Yahoo News Inside Jeremy Clarkson's 'less than' £1m pub plans
What Clarkson has banned at his pub and the disaster he faced
Cheers to Jeremy Clarkson who has bought The Windmill pