JD Vance's holiday brings ‘circus' of road closures and police patrols to sleepy Cotswolds village

Independent

2 days ago

Residents nearby a Grade II-listed country manor hosting JD Vance have described the major disruption his holiday has brought to their usually sleepy villages.
After a busy few months in office, the US vice president is spending his summer holidays in the hamlet of Dean, near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
But residents in the vicinity of the 6-acre site have described roadblocks and police door knocks in recent days, as security in the area reaches high alert.
Road closures, sniffer dogs, police and a number of blacked out cars have all been spotted in the area, a marked difference to the usual calm and quaint atmosphere of a Cotswold country retreat.
Though the village is no stranger to high-profile faces, with it being the home to former prime minister David Cameron, the level of security has prompted the owners of the manor to apologise to locals 'for the circus'.
One woman told The Times the village had seen 'one blinking pantomime after the other' and said: 'We are used to the great and good here. Before David Cameron moved in we had Douglas Hurd and he was lovely. We have Ben Kingsley in Spelsbury and we see him in the woods walking his dog, but to close off the roads is ridiculous.'
The woman told the paper she and a friend had been stopped by police blocking a footpath while walking through the area, and said: 'I told the police 'we are two old ladies, we are hardly terrorists'.'
Another resident, a retired travel agent, told The Observer that though locals were 'used to seeing police around,' because of the former prime minister, they had seen 'nothing like this.
She said: 'It makes it hard to get about.'
Another local told the paper police had been going door-to-door asking for personal details of residents and social media accounts.
He said: 'I know several people refused. We asked them if they were protecting us, or Vance. At least they were honest and said it is for him and that it will all be passed on to the American security people.'
A workman described there being a 'weird atmosphere' in the area: 'I've done a lot of jobs here and never seen it like this.'
The vice president is visiting the area with his wife Usha and children Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.
They are renting the luxurious home from of its owners Johnny and Pippa Hornby, who bought the property in 2017 and have since received plaudits in Tatler for having transformed its Edwardian garden into a 'waterworld' with an impressive swimming pool.
In a message seen by The Telegraph, Ms Hornby told neighbours she was 'so sorry for the circus that is there for the next few days', and that she hoped it would not be 'too disruptive'.
During his stay, Mr Vance can enjoy the two cellars, tennis court, rose garden, gym and Georgian orangery all set within the six-acres of land the house sits on.
The 18th-century home offers pre-arranged visits to its gardens, which are set behind stone walls with 'an abundant and varied selection of climbing/rambling roses, clematis and hydrangeas'.
The National Garden Scheme website says: ''The formal gardens include complex yew hedging and herbaceous borders, kitchen and cutting garden, areas of wildflower meadow, an orchard and water gardens make up areas around the house.'
His private family holiday comes after an informal meeting with foreign secretary David Lammy in Kent on Friday, which saw the pair look friendly as they went fishing.
The opening of Hampton Court Palace was also delayed on Sunday morning, as Mr Vance enjoyed a private tour of the royal residence.