Jessie Buckley’s rise from County Kerry to Hollywood acclaim has centred around a bold move to London when she was just 17 to pursue her acting dream and immerse herself in the theatre scene. The Golden Globe-winning actor, known for her transformative performances in Wild Rose, The Lost Daughter and movie of the moment Hamnet, has quietly curated a property portfolio that reflects her love of history and her desire for a grounded, family-oriented sanctuary.
A long-term east Londoner, Buckley lived in a flatshare between London Fields and Bethnal Green before meeting her husband Freddie — a mental health professional from Islington. They then moved into a flat in Dalston. Rumour has it that they still have it as their city bolthole. The London base is close to Regent’s Canal and beloved local haunts such as Brawn on Columbia Road or the Towpath café, which they hired to cater their wedding.
Despite many years calling London home, Buckley’s main residence is now a 16th-century manor house in the Norfolk fens, which she purchased during the pandemic. The timber-framed historic property was described by the actor on Jessie Ware’s Table Manners podcast as “an amazing old house that’s been there forever.”
It was bought as a doer-upper and has been lovingly restored into a family home for the couple and their baby daughter. It was even the venue for their wedding in 2023, where they said their vows under the garden’s giant oak tree.
The walled orchard, wildflower gardens and original fireplaces echo the evocative landscapes that animate Buckley’s recent work — particularly her award-winning role as Shakespeare’s wife Agnes (or Anne) Hathaway in Hamnet.
Jessie Buckley won a Golden Globe for her role in Hamnet (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
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Although Buckley and her husband have kept the exact purchase price details private, she has said they bought their house following a tip-off from friends.
Pivoting from a Suffolk house hunt to Norfolk, Buckley told Ware: “Friends of ours had moved to Norfolk and bought this old place for like nothing on an auction… and then they showed us this house that we live in.”
What can be gleaned from the local market is that homes in the surrounding Old Buckenham and Norfolk area typically sell for around £800,000 to £1.1 million, with many historic period homes in village settings commanding strong values. Smaller cottages and properties in the wider Breckland district list between £350,000 and £600,000. These local benchmarks suggest that Buckley’s lovingly restored residence would likely sit comfortably within the higher end of the market given its age, setting and heritage.
A sociable childhood home
Buckley’s first home was very much the heart of family life — and creativity. She was born and raised in Killarney, County Kerry, the eldest of five children in a busy household. Her parents ran a guesthouse and pub in the town. Her father, a poet and bar manager, and her mother, a trained opera singer and vocal coach, would regularly host music and literary evenings. Buckley has described growing up “in a household where music and writing and expressing yourself was really nurtured and respected,” an environment that fuelled her early passion for singing and acting.
After her early years in Killarney, Buckley attended Ursuline Secondary School, an all-girls convent school in Thurles, County Tipperary. There, under the guidance of her mother, who worked as a vocal coach, she thrived in school productions and learned piano, clarinet and harp to Grade 8 level at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. At just 17 she was the runner-up on the BBC’s talent show I’d Do Anything, about the search for an actor to play Nancy in a West End production of Oliver. It was her time at RADA that eventually resulted in a permanent move to London.
Get the Jessie Buckley look at home
Buckley has kept her interiors style very hush hush. However, her fashion sensibility offers clues as to how she might live. She favours understated elegance, sculptural silhouettes and thoughtful texture over anything flashy or trend-driven. She often opts for minimalist, tonal looks in black, white and neutrals, with occasional sculptural details or a pop of unexpected contrast — from a bold Dior blouse to a Chanel-accented ensemble.
Translated into a home, this suggests spaces that are quietly refined yet tactile and lived-in. We also know she has a very cosy kitchen with an Aga where she is partial to cooking up casseroles.
Here are a few pieces we think she would incorporate into her scheme:
- Coastal Walks Candle, £29.50, norfolknaturalliving.com
- Sculptural Sofa, £1,498, anthropologie.com
- Sylva Hooks, £550, studioashby.com
- Aga Masterchef, £3,995, rangecookers.co.uk
- Scalloped Dinner Plates, £130, rebeccaudall.com