Ed Sheeran is transforming a cattle shed, pig pens and a milking parlour into state-of-the-art facilities at his new £1.1million Suffolk music complex.
The Shape Of You singer, 35, purchased the 17th-century farmhouse two years ago and initially focused on redeveloping the main barns, which he turned into a recording studio and rehearsal space.
He also converted a former piggery into a stunning man cave, with a bar, gym, pool table and bowling alleys, which cost £150,000 to install.
But now, Sheeran is switching his attention to the outbuildings and has successfully applied for permission to overhaul the other dwellings, also including old stables, which will be linked with the Grade II-listed house, dubbed the ‘countryside Abbey Road Studios’.
An insider said: ‘Ed has huge plans for the property and is taking his time to ensure the end result is exactly what he wants.
‘Each building will have a purpose, he’s very particular about that, and it’s all part of his masterplan to create the ultimate music hub.
‘There won’t be anything of its kind anywhere in the world – and it’ll be right on his doorstep.’
Ed resides a short distance away in his residential Suffolk property nicknamed ‘Sheeranville’, where wife Cherry Seaborn, 34, and the couple’s two children, five and four, also live.
Ed Sheeran is transforming a cattle shed, pig pens and a milking parlour into state-of-the-art facilities at his new £1.1million Suffolk music complex. Pictured: Building work on the site
The Shape of You singer, 35, resides a short distance away in his residential Suffolk property (pictured), nicknamed ‘Sheeranville’
At his nearby complex, called Tannington Lodge, Sheeran has now applied for planning permission to overhaul several outbuildings to create what has been dubbed the ‘countryside Abbey Road Studios’
He’s been slowly building the 16-acre estate over the past decade, using the cash from his 200million album sales worldwide, and numerous world tours, to bankroll the impressive project.
His music complex at Tannington Lodge, which is surrounded by a moat, is where the chart star hopes to make more hit records.
Ed part-wrote his recent album, Play, at the venue and he wants to use the converted outbuildings as storage space.
A design and access statement from Peter Wells Architects states: ‘The proposal is to reinstate the existing outbuildings so that they can be used in conjunction with the main dwelling (Tannington Lodge) as ancillary storage space.
‘There will be no employees based at the site and the building is solely for use by the owner/family.’
It adds: ‘The reinstatement of the outbuildings within the setting of Tannington Lodge is considered to have a positive impact on the setting of the listed building.
‘The outbuildings will gain a formal long-term use, the buildings will be repaired as required, and the site will generally be “tidied up”.
‘The relationship of the outbuildings to the adjacent farmhouse will also be retained. The main ethos of the proposed development is to reinstate the outbuildings in their original form.’
Ed’s property empire is almost as impressive as his chart statistics, which include nine UK No1 albums and 14 UK No1 singles.
As well as ‘Sheeranville’ and his music complex, Ed owns a £20million Notting Hill mansion and an £8.25million office building in Soho.
He owns at least 22 properties across London’s most sought-after areas including Covent Garden, Battersea, Kensington, Chiswick and Whitechapel.
Ed also splashed out on a villa in Italy, which comes with its own vineyard.
Most of Ed’s homes were purchased through Maverick Properties, the company he set up in 2015 with manager Stuart Camp.
Ed’s loyalty to his home county of Suffolk was made evident on Thursday when he was named one of the ambassadors backing Ipswich’s bid to become City of Culture 2029.
The singer lives with wife Cherry Seaborn, 34, and the couple’s two children, five and four
The singer said: ‘This town has shaped who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and it has an incredible community spirit.
‘That’s why Suffolk and Ipswich will always be where I call home.’
Ed started his career playing gigs in the county and has played a number of surprise gigs in Ipswich, including an acoustic set on the waterfront in June.
He added: ‘Arts and culture should be accessible to everyone, and I know this title would help create even more opportunities for people in the local area. Let’s do all we can to make it happen.’
