Black Sabbath Residential U.K Studio On Sale For $2.4m

Published Dec 12, 2023 By Dowell

Black Sabbath, 1970s: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)

The Old Mill House, the residence in the UK where Black Sabbath used to write and rehearse during their peak, is now available for purchase at $2.45 million (£1.95 million).

Originally part of the renowned Rockfield Studios complex in rural Wales, The Old Mill House has served various purposes under owner Jo Riou, functioning as a separate studio, holiday home, and business center. Looking to move on, Riou hopes that the next owners will carry forward its musical legacy.

Riou told Wales Online:

“I have been told that behind all the sound proofing on the walls is where Ozzy Osbourne drew pentagrams on the walls. I was told that Jimmy Page had drawn a mural on the wall too. So when someone buys the house and if they don’t want this room as a studio, they could strip it out and God only knows what they will find!”

Expressing fond memories, Riou said:

“Black Sabbath are lovely. They’ve been here many times over the years – they have been our most endearing and longest serving clients. Ozzy Osbourne did a couple of solo albums here when he left Black Sabbath, and we’ve had the full line-up with Bill Ward back in the band … in to rehearse.”

Describing the culinary challenges of catering to diverse dietary preferences, Riou recalled:

“We’ve had all the diets here – someone is a vegan, somebody is gluten-free. When Ozzy was here, he was on a brown rice and mushroom diet, and when he was on that diet Tony Iommi – who really likes good food – wanted steak; and Geezer Butler was a vegan, so it needed thought to cook for all these different people. Drummer Bill Ward would help me wash up – I’d wash and he’d dry and we’d have a lovely chat.”

Black Sabbath’s Visit Excites Local Refuse Workers

Riou mentioned that both Ozzy Osbourne and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds always stayed in Room Seven, adding humorously, “The bin men were very excited when Black Sabbath were here – my bins were emptied every day!”

Upon contemplating her experiences collaborating with well-known musicians such as Oasis, Tom Jones, and several others, she remarked:

“They are only people, and when you’re sharing a house with them, and they’re sat in the living room in their pajamas, it kind of takes that starstruck gloss off it.”

Estate agents Roscoe, Rogers, and Knight described The Old Mill as an “extraordinary 11-bedroom, 10-bathroom country residence,” highlighting its late 17th-century construction and its history as a rehearsal space for Rockfield studios. They emphasized its unique features, blending charming original elements with quality modern fixtures. The property also includes a newly completed three-bedroom eco-lodge with a stone-built workshop.