Wondering who lives in Sandbanks? Known globally as Britain’s “Millionaires’ Row”, this spectacular peninsula has attracted a fascinating mix of high-profile residents and famous people over the decades.
Famous Residents of Sandbanks (Past & Present)
Below is our master list of famous faces—including current homeowners, historic past residents, and celebrities deeply associated with the area. Click any name to discover their unique connection to Sandbanks!
- Harry Redknapp
- Jamie Redknapp
- Graeme Souness
- Paul Gascoigne
- Tony Pulis
- Rick Stein
- Barry Bester
- Celia Sawyer
- Geoffrey Boycott
- Eddie Mitchell
- Karl Pilkington
- Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
- John Lennon
- J.R.R Tolkien
- Guglielmo Marconi
- Winston Churchill
- Tom Glanfield
- Maxim Demin
- Darren Anderton
- Max Bygraves
- Ian McGlinn
- Louie Foott
- Liam Gallagher
- Mark Constantine
- Sir Peter Ogden
Harry Redknapp
Football manager, player and sports pundit
The first person that people might associate with the area is Sandbanks’ very own Harry Redknapp. The former AFC Bournemouth manager has owned several luxury mansions in Sandbanks but has since moved to a more secluded location in Poole.
Jamie Redknapp
Football player and pundit
Retired midfielder and Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Redknapp, lives near Sandbanks in Branksome Park with his wife and family but often frequents the peninsula. He is also the brand ambassador for the Sandbanks Co clothing brand.
Graeme Souness
Football manager, player and pundit
Another football legend is Graeme Souness, who is known for both his life as a football player, manager and now as a pundit on Sky Sports. His home is believed to back on to the Luscombe Valley Nature Reserve.
Paul Gascoigne (Gazza)
England footballer
The legendary England footballer settled in nearby Lilliput, Poole (just a stone’s throw from Sandbanks). He is very much “part of the furniture” in the area and is frequently spotted out and about in Sandbanks and Poole.
Tony Pulis
Football manager and player
Welsh football manager and former footballer who last managed Sheffield Wednesday. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at age 19, followed by his UEFA ‘A’ licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification.
Rick Stein
Celebrity chef, restaurateur, writer and television presenter
Rick Stein is the name behind one of Sandbanks’ most famous restaurants on the Peninsula. Along with business partner Jill Stein, he runs the Stein hotel and restaurant business in the UK.
Barry Bester
Businessman
The Topps Tiles founder bought a property from Harry Redknapp and his wife Sandra for £6.9m in 2015. Since then he has spent £2million on refurbishing the mock-Tudor mansion, including having a £40,000 golf simulator built on the grounds.
Celia Sawyer
Businesswoman, interior designer and dealer
Celia is possibly best known for her appearence as one of the four dealers in the TV programme Four Rooms. She is also a property developer, and has an extensive portfolio of investments from London to Barbados (and Sandbanks).
Geoffrey Boycott
Former Test cricketer
Geoffrey played cricket for Yorkshire and England, establishing himself as one of England’s most successful opening batsmen from 1962 to 1986. He owned a property on Sandbanks peninsula with his then partner.
Eddie Mitchell
Former AFC Bournemouth Chairman
Former AFC Bournemouth chairman and high-profile property developer. He is heavily linked to the area—not only did he co-own the football club with Maxim Demin, but he has built and lived in some of the most spectacular, ultra-modern mansions right on the Sandbanks peninsula.
Karl Pilkington
Presenter, comedian, actor, voice-artist, producer and author
After working with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as producer on their XFM radio show, Karl became a co-host of The Ricky Gervais Show.
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Botanist and explorer
A British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin’s closest friend. He owned a property called North Haven Point that sits on the corner of the peninsula which remained in his family for generations. It recently broke the world record as the most expensive property ever sold in Sandbanks.
John Lennon
Singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist
In 1965, at the height of Beatlemania, John Lennon bought a luxury waterfront home on Panorama Road for his beloved Aunt Mimi. While he didn’t live there full-time, he kept a dedicated bedroom and visited frequently to escape the press, famously turning cartwheels on the empty Sandbanks beach.
J.R.R Tolkien
Writer and philologist
The legendary author of The Lord of the Rings frequently holidayed at the nearby Hotel Miramar before retiring to a home on Lakeside Road in Branksome Park. While just off the main Sandbanks peninsula, his strong association with the local coastline makes him one of the area’s most famous historic figures.
Guglielmo Marconi
Inventor and Electrical Engineer
The famous Italian inventor stayed at the historic Haven Hotel in Sandbanks in the late 1890s. It was from this very spot at the tip of the peninsula that he conducted his groundbreaking experiments with wireless radio signals, cementing Sandbanks’ place in global communication history.
