Sue Barker is a former professional tennis player who won an impressive 15 WTA Tour singles titles during her career.

At the peak of her career, the 68-year-old reached the ranking of world No. 3.

Before becoming a tennis player, Barker was born and raised in the seaside town of Paignton on the coast of Torbay in Devon.

The pretty town, which is a part of the ‘English Riviera’, has a mild climate, and a sandy beach and is home to the famous Paignton Pier.

The town is also known for its zoo which has more than 2,000 animals and more than 80 acres of beautiful grounds.

After retiring as a tennis player, Barker became a commentator and TV presenter. She became the host of the BBC’s Today at Wimbledon in 1994, and from 2000 until 2022 presented coverage of the Championships every year.

She was also the presenter of the sports quiz show A Question of Sport from 1997, having succeeded David Coleman. However, she retired from the show in 2020 following the BBC’s decision to revamp the show.

Away from the screen, Barker lives a tranquil life with her husband of over 35 years, Lance Tankard. The couple reside in the pretty Cotswolds village of Stanton, Gloucestershire but used to live on a 26-acre estate in Godalming, Surrey.

In 2017, Barker won a planning permission battle to have the roof of their £1million Cotswolds cottage raised by five feet.

According to the planning documents, Tankard was forced to crouch in their bedroom as he kept knocking his head.

The couple bought the home in 2007 and have lived there ever since – and it’s easy to see why. Stanton is a beautiful village that’s located below the wooded edge of the Cotswolds.

The village is built almost completely of Cotswold stone, a honey-coloured Jurassic limestone. Both architecturally attractive, and surrounded by idyllic countryside, the Huffington Post described Stanton as “one of the prettiest and idyllic unspoilt villages of the Cotswolds” in 2014.

Unlike other villages, Stanton is a hive of activity with a high street and a traditional country pub called The Mount Inn.

Visitors to the pub are not only charmed by its beauty but its rich history too. St Michael and All Angels’ parish church in Stanton was built circa 1100 with the earliest remaining features being three Norman columns which date back to around 1200.

Stanton Court is a Grade II-listed Jacobean Manor House that was built in the early part of the 17th Century.

The grand building was extended in the 18th century before being extensively restored by Sir Philip Stott in the 20th century.

Stanton’s natural beauty and impressive architecture have meant that homes in the village fetch eye-watering prices.

Properties in Stanton had an overall average price of £1,254,115 over the last year, according to Rightmove.

The majority of sales in Stanton during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £2,275,000.

Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £937,344, with terraced properties fetching £550,000.

Overall, sold prices in Stanton over the last year were 61 percent up on the previous year and five percent down on the 2021 peak of £1,316,667.