George and Amal clooney;s mansion surrounded by flood waters

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[size=34]George and Amal Clooney's mansion is among those surrounded by flood water in shocking aerial photos showing the £12 million Grade-II listed home's tennis courts submerged by Storm Dennis[/size]

• Aerial pictures show flooding in the grounds of Clooney's mansion in Berkshire as Storm Dennis hit the UK
  
  
• River Thames burst its banks, leaving the tennis court and veranda underwater in shocking aerial photos
  
  
• Pictures from above show how the storm has also devastated other homes across Britain this week
  
  

By ANDY DOLAN FOR THE DAILY MAIL and SOPHIE LAW FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 17:04 EST, 20 February 2020 | UPDATED: 18:39 EST, 20 February 2020

     



Aerial pictures emerged yesterday showing flooding in the grounds of George and Amal Clooney's mansion in Sonning, Berkshire.
The Thames has spilled over its banks and left the Hollywood star's tennis court, the veranda of his summer house and much of the lawn completely underwater.
The 17th-century, Grade II-listed house is located on an island in the river. The property's garden had previously been hit by flooding in 2016.
The Hollywood star and human rights lawyer moved into the secluded home with their twins in 2016, after an intensive 18-month long refurbishment.  

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Aerial pictures emerged yesterday showing flooding in the grounds of George and Amal Clooney's mansion in Sonning, Berkshire

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The Clooneys paid an undisclosed sum for the listed property, which was put on the market for £7.5 million, in September 2014, a couple of weeks after their three-day wedding extravaganza in Venice.  
Earlier this month the high-profile pair applied for planning permission for an outhouse to bolster security as the famous home attracts more tourists.  
[size=18]Heavy rain predicted to come in latest Met Office forecast




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Aerial images show the extent of flooding in Hereford, Herefordshire, on Monday after the nearby river burst its banks over the weekend


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The River Ouse burst its banks over the weekend leaving the Cambridgeshire market town of St Ives underwater 
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Shocking drone pictures show the devastating scale of flooding the Welsh village of Crickhowell after the Usk flooded 
[size=18]Driver ploughs through flooded road as water flows up windscreen




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It comes as a staunch Tory voter whose home was swamped by floods has urged Boris Johnson to leave his country retreat to see the damage in the flood zone for himself.
Vic Haddock said he had suffered £100,000 worth of damage to his riverside home, adjacent canoe hire business and holiday rental cottage.
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Earlier this month the high-profile pair applied for planning permission for an outhouse to bolster security as the famous home attracts more tourists 
And the 60-year-old threw down the gauntlet to the Prime Minister, saying: 'I've supported you – now come and support me.'
Condemnation was growing over Mr Johnson's response to the flooding yesterday.
Jeremy Corbyn said it was the 'duty of the Prime Minister to be there in places where there are difficulties'. 
The Labour leader was visiting Rhydyfelin, near Pontypridd, South Wales, which had been left under water on Sunday as Storm Dennis ravaged the UK.
Mr Johnson has spent the parliamentary recess shuttling between Downing Street and Chevening, the Foreign Secretary's grace-and-favour country estate in Kent. 
The PM's official country residence, Chequers in Buckinghamshire, is currently being renovated.
Mr Haddock, from Ironbridge, Shropshire, said while flood barriers were erected by the council on the Wharfage, on the opposite side of the River Severn, residents on his row of cottages had no such protection.
He told Sky News: 'I'm a staunch supporter of Boris Johnson, and I believe he's going to be a great man for the country.
'Now I've supported him, come on Boris – come and support me. Come and see me, I'll buy you a pint, we'll have a chat about this, and find out who's finally responsible to give us a little bit of aid.' 
He said the floods were the worst he could remember in his 17 years living in the area. The Fire Brigades Union also added to the growing criticism of Mr Johnson, accusing the Government of failing to plan for floods in the long term.
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A staunch Tory voter whose home was swamped by floods has urged Boris Johnson to leave his country retreat to see the damage in the flood zone for himself
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Vic Haddock said he had suffered £100,000 worth of damage to his riverside home, adjacent canoe hire business and holiday rental cottage 
It highlighted that there had been cuts of more than £140million to English fire and rescue services over the four-year local government finance settlement. 
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: 'This Prime Minister has shown absolutely zero leadership as flooding devastates our communities. 
'Firefighters are on the ground fighting to keep people, homes, and businesses safe, while Boris Johnson cowers in Westminster. 
'Flooding is nothing new, and will only get worse with climate change, but our ability to tackle its consequences has been utterly undermined by a lack of long-term planning from this shambles of a Government.'
The condemnation came as the Environment Agency warned that 'scary' floods could spread to northern England this weekend.
Officials said further heavy rain could lead to 'significant river flooding' in some areas such as the Pennines and parts of Yorkshire.
Flash flooding in north Lancashire and Cumbria had closed the West Coast Mail Line railway yesterday morning. 
And the Environment Agency's manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire – two of the counties to have suffered the worst of the flooding this week – warned that the current crisis was 'going to get worse'.
Dave Throup was responding to figures revealing that the level of the River Wye on Monday peaked at 6.99m (22ft 11in) – more than half a metre higher than any previous recorded figure.
Mr Throup tweeted: 'It's getting scary folks. What I've seen over the last few days isn't normal. It isn't even the new normal. It's going to get worse. We need to adapt and respond. And fast.'
Some 70,000 homes in areas prone to flooding are at risk of becoming uninsurable, a report has warned. 
Political think-tank Bright Blue predicted there would be 'flood ghettos' of houses in England in high-risk zones that were not covered in the coming years.      
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I think the first picture was taken before the remodel. 

The fail never checks their facts they actually have the picture of the house after the remodel with no flooding.

One of the pitfalls of living near water.  Terrible situation for all those residents.  At least George can handle the cleanup and restoration of his property without worry of how to pay for it.  But I imagine that for most others it will be a financial hardship.  In the US we have home owners insurance but if you live near water most companies won’t provide flood insurance.

Annemarie, the first pic of his estate was definitely before the major renovation but the second pic shows the tennis court so I assume was taken after the latest storm. Right?

Right. It's a shame that so many people can't get insurance here , so many people have lost their homes to the hurricanes.

To be honest, this is unprecedented in the UK - and there's much more to come. Global warming in one of it's manifestations.

Unfortunately many people have bought new-build homes on flood plains - never a good idea/

And George's garden is large - four acres and an island in the middle of the Thames!

How sad for all the people whose homes are flooded. I hope they have better luck getting back on their feet than so many people here. Many of them still haven't resolved all their problems from ".Superstorm Sandy" . Many are in areas that will flood over and over again as global warming increases.

 A lot of people who have beachfront or waterfront property have had to abandon their homes because they can't get insurance.  I'm not sure if government aid is available if your property floods more than once. I know some people are still waiting for the help they were promised last time. I also know a lot of people who resent bailing out people who keep rebuilding on flood-prone land. At least George can afford the clean-up.

The other thing that is scary is that as more and more rivers overflow their banks in farming country our food supply will be affected. This isn't being addressed nearly fast enough.

PAN - Are you o.k.? Hoping you're not being flooded!

Stan has spoken:

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I'm fine, Lizzy - I live halfway up a hill, but when the rain swept gales start it can feel a bit like Armageddon. No trees down tho in this part of the world- and some of them are already covered in blossom!

Hope you got the Mill link, Lizzy

[size=34]George Clooney’s rep says ‘all is fine’ after star’s England estate suffers flood damage[/size]
By Eileen Reslen
February 21, 2020 | 10:44am



George Clooney’s England estate suffers flood damage











 






 

