonymous when you come here. It’s a remote village, out of the way, peaceful and pretty. Soho Farmhouse adds to the attraction, it’s a nice spot to go to. I can’t say I’m surprised.”

He adds that Great Tew is “off the beaten track” and a “USP” for his company, Undiscovered Cotswolds, as not many of his rivals take people to the village. “The Cotswolds,” Mr Mowbray-Williams adds, “have become over touristed and focused on a handful of villages. Little villages like this aren’t affected.” This means he can supply a more “authentic Cotswolds experience”, he says. “Since Covid, it’s gone crazy. The Cotswolds have boomed in tourism.”

This has been propelled along by Instagram and influencers spreading the word, Ian thinks. When asked if he expects fans to visit the area if Beyoncé and her family moved there, the guide says: “I would say so, which might be a shame. I like that it’s nice and peaceful.” As regards his own sightings of celebrities, he “very rarely” sees them, although he did see George Clooney in The Falkland Arms pub a few years ago when, he believes, the actor was visiting the Beckhams. He also mentions that a new Guy Ritchie film was being filmed in there recently.

Enjoying the tour are American tourists Victor Armengol, 73, a retired accountant from Charlottesville, Virginia, and semi-retired doctor Nick Phillips, 70, from Kennebunkport in Maine. Both are visiting England for the first time, the former for he and his wife’s 47th wedding anniversary. Laughing, Dr Phillips says: “I cannot imagine why Beyoncé and Jay-Z, her husband, would come here. Maybe peace and quiet, just to get away from the madness in California and everything? I wish my daughters were here, they could probably tell you a lot more.”

Mr Armengol says that he and his wife decided to visit the Cotswolds after she did a lot of research. The couple also got a lot of recommendations via word of mouth. Dr Phillips had spent time in London and Cambridge before travelling westwards. “We’ve heard about the Cotswolds,” he says. “The main thing I know about it is that Prue Leith lives here, from the Great British Baking Show, because I love that show.”

Residents of the region’s villages, particularly in places like Bibury and Castle Combe, have complained of increased traffic and noise and an impact on local services due to an influx of tourists visiting the region. When asked if they were aware of this, Dr Phillips says it is also a problem where he is from.

“You see, we live where the Bushes used to live and the tourism can be very detrimental. Also in the Portland area, the cruise ships will come in, and they’ll let 3,000 people walk into the town, and they kind of wander around, there’s not a lot for them to do. Some add to the economy, but a lot of it doesn’t, and the people are sort of getting a little tired of it, and I can imagine here, the same thing would be occurring.”

Inside Quince and Clover Café, Jack Nicholls, its manager, was working away on his laptop while colleagues took and carried orders to customers. He says when asked if people visited the area to try and spot celebs: “I’d like to think not, no. I don’t think people are that shallow. I think it’s a beautiful area.” The 30-year-old adds: “I don’t do a lot of exploring myself; I find myself working. I know everyone very well. The joy about this place is there’s no special menu, people pay the same price for a latte as everyone else. There’s no exclusivity.”

The Express knocked on many doors around the village hoping to catch residents at home, but many of the village’s idyllic beige-bricked properties seemed empty. Eventually, on the edge, our knocks were answered. Richard Davis, 79, worked on the estate as a builder all his life. While trying to keep an eye on his dog, Jack, he says in his doorway: “At the end of the day, there’s so many of them, ain’t they? We’ve got so many celebs. Maybe they are moving here, maybe they’re not. But they’re more than welcome. Most of them are very friendly, they all seem very nice, those I’ve spoken to. I wouldn’t be at all surprised.”

He mentions that, at one time, there was a rumour that Liam Gallagher was moving to the area. “That’s never happened,” Richard says. “We hear all these stories. They’re all very pleasant, they always speak when they walk down the road. I’ve got no axe to grind with any of them. They fit in, they stand back and wait their turn [in the pub]. They don’t expect to be served.” The pensioner adds that the estate as a whole has “changed for the better”. “The owner of the estate is brilliant; I take my hat off to him. We’re well looked after - that’s the most important thing.”

On what might attract Beyonce and Jay-Z to the area, he simply says: “Look what’s around you. There’s secluded properties and a walk. It’s more self-contained here.” Places like Bourton-on-the-Water and Broadway have become much busier, he says. The long-term resident then describes how the village’s residents have changed over the decades. “60 years ago,” Richard says, “people here basically all worked on the estate. Now there’s only one estate worker, I think. There’s nobody else; it’s all done by a couple of people with big machines.”

One of his neighbours, a 60-year-old woman, says plainly: “I don’t think it’s true.” She adds that there are all sorts of rumours swirling around all the time.

“They probably like it around here because there’s a sense of normality,” says Tom Howorth, 26, an engineering student at Oxford Brookes University who is staying with his girlfriend for Easter. “They haven’t got people rushing up to them and asking for photos 24/7,” he adds. “They don’t want to be seen, they want a quiet environment.

"I haven’t seen any of them, personally. I’ve been here for six months. The missus has seen one or two people, but not regularly. They’re quite reclusive around here, they keep themselves to themselves and that’s about it really.” His girlfriend, though, has spotted Ellen DeGeneres pop into the Quince and Clover. He remembers how she had told him: “I think that’s Ellen DeGeneres”. The couple later saw that she had visited Jeremy Clarkson’s pub.

Tom Ford, 23, has worked in the Falkland Arms for two years. Its punters were enjoying a pint on a sunny day in the heart of rural England. “It would be very exciting if it’s true,” Tom says from behind the bar, “but I don’t know any more than you do, I’m afraid.” When asked if he were a fan of Beyonce, he replies: “In a general sense. I can’t imagine why they’d want to come here, it’s really not got a lot going on. It’s not as exciting as Los Angeles, is it? A potential upside is there are no forest fires. Not yet.”

Making the most of the delights the village has to offer are visitors Anna Clarke, 42, a sports project coordinator, and Carey Hope, 46, an HR manager. "It's my first time here, I would make another trip down again," the former said. "It does feel like a different way out here." She adds that she has enjoyed the countryside and food. Ms Hope says: "Having been here, I'd quite like to move here, too. It's beautiful."

The Cotswolds looks to continue to be a home to some of the world’s best known faces, who can relax, enjoy their own space and take a break from stardom. The region’s locals seem to be accepting their new neighbours as part of the beautiful scenery and getting on with their own lives.

The Express has contacted the Great Tew Estate and Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s representatives for comment.