A 1980s sitcom superstar is selling his 'just idyllic' Surrey hideaway
The actor Peter Egan, who became a household name when starring in one of the best-loved sitcoms of the 1980s, has put his home on the market.
When veteran actor Peter Egan and his late wife, Myra, relocated from Hampstead in London to leafy St Ann's Hill in Surrey, he was, by his own admission, apprehensive about the change.
‘We moved in the middle of September 2015,' he says, 'and, on the way here, I said to Myra, "Being a townie, I feel rather nervous about this." She said, "No, it'll be alright." Anyway, I woke up the next morning, looked out of the window, and I said to her, "I wish we'd done this years ago."'
‘It was just wonderful to open the door and be in a really large garden, and also to open our gate and walk into this magnificent nature park that surrounds us. It was just idyllic.’
For Peter — arguably best known for his role in the 1980s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles, also starring Richard Briers and Penelope Wilton — the six-bedroom house has proved a happy and well-located home.
When they moved to Surrey, Peter was working at the National Theatre. Like countless commuters, he’d hop on the train to London Waterloo, before walking on to the South Bank — a journey that would often take him less time than his old commute from Hampstead.
Peter continues: ‘Living outside of the hustle and bustle of London has suited me beautifully, and indeed, both of us, from the moment we moved here. I just love this house and I love where I live.’
Sadly, Myra passed away in 2021. Now, nearly five years on, Peter has reluctantly decided to sell the home that holds so many cherished memories. It’s on the market with Harding Green for £3,000,000.
From Peter's perspective, Southwood is crying out for a family to move in — and it’s easy to see why. Tucked away up a sweeping drive and surrounded by woodland, the 6,000 sq ft home comes with a detached studio annexe, a southerly garden (more of which later), a heated outdoor swimming pool, and two garages. It also has an enviable spot on the border of St Ann’s Hill Park, just outside Chertsey — ideal for a Nature-lover and passionate animal rights activist like Peter.
Inside the house, a large hall leads to a spacious drawing room, a cosy family room, and a large kitchen (and beyond it, a utility room and loo). Occupying nearly half of the ground floor, the kitchen has integrated appliances, heaps of storage, and enough space for a decent-sized table. Two sets of doors open out onto decking.
The kitchen is, says Peter, ‘magnificent’. ‘I’m a vegan, I quite enjoy cooking, so I love the kitchen,’ he says. ‘You know, I love almost every room in this house because every room has got a good view.’
All four first-floor bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms, with the main bedroom also boasting two dressing rooms.
There’s a further bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, alongside an enormous games room on the top floor — the latter being a truly versatile space, as the agents point out: ‘The top floor offers superb additional flexibility, depending on your lifestyle: two sizeable spaces that are ideal for an au pair, a cinema room, a teenage den, or a home office, one of which opens onto a private balcony.’
There’s more outside. A separate studio annexe, located next to the garages, comprises a fully-equipped kitchen, living space, loo, and a spiral staircase leading to a mezzanine level.
Peter has carefully landscaped the garden over the years. This includes overhauling the driveway and the borders that flank it. ‘The driveway now is really attractive. I’m very proud of it,’ he says.
The grounds include a pond stocked with carp and a Grade II-listed gatehouse, once used by a monastery and now converted into a plant room.
The bottom of the garden is particularly well set up for sunny days, with a heated outdoor pool and a summerhouse.
Leaving Southwood, then, will not be easy. ‘Everything about this house is pleasing to me. It's visually wonderful. The views are wonderful, and just the general atmosphere in the house is incredibly warm.’ Peter says.
Natasha Moore, of Harding Green, explains: ‘Southwood will appeal to families and downsizers alike seeking scenic countryside walks, generous accommodation, excellent education, and convenient connectivity.
‘It represents not just a substantial and versatile home, but a refined lifestyle shift defined by countryside calm, value and a true sense of provenance.’
So, what’s Peter’s next move? The actor initially went house hunting but kept finding himself drawn back to Southwood. So instead, he plans to build an eco-friendly house on a plot of land nearby. ‘That's the only way I felt that I could move — to create something new,’ he says.
On the professional front, Peter has showed no sign of slowing down in recent years. He reunited with Ever Decreasing Circles co-star Penelope Wilton for After Life, Ricky Gervais’s series about navigating grief. It was particularly poignant, coming around the time that Myra died.
Peter tells me: ‘Ricky is a bit of a comedy genius in many ways. I think he really covered that territory in a very telling way. So that was just rather lovely to have the opportunity to pay tribute to my grief and also to be in the company again of Penelope Wilton.’
Other recent roles have included the Marquess of Flintshire, known as ‘Shrimpie’, in Downton Abbey, and David, a doctor, in Channel 4 drama Truelove. And he’s just finished filming with the American actress, Glenn Close.
Meanwhile, A Perfect Spy, in which Peter stars as MI6 agent Magnus Pym, is enjoying a resurgence. The adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel was first broadcast in 1987 and has — according to the Metro — ‘raced up the BBC iPlayer rankings' following a surge of interest in Le Carré adaptations sparked by the release of the second season of The Night Manager.
The actor’s career has been long-lasting and varied, spanning theatre, TV and film. So, what’s his secret? According to Peter, he never wanted to be typecast.
He reflects on the knock-on effect of his villainous role in Big Breadwinner Hog in the 1960s on his career. ‘I found myself being offered films like Man of Violence and stuff like that. And I thought, "I don't want to fall into this trap." So, I went off to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford and did a season there,’ he says.
Then, in the 1970s, he felt the need to change direction again. ‘I said to my agent, "Look, I'd like to get out of period costume and wear a pair of jeans and a t-shirt."' The net result is a career that's now spanned almost 50 years, from Oscar-winning films like Chariots of Fire to sitcoms, dramas and Dr Who.
Southwood is for sale via Harding Green — see more details.