George Clooney‘s home is in deep water — literally.
The Oscar winner and wife Amal Clooney‘s mansion in Berkshire, England, suffered major flood damage after Storm Dennis struck the region.
Photos show that nearly all of the land surrounding the $13 million estate, including the basketball court, was almost completely submerged in water.
But a rep for the “Ocean’s Eleven” star exclusively tells Page Six that “all is fine” after the flooding.
Enlarge ImageGeorge Clooney’s riverside British mansion in 2016[size=10]BACKGRID
According to Architectural Digest, the Clooneys purchased the 17th-century mansion shortly after their Venetian wedding in 2014. The home sits on a four-acre island in the middle of the River Thames.
Fox News reports that Storm Dennis caused severe flooding in several parts of England and Wales. The Environmental Agency said England received 121 percent of its average February rainfall and major rivers set new flood records.
Fortunately for George, 58, and Amal, 42, the Berkshire mansion is not their only home.
According to Business Insider, the couple also shares a villa in Lake Como, Italy, a luxury apartment in Manhattan and a home in Los Angeles. They are the parents of 2-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander.
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George Clooney's estate in Berkshire, England, experienced flooding.
SPARTACUS / SplashNews.com; Getty Images

PAN - Sorry about that! I did get the link, but I forgot to thank you for it! You're so lucky to live near enough to see their productions. "Singing In The Rain" got such amazing reviews! Are you planning to see their next production, too? I'm wondering if they're being affected by the flooding, being so close to George's home and seeing the flooding of his property. It would be a shame if they had to suspend their schedule because of the flooding.

Quick question: Do they have a resident company of actors or do they get a new cast for each production? It seems the place is fairly well known, so I wondered if their actors are professionals who are nationally known or are they a local theater company?

By the strangest quirk of fate ... I didn’t know it but it appears I know the previous owner (his brother very well) and he when he visits. As I never knew “the connection” I only half listened.... it’s strange to think George’s predecessor also sported a white goatee just like George’....
If it comes up in conversation I’ll ask about flooding ....

Ps. He is the sole of discretion... he talks of The French Horn and other things but has never mentioned GC by name... so it will only be flood history I get ...

It is great that there are people who will respect George's privacy.

To be honest I don’t think he cares ...George could have been Harry Styles for all he cares....

To be even more honest ... I don’t listen to people opinion of others... I think everything is a matter of perspective.... I’ve met so many famous people and 90% are nothing like I thought they would be ....

Jackie O frail and kind

Idi Amen a loving Dad

Tony Curtis a cheeky boy

Margret Thatcher a good gossip-er. 

List goes on but only my perspective on that day...

Take my perspective with a pinch of salt...

Lizzy, to answer your question re flooding, on Sonning Eye i e the island, the theatre and George's house are on the same bit with a bridge linking them to across to mainland either end. On the theatre side the Thames runs through on the right and is a lot narrower - and the theatre doesn't  have four acres. Beyond that they have a boat club and more houses. The theatre has also built new apartments which George is contributing to, to raise funds to help maintain the mill itself. If you look at the Twitter account you'll see some of the bars inside which overlook the Mill wheel.

They are currently rehearsing the next stage show, but also have a huge programme of other stuff - bug band, storytime etc. The casts are usually all different depending on where the actors are in their world, but often feature key stage names - I believe Judy Dench's daughter appeared in a one night production and George and Amal went to that.....

I go when I can - maybe two or three times a year..........

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HOUSES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS: George and Amal Clooney’s Mill House in Sonning Eye, Oxfordshire
BY | PUBLISHED OCTOBER 16, 2014

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*UPDATED* The Clooneys are renovating and extending their new home with a swimming pool, a pool house, a garden terrace, a private cinema and new front gates and fencing. They are also converting an existing building known as the River House into an office and meeting room.
Hello magazine and the Daily Mail have all the details, but you can scroll down for existing photos, prior to the changes…

Here is the floor plan for the extention:
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CELEBRITY HOUSES: George and Amal Alamuddin Clooney have bought an island home on the River Thames, outside London. Take a look at these photos…
 
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The 17th-century, Grade II-listed Mill House is on Mill Island, and next door to the Mill at Sonning theatre restaurant, a converted from an 18th-century flour mill, at Sonning Eye in Oxfordshire.
 
 
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The village of Sonning Eye is technically in Oxfordshire, on the boarder of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, and opposite the village of Sonning in Berkshire (yes, it’s a tad confusing).
There is a lot of beautiful scenery including the famous Sonning Bridge – check out the fabulous post box on the bridge itself!
 
