Aerial photos have revealed the astonishing transformation of a Cornish village into ‘Hollywood-on-Sea’ with stars including Cate Blanchett flocking to the idyllic setting.
Mawgan Porth has attracted celebrities including David Beckham, Kate Winslet, Noel Gallagher, Jason Statham, Jamie Dornan and Chris Martin in recent years.
The stretch of properties along the seafront features a series of multi-million pound developments that have attracted the rich and famous, which have been heralded by some for their futuristic designs – despite fears local residents are being priced out.
Other stars in the holiday retreat located up the coast from Newquay have included Imogen Stubbs, Jason Momoa, Stanley Tucci and Rosie Huntingdon-Whitely.
At the heart of the clifftop scene is a five-bedroom eco-home being built by Lord of the Rings actress Blanchett after she got planning permission to knock down the £1.6million cottage she bought with her playwright husband Andrew Upton.
New pictures also show other Californian-style mansions that have taken over the landscape of traditional homes in what was once called ‘Cornwall’s best kept secret’.
Blanchett is believed to have been the first celebrity to buy a home in the village in 2020, before she purchased a £1.25million plot of land directly above it a year later.
The 55-year-old star’s arrival is understood to have led to the influx of celebrities moving in, with locals complaining that their picturesque area has been ‘ruined’ and turned into a ‘building site’ with prices being hiked to ‘unaffordable levels.
Mawgan Porth in Cornwall is pictured in 2013 (left) and in an aerial view taken this week (right)
The spectacular new home being built by Cate Blanchett in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Blanchett is believed to have been the first celebrity to buy a home in the village in 2020
Cate Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton bought the former cottage in December 2020
At the heart of the clifftop scene is a five-bedroom eco-home being built by actress Blanchett
Blanchett bought a home in the village in 2020 and is now building a new property
Some have claimed the village has been ‘overrun’ with second-home owners and is left like a ghost town in winter.
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One local previously said her mother has even had people walk by her house and offer £2million for their family home – even though it is not for sale.
The NHS worker, who moved to the area in 1987, revealed developers were buying old properties and then flattening them to build ‘cube-shaped homes’.
She said: ‘It has always been a popular holiday destination as it’s between Newquay and Padstow and near a National Trust hotspot. It’s become more and more popular every year.
‘The locals have sold up here and the properties have been taken down and there’s modern complex, cube-shaped, Californian-style buildings instead of your 1930s bungalows.
‘There’s a lot of posh cubed modern buildings. Those properties are now going for over a million.
The separate new eco-home is also being built along the coast in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Another view of the Mawgan Porth eco-home which is being constructed on the clifftop
This eco-home being built on the clifftop at Mawgan Porth has stunning sea views
People on the beach at Mawgan Porth next to the properties being developed on the clifftops
An aerial view of the eco-home being built on the clifftop at Mawgan Porth in Cornwall
Another view of the Mawgan Porth eco-home which is being constructed on the clifftop
The eco-home is one of the properties currently being built on the coast at Mawgan Porth
Another view of the Mawgan Porth eco-home which is being constructed on the clifftop
‘You can’t buy a property here for under one million. Not one local can afford to buy anything here. We’re near the Scarlet Hotel which attracts a lot of celebrities. There’s a certain clientele.
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‘It’s good for the builders as there’s constant building work going on. There’s a real architectural divide. My mum lives on the sand dunes. She’s lived here since 1987 when she bought her bungalow. We’ve lived there ever since.
‘All the houses around there were knocked down and a posh flat roofed house was built owned by someone in London. He rents them out a lot. There’s a holiday home where the likes of Chris Martin and Gary Barlow have stayed.
‘All the houses have been bought up by second homeowners. In the winter all the houses are all pretty much empty. They do bring money to the village, but at the same time local people can’t live here.’
Locals say they have also spotted the likes of Winslet and Gallagher there.
Mawgan Porth is pictured in 2018, before Blanchett and others moved into the Cornish village
The Cornish coast at Mawgan Porth is pictured in 2013, before the more recent developments
Mawgan Porth, pictured in 2012, is a hotspot for surfers who line its stunning sandy beaches
Beachgoers enjoy the sun at Mawgan Porth in Cornwall in 2013 before recent developments
Blanchett had previously upset neighbours with the noise of construction – and the new photos show her house renovations are still ongoing.
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The actress also bought a neighbouring plot of land and applied for permission to turn it into a new access and parking area for four cars.
The proposal was met with anger by locals in the village who feared it was being transformed into a ‘Hollywood-on-Sea’ location.
Blanchett and her husband were also accused in official objections of a ‘total disregard’ during construction, with claims it had ‘destroyed holidays’.
The change of use application for the field was withdrawn last year and new plans are yet to be submitted.
Among those objecting at the time was holiday let owner Karen Burgess who accused the couple of having a ‘total disregard’ for their neighbours during the lengthy building process.
Actors Jason Momoa (left) and Jamie Dornan (right) are among those seen in Mawgan Porth
Jason Statham (left) and Stanley Tucci (right) have also been spotted in the Cornish village
Mawgan Porth is located just north of Newquay on the Cornish coast
Ms Burgess said: ‘I am deeply concerned that there has already been a total disregard for the noise that has destroyed the family holidays of all my guests.’
Hitting back at Ms Burgess’s objections, architects Watershedd claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.
They added: ‘Throughout the whole process of the build on our clients’ property, we have been in regular communication with friendly and accommodating neighbours to ensure that they are aware of works starting, and to alleviate any concerns regarding usual or anticipated construction noise or disturbances.’
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