EXCLUSIVE: George Harrison’s widow applies to build a yoga studio in the grounds of mansion that The Beatles legend bought in 1970
- EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Harrison, 74, has plans for studio built in mansion garden
- George Harrison, who died in 2001, was the most spiritual member and did yoga
- He said he was most at peace when he was gardening and surrounded by nature
- Insiders said Olivia ‘clearly had his legacy in mind’ when the plans were released
George Harrison’s widow has applied to build a yoga studio in the grounds of the mansion he loved which could prove a lasting legacy to the ex-Beatle.
Olivia Harrison, 74, has submitted plans for the contemporary glass structure to be built in the gardens at Friar Park – the magnificent neo-gothic mansion Harrison bought in 1970.
Harrison – who died aged 58 in 2001 – was the most spiritual member of the band and famously practised yoga and transcendental meditation.
During his lifetime he told how he was most at peace surrounded by nature on his sprawling Oxfordshire estate where he developed the ‘decidedly un-rock-star-ish pastime’ of gardening.
George Harrison – who died aged 58 in 2001 – was the most spiritual member of the band and famously practised yoga and transcendental meditation
The detached studio features three glass walls, including one with sliding doors, set on a suspended concrete platform finished with porcelain tiles
Olivia has submitted plans for the contemporary glass structure to be built in the gardens at Friar Park – the magnificent neo-gothic mansion Harrison bought in 1970
Insiders said Olivia ‘clearly had his legacy in mind’ when plans for the new building were submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council.
She wants the studio and gym to be built on a part of the estate ‘mainly used for leisure’ on a lawned garden area next to the outdoor pool and a pavilion.
It would run parallel to a mature hedge dividing the tennis court from the leisure area.
Planning documents say the approach to the character of the 10ft x 23ft structure is ‘to deliver a contemporary style building surrounding by glazing walls to connect its use with the context of nature and utilising design and elements that match with existing pavilion in its immediate context.’
The detached studio features three glass walls, including one with sliding doors, set on a suspended concrete platform finished with porcelain tiles.
Part of the platform would extend outside to allow outdoor exercise.
Under the plans the back wall, featuring iroko wood cladding, will have a facility for concealing equipment inside to limit clutter.
Insiders said Olivia Harrison, 74, ‘clearly had his legacy in mind’ when plans for the new building were submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council
Under the plans the back wall, featuring iroko wood cladding, will have a facility for concealing equipment inside to limit clutter
The studio would run parallel to a mature hedge dividing the tennis court from the leisure area
Part of the platform would extend outside to allow outdoor exercise. Pictured: the site of the yoga studio
Shaun Tanner Architecture and Planning, which designed the new yoga studio, said: ‘The choice of materials and elements have been carefully selected to ensure a minimalist and contemporary building is delivered on site, which also relate to the existing pavilion opposite.
‘The proposal seeks to deliver an open plan single storey outbuilding, with a flexible layout to meet the proposed use of gymnasium and yoga room, with service equipment concealed inside the walls and a section of the platform being external and creating a small terrace in the front, where the occupant can use for external yoga and exercises as well.’
The 120-roomed Victorian mansion, which was built in 1889, is Grade II listed while the 62 acre estate has been designated an ‘historic designed landscape of national importance which is included by Historic England on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.
Close to Henley-on-Thames it is also part of a conservation area and an area of ‘outstanding nature beauty’.
The Gardens Trust, the UK charity dedicated the heritage of designed gardens and landscapes, was consulted due to the historic nature of the park’s gardens, but did not wish to comment.
A picture of the existing pavilion, which the yoga studio will be built near as part of a leisure section of the estate
She wants the studio and gym to be built on a part of the estate ‘mainly used for leisure’ on a lawned garden area next to the outdoor pool and a pavilion (pictured)
Harrison began embracing spirituality after experimenting with LSD and meeting Swami Vishnu-devananda, the founder of Sivananda Yoga, while filming the movie Help! In the Bahamas in 1965.
He bought Friar Park as a quiet escape from London and a place to set up a new recording studio.
Once the band split he began to further explore his spiritual journey – and his love of gardening.
He split with first wife Pattie Boyd before marrying American-born Olivia in 1978.
Olivia had also studied meditation with an Indian guru before meeting her husband.
A year after his death, in 2002, she told NBC that Harrison felt most at home in the gardens of Friar Park.
She said: ‘You know, it was really nature that he loved.
‘And I think he felt closest to God in nature.
‘Yes, he loved it here.
‘You know early on, he had to get out of London. And so we kept moving further and further away from London.
‘And he found a place where he could get away from the crowds and this was it.’
She also spoke recently about her love of the nature surrounding her home, telling Henley Literary Festival about her new book, Came The Lightening.
She said: ‘The book is set in the garden. My life is set in the garden.
‘The garden is a marker of life. I started by looking at the trees in the garden who have been my witness over the last 45 years.
‘When we came to live in Henley, George just wanted peace after he had a tumultuous decade.
‘He lived there as a refuge to find a semblance of life.’
Musicians including Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison visited the house, which had one of the best recording studios in the country at one point.
In an interview with David Hartman’s Good Morning America in 1981, George said: ‘I decided to become a gardener.
‘I like the garden. In the garden, you see all the seasons come and go, and whatever you do can affect it all.
‘But at the same time, the flowers don’t answer you back. Don’t give you no trouble. It’s very nice.’
The couple’s love for the home remained despite a frenzied attack in December 1999 when intruder Michael Abram broke into the property and repeatedly stabbed the rock star.
The application is due to be decided in early January.
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