Winston Churchill
Former British Prime Minister
Churchill had strong family ties to the area and spent childhood summers visiting Panorama House, located near Sandbanks further up the beach towards Branksome Park. He even returned to the property to use it as a secure safe house during his time as Prime Minister in the Second World War.
Tom Glanfield
Businessman
Founder & CEO of LHi Group, Tom recently broke the record for “most expensive property” ever bought in Sandbanks. He is the Recruitment International winner of Entrepreneur of The Year 2015 & 2016. Tom is also Judge on ‘Top Recruiter’ series 5 & an IRONMAN! His new home is on Panorama Road just a short way from the chain ferry with unspolit views over the harbour towards Brownsea Island.
Maxim Demin
Businessman
Maxim became co-owner of our local football club, AFC Bournemouth with Eddie Mitchell (a property developer & also a Sandbanks local), reportedly paying £850,000 for his share of the club. Subsequently in 2015 the club were promoted to the Premier League. He owns a substantial property on the peninsula in Panorama Road, close to the chain ferry.
Darren Anderton
Footballer & pundit
Darren was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City. He also played for local team AFC Bournemouth. He was capped 30 times by England. He lives in nearby Branksome Park just a short walk along the beach from Sandbanks and a little way inland from the coast.
Max Bygraves
Legendary British Entertainer
The iconic singer and variety performer owned Panorama House near Sandbanks (along the beach towards Branksome Park) during the 1970s. His luxury home became a major celebrity hotspot, hosting legendary gatherings with stars of the era including Shirley Bassey, Eric Sykes, Tommy Cooper, and even Liberace. He could be regularly seen driving around the local area including Sandbanks in his Rolls Royce.
Ian McGlinn
Businessman
From car salesman in 1997 to multi-millionaire co-founder of the Body Shop with his friend Anita Roddick after lending her £4,000. It really was a rags-to-riches story. Ian bought a 24-room mansion on Sandbanks Peninsula – then bought the house next door, too, so as not to be bothered by the neighbours! He died in Monaco aged 71 in 2010.
Louie Eileen Foott
Horse Trainer
Born in 1883, Louie discovered and fell in love with Sandbanks during the First World War. She played a pivotal role in the creation of the Sandbanks we see today. At one stage she ran a cab firm using Model T Fords, carrying passengers from Poole to the peninsula with one of her early customers being Gugliemo Marconi, who was conducting wireless experiments near the Haven Hotel at the time.
Liam Gallagher
Rock Star & Fashion Brand Owner
The Oasis frontman has long been linked to Sandbanks. He was famously rumored to be buying the futuristic, £4 million ‘Thunderbirds’ house on Western Avenue, sparking massive media frenzy. While he ultimately settled elsewhere, his highly publicised house-hunting trips firmly tied his name to Millionaires’ Row. He can also still occasionaly be spotted most recently riding his mountain bike over the chain ferry.
Mark Constantine
Businessman & Trichologist
The co-founder of Lush cosmetics headquarterd in Poole. Known as “one of the world’s biggest cosmetics firms” with 446 stores worldwide and a turnover of £545m. A keen ornithologist, he is known to practice his hobby regularly in the local area. He also has several books published on the topic.
Sir Peter Ogden
Businessman & Philanthropist
Peter is co-founder of Computacenter, one of the United Kingdom’s largest computer businesses. He also spent some time in investment banking and was the Managing Director of Morgan Stanley. He co-owns MotorSport Vision which manages Donington Park race circuit and also established a charitable foundation to pursue his philanthropic interests.
Inside Britain’s Palm Beach
Sandbanks has cultivated a fierce reputation for exclusivity. Often referred to in the press as “Britain’s Palm Beach,” it has consistently been ranked as one of the most expensive places to live in the world by land value, frequently placing fourth behind powerhouses like London, Manhattan, and Tokyo.
With its spectacular waterfront properties, private moorings, and high level of privacy, the peninsula naturally attracts a high-profile crowd. It is famously home to a host of celebrities, business tycoons, and sporting legends. Most notably, former football managers Harry Redknapp and Graeme Souness have owned spectacular homes here, alongside television personalities and leading figures from the culinary world, such as Rick Stein, who operates a flagship restaurant right on the water’s edge.
The John Lennon Connection
While today’s residents include modern celebrities and premier league footballers, the peninsula’s glamorous reputation arguably took off in the swinging sixties thanks to a very famous musician. In 1965, John Lennon of The Beatles bought a spectacular property called “Harbour’s Edge” on Panorama Road for his beloved Aunt Mimi.
Lennon reportedly paid £25,000 for the house (a staggering sum at the time), ensuring his aunt had panoramic views over the harbour. Lennon frequently visited Sandbanks to escape the intense glare of Beatlemania, firmly cementing the peninsula’s reputation as a premium, private sanctuary for the rich and famous.