Richard Hammond has been pictured with his new girlfriend for the first time as he settles into a quieter life in the Welsh countryside following the end of his marriage to Mindy Hammond.
The former Top Gear presenter, 56, was seen walking alongside the unidentified woman in Abergavenny after recently confirming that he had entered a new relationship.
Richard and his companion appeared relaxed as they strolled together through the picturesque market town, where locals say the broadcaster has quickly become a familiar presence.
The photographs mark a significant new chapter for Richard after a difficult period involving his divorce, the end of The Grand Tour and the death of his father, Alan.
Earlier this year, the television star reportedly moved into a six-bedroom Georgian farmhouse near Abergavenny, which is believed to have cost approximately £2 million.
The property at Upper Triley Farm is said to include a tennis court, wine cellar and several outbuildings suitable for storing Richard’s extensive collection of cars.
It offers a considerably more private setting than the high-profile family home he previously shared with Mindy at Bollitree Castle in Herefordshire.
Richard and Mindy announced in January 2025 that they were ending their marriage after 23 years.
They had been together for 28 years and share two adult daughters, Izzy, 25, and Willow, 22.
In their joint statement, the former couple said they would remain a family despite changing the structure of their relationship.
“A little update from us,” they wrote.
“This Christmas we were together as a family and this year we will still be a family, but just structured a bit differently.”
They continued: “Our marriage is coming to an end, but we’ve had an amazing 28 years together and two incredible daughters.
“We will always be in each other’s lives and are proud of the family we created.”
The statement ended simply: “With love, Richard and Mindy.”
Despite the emotional collapse of their marriage, Richard and Mindy have continued presenting a civil and united front when it comes to their daughters.
They were seen together at Willow’s graduation from Hartpury University in Gloucester following their separation.
The appearance suggested that both remain committed to attending important family occasions without allowing the divorce to overshadow their children’s achievements.
However, reports surrounding the breakdown of their marriage claimed the negotiations over their home and living arrangements had not always been straightforward.
Richard was reportedly required to leave the main residence at Bollitree Castle, the couple’s mock-Gothic property set within approximately 20 acres.
The estate has been valued in reports at around £7 million, although its exact current market value and ownership arrangements have not been publicly confirmed.
It was alleged that Richard temporarily lived in a converted barn within the grounds before renting another property in Hereford.
The broadcaster has now established a permanent base across the border in Wales.
His new home is also conveniently located near The Smallest Cog, the classic-car restoration business he operates near Hereford.
Richard has increasingly focused on the workshop since bringing his long-running motoring partnership with Jeremy Clarkson and James May to an end.
The trio became household names while presenting the BBC’s Top Gear before leaving the corporation and launching The Grand Tour on Prime Video.
The final Grand Tour special was released in 2024, ending more than two decades of television adventures for the three presenters.
For Richard, the conclusion of the programme coincided with several major changes in his private life.
He later described the period as a “year from hell” following the breakdown of his marriage and the death of his father at the age of 80.
His move to Abergavenny appears to have provided a calmer environment in which to rebuild.
Richard recently described a routine centred on running, walking, cooking and appreciating the surrounding countryside.
He said he was content to eat early, either alone or with his girlfriend, before spending a quiet evening watching television.
The lifestyle is notably different from the high-speed challenges and international travel associated with his television career.
Residents say Richard and his new partner have become regular visitors to The Crown at Pantygelli, a pub close to his new home.
One member of staff claimed the couple had visited on at least ten occasions since moving to the area.
“They come here all the time,” the employee said.
“He’s a local.”
Staff reportedly attempt to give the presenter privacy by seating him away from the front of the pub, where he is less likely to be recognised or interrupted.
“We sit him away from the front so people don’t see him,” the staff member explained.
“He just wants to sit in peace and enjoy a burger.”
They added that Richard did not expect special attention and preferred to be treated like any other customer.
Locals have also reported seeing him completing ordinary shopping trips at Waitrose and Morrisons.
Their comments suggest he is embracing the anonymity and slower pace of the Welsh market town rather than seeking the social life normally associated with a newly single television celebrity.
Richard has not revealed his girlfriend’s identity, profession or the circumstances in which they met.
His brief public acknowledgement of the relationship came during a wider discussion about his post-divorce routine.
The new photographs therefore represent the first time the couple have been seen together publicly.
No information has been provided about how long they have been dating.
The relationship has emerged after a marriage that survived numerous periods of extraordinary stress.
Richard was involved in two serious car crashes during his years filming Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
In 2006, he crashed a jet-powered Vampire dragster while travelling at more than 200mph during filming at the former RAF Elvington airbase.
He suffered a serious brain injury and was placed in an induced coma.
Mindy remained beside him throughout his recovery, which involved rebuilding his memory and adjusting to the psychological effects of the accident.
Eleven years later, Richard was involved in another dramatic crash while filming The Grand Tour in Switzerland.
He lost control of an electric Rimac Concept One during a hill-climb event, with the vehicle leaving the road and rolling several times before catching fire.
Richard escaped the wreckage but fractured his knee and required surgery.
An unnamed insider previously claimed that the long-term effects of the accidents placed considerable strain upon his marriage.
“Richard has been through an awful lot, and the knock-on effect from the crashes has impacted his relationship,” the source alleged.
The insider said the accidents affected him both physically and mentally and suggested those changes had consequences for his life with Mindy.
These claims have not been confirmed directly by either Richard or Mindy as the reason for their separation.
Mindy had previously spoken about her fear of Richard continuing to take major risks after surviving the crashes.
She reportedly warned him that he was on his “last chance” several years before their marriage ended.
Her concern was understandable given how close the broadcaster had come to losing his life while filming entertainment programmes.
Richard’s recovery from the 2006 accident was initially considered remarkable.
He returned to Top Gear and continued participating in demanding motoring challenges, although he has acknowledged experiencing memory issues and other lasting effects.
The crashes became a defining part of his public story, but they also affected his wife and daughters, who endured the fear that he might not return home.
The family continued together for many years afterwards.
When the separation was eventually announced, Richard and Mindy chose not to assign blame publicly.
Their statement instead emphasised gratitude for their decades together and pride in their daughters.
That respectful tone has remained visible through their joint appearance at Willow’s graduation.
Richard’s new relationship does not appear to have altered his commitment to maintaining family connections.
His daughters are now adults, and the presenter has spoken warmly about them throughout his career.
He previously created workshops and motoring projects intended to involve the family and preserve his love of engineering for another generation.
The farmhouse near Abergavenny may now serve as the centre of his life away from the marital estate.
Its outbuildings provide space for cars, while its rural position allows him to enjoy running and walking without travelling far from The Smallest Cog.
After years spent crossing deserts, racing unusual vehicles and becoming involved in dangerous stunts, Richard appears satisfied by a more ordinary routine.
His new girlfriend has so far remained outside the public spotlight.
The couple’s appearances at local pubs and supermarkets suggest they are not hiding their relationship, but neither has attempted to turn it into a highly publicised romance.
Richard’s reported desire to sit quietly with a burger reflects the low-key nature of the life he is attempting to build.
There will inevitably be attention surrounding his first relationship after such a long marriage.
However, the broadcaster appears determined to protect his partner’s privacy while acknowledging that he has moved forward.
The divorce represented the loss of a relationship that had lasted for more than half of his adult life.
It also arrived as his most famous television partnership ended, removing two of the structures that had defined him for decades.
His father’s death added another profound personal loss.
The move to Wales has therefore become more than a change of address.
It marks the beginning of a period in which Richard is establishing who he is outside his marriage and the programmes that made him famous.
Cars remain central through his restoration business, but speed and spectacle appear to have been replaced by domestic routines and countryside walks.
He has not rejected his former life, and he remains closely associated with Clarkson, May and their extraordinary motoring adventures.
Yet his present appears considerably quieter.
A Georgian farmhouse, a local pub and evenings spent cooking with his girlfriend now provide the rhythm of his days.
For residents of Abergavenny, Richard is no longer simply the television presenter who survived high-speed crashes.
He is the man they encounter in the supermarket or see eating in the corner of the pub.
After an exceptionally painful period, that sense of normality may be exactly what he was seeking.
Richard Hammond’s marriage may have ended, but his relationship with Mindy remains grounded in the family they created.
Now, with a new home and a new partner beside him, the broadcaster is beginning the next stage of his life — not behind the wheel of a supercar, but quietly walking through the Welsh town he has chosen to call home.
