Martin Clunes has been a household TV staple since skyrocketing to fame as a part of the hit 90s sitcom Men Behaving Badly, with his status only further cemented by his role in the beloved ITV comedy-drama Doc Martin. More than 30 years in the spotlight can take a toll, but it seems that the 63-year-old's lifestyle at home is just as hectic and demanding. Martin has lived with his family in West Dorset, in a 130-acre farmhouse worth £5 million, for more than two decades, and it sounds like the actor has fully embraced the busy farming life.
In an interview with Dorset Magazine, the actor shared an insight into his daily life at his Dorset farmhouse. He said: "We have a lot of animals and our farm is on a hill, so we really don't need to go to the gym to keep fit and there's no need for a personal trainer to bark commands at us – they all make their demands pretty clear."
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockOn how their routine at home revolves around the animals, Martin continued: "Once they've had breakfast, the dogs leave no doubt that they'd like a walk. The horses will bang their stable doors until they've had their morning feed, then the chickens will cluck at us for mash and a bit of last night's spaghetti, if they're lucky, and even the cats will throw in a meow for that weird stuff that they eat."
The Doc Martin star revealed that the family has six horses, five miniature Shetland ponies, another rescue pony, four dogs, two cats, 50 Dexter cattle, approximately 30 lambs and 10 hens.
Martin Clunes' £5 million 130-acre farmhouse
Located in Beaminster, Dorset, a gorgeous countryside town, the magnificent farmhouse on Meerhay Farm has been the home of Martin Clunes and his TV producer wife, Philippa Braithwaite, since they purchased it in 2007.
© Mark Sheen/ShutterstockIn the interview with Dorset Magazine, he also shared that riding horses around the local neighbourhood was one of his favourite ways to pass the time, candidly admitting: "You can get a fantastic nosey of everyone's gardens over their hedges."
Martin also explained the story behind why the family decided to purchase the house, telling the publication: "We always wanted a field for a pony for our daughter Emily, and one never came up and suddenly, 130 acres came up, which wasn't quite what we were looking for but if you don't do something you'll have a grass problem. It will all go wild so we started with loads of sheep."
Martin Clunes' family life
Martin and his TV producer wife, Philippa, have been married since 1997, and share a daughter named Emily, who is now 26 and studying to be an equine vet. On the secret to their long-lasting marriage, he shared with Saga magazine in 2022: "At the end of the day, I suppose, everybody should marry my wife. But too late, I already did, and I'm not letting her go. I can't totally analyse why it works, although I suppose some things are obvious; we make each other laugh, for example, and I know I have to make my wife laugh to keep her because her dad was very funny, too, and she's funny and so is our daughter, Emily."
