Dhani Harrison is building a new home on the legendary grounds of Friar Park estate
Dhani Harrison, son of the late George Harrison, has been granted planning permission to build a new two-bedroom oak-framed home on the grounds of Friar Park—the sprawling 62-acre Oxfordshire estate famously restored by the Beatles guitarist.ukThe neo-Gothic Victorian mansion, rumoured to house 120 rooms, has been home to the Harrison family since George purchased it in 1970, just before releasing his solo opus All Things Must Pass, an album inspired by the estate’s surreal grounds. Olivia Harrison, George’s widow, still lives at Friar Park today.
The approved plans update a previous application lodged by Olivia in 2021. The new home will sit on a disused tennis court and include a kitchen-diner, lounge, utility and music room, two bedrooms, and a plant room—paying tribute to George and Olivia’s shared love of gardening. Additional tweaks include replacing square windows with round ones, French doors, and the addition of dragon finials (a subtle nod to St George and the Dragon) while removing a proposed clock tower.
South Oxfordshire District Council deemed the changes “minor cosmetic alterations” that won’t impact the Grade II listed park or conservation area. The build will remain tucked away from key vistas of the estate.
Friar Park has long been a symbol of George’s quiet post-Beatles life and artistic retreat. It was also the scene of a harrowing 1999 break-in when George was stabbed by an intruder—an attack he miraculously survived. Dhani, now 46 and a Grammy-winning musician in his own right, maintains his connection to the estate and is set to perform at Glastonbury this June.
The legend lives on—roots deep in English soil, gnomes, mantras, and all.