 
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The property is off the B478, three miles from Reading, about 40 minutes drive, east of London, to Amal’s chambers.
See it on the map here.
 
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The home is about 40 minutes’ drive to Amal’s family home in Gerrards Cross, where her mother Baria still lives.
 
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Previously owned by the Lords of the Manor of Sonning, the 4-acre (or 5.5, depending on what you read) mansion once known as Aberlash House, is surrounded by dense trees and gardens, is located on an island.
It was remodelled to include a Georgian exterior with Doric columns.
 
 
 
 
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The main manor house is made from Bath Stone, with a tile roof and stone balustrading.
 
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Apparently, George and Amal paid about £10 million/$15.85 million for it in 2014, buying it from London banker Omar Bayoumi, after it was reportedly listed for $16 million last year.
 
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Word has is it that George was impressed with the local area when filming scenes for The Monuments Men in the nearby Buckinghamshire village of Fingest.
 
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The property includes:
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• master suite with dressing room and ensuite
  
• 8 other bedrooms, 7 of which have ensuites
  
• drawing room
  
• study
  
• sitting room
  
• family room
  
• kitchen and breakfast room with fireplace
  
• dining room
  
• two cloak rooms
  
• library
  
• gym, spa, steam room and jetted plunge pool
  
• wine cellar
  
• terrace
  
• wet boathouse, and multiple mooring and landing points
  
• garden with streams, footbridges, Magnolia walk, parterre beds, herbaceous borders, garden pavilion and greenhouse
  
• garage
  
• storage
  
• 14 CCTV cameras
  
• and a separate, 2000+ sq ft, two-storey cottage for guests or staff.
  

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Details include crown moulding, chandeliers, marble, parquet and mahogany floors, skirting boards and high ceilings.
 
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See the official real estate listing here, and some local history about the house here.
 
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The couple have already been spotted visiting the local pubs and meeting their neighbours.
 
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Thanks, Annemarie. It really is a beautiful house. Quite a contrast to the photos from the last few days. I hope the damage is mostly to the grounds and not the house itself.

Your welcome Lizzy, it is a beautiful house looking at the pictures from the flooding the water doesn't seem to go near the house just the lower part of the grounds.

It looks like the back of the property slopes a bit down towards the river, which is helpful in keeping the water from
making its way too close to the house.

PAN, what the heck is a “bug band”. Yep, I remember when Judi Dench’s daughter performed at the Mill.

PAN - Thanks for the explanation. I really hope they're safe from the flooding. - especially the new apartment blocs they're building.
I have to echo Donnamarie: bug band? That's a new one on me.

Absolutely right, Donnamarie. It's been sloped, and also naturally fenced with gaps for animals and birds to escape the deeper water under the trees like willows which dip into the water. The security lights are a higher upon the branches.

Ah yes bug bands - deliberate spelling mistake to see who spotted it first....big!

Does George Clooney and Amal Clooney co-own the Berkshire property.  Or does George Clooney own it out right?  Does Amal Clooney own property in the area outside the Berkshire property?

Why?

PAN - "Deliberate spelling mistake"? I think not! An extra vino at dinner perhaps? (You're not mean enough to confuse us on purpose. - I'm addled enough on my own!)

Not a homeowner so I don't know, but isn't there a way to build in a drainage system when your property is so likely to flood? I know you can't prevent it completely, but there must be some way to keep it from being so extensive. It looks like a couple of good rains could put the river right at George's back door.

party animal - not! wrote:Why?

My understanding is George Clooney (alone) owns the Berkshire property.   Is that accurate?  The article also seems to state Amal Clooney owns property in the area.  I'm trying to find out if Amal Clooney also own property in the area?

Mm. Well, you can always look it up online or Google it tho why anyone would want to publish those personal details is beyond me.

My understanding was that it was joint ownership. It's nobody else's business really - apart from the taxman of course!

I'm sure George Clooney owns the Berkshire property alone.  I was just trying to find out is Amal also own property in the area.

Which article are you talking about, this one doesn't say she owns property anywhere. It states they purchased the house.
There is an article that says her mother lives 40 minutes away.
Her chambers I believe is her law office not a home ladybug. 
I found the answer
In law, a chambers is a room or office used by barristers or a judge. A barrister's chambers or barristers' chambers are the rooms used by a barrister or a group of barristers. A judge's chambers, on the other hand, is the office of a judge, where the judge may hear certain types of cases, instead of in open court.

annemarie wrote:Which article are you talking about, this one doesn't say she owns property anywhere. It states they purchased the house.
There is an article that says her mother lives 40 minutes away.
Her chambers I believe is her law office not a home ladybug. Pan am I right about that?

It says George and Amal Clooney's mansion.  I know George Clooney owns the Berkshire property. 

I'm trying to find out if Amal Clooney own a mansion in the area?

Ladybug, read above she doesn't own a property.

Also , George may have bought it but they chose it together there fore it is their home together.

annemarie wrote:Ladybug, read above she doesn't own a property.

Also , George may have bought it but they chose it together there fore it is their home together.

Thanks Annemarie

She did however (and probably still does) own a flat in London. Does that help?

LizzyNY wrote:She did however (and probably still does) own a flat in London. Does that help?

Yes... 

That's where she and George hid out when he was working in London and they first started seeing each other. I remember he complained it opened on to the street.

Yes. They were there for over six weeks and no-one had a clue.

Remember when they had the marriage banns put up at Chelsea Town Hall?  One of the stipulations for applying for  a marriage licence in this country  is to have been resident in the UK for over that length of time.

by annemarie Today at 16:39

That's where she and George hid out when he was working in London and they first started seeing each other. I remember he complained it opened on to the street.




Yes, Amal Clooney mentioned that in the AFI speech.   

party animal - not! wrote:Does it matter??!

Yes, it's always good to have a clear understanding... 

Because?

They and their kids live in the mansion in Berkshire , George has said how happy he is to go home to his family.
He is happy that is what matters.
The apartment if she still owns it is another piece of real estate for them.

party animal - not! wrote:Because?

I don't want my thoughts connected to a lie.  It's always important to operate in truth, that's just the way I live my life.

annemarie wrote:They and their kids live in the mansion in Berkshire , George has said how happy he is to go home to his family.
He is happy that is what matters.
The apartment if she still owns it is another piece of real estate for them.

I'm sure it's important for George, his wife, and their kids to be happy in their home.

Oh, by the way, I read somewhere in the UK papers that there are going to be new film studios ten minutes  away from Sonning!

That will be great for George he can go to work and get home quickly to Amal and the kids. 

Since they will soon be school aged that will make it easier for him to work and be there for them.

At what age do children start school in England Pan?

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Children start school between 4 and 5 depending on their birthday here, Annemarie, and a lot of children go to play school or kindergarten for a few days a week from about the age of three.

There are many great schools in the area and one of them is a Church of England school

Do you think he's involved with the new studios? It would be quite convenient for him to have somewhere close to home where he could work. Just thinking though, if he's not involved he'd be a customer just like everyone else and the studio might not be available when he needed it. It might also be prohibitively expensive. I guess time will tell.

I'm sure George is happy to have work close to home, with his wife, and children.  I'm sure Amal is happy to have her husband close to her and the children.

It's hard to know, Lizzy. I think it probably depends on the productions they do. Of course he might have a say in that since he has a production company!

Pretty amazing - there will be three international studios in spitting distance for him when this is up and running - Pinewood, Shepperton which he's using at the moment - and now this one

PAN, that's amazing.  Was this Production Studio in the works before George Clooney bought the Berkshire property?  Has George Clooney used Shepperton studios before?  Or is this the first time using Shepperton Studios?

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Children start school between 4 and 5 depending on their birthday here, Annemarie, and a lot of children go to play school or kindergarten for a few days a week from about the age of three.

There are many great schools in the area and one of them is a Church of England school

I'm sure George and Amal don't want to send their children to school in the states.  I wonder if they will choose boarding school.

At 5?!! I doubt it. Why would they?

I'm pretty sure they won't want them at schools in the US where they have to do shooting drills tho!! Who would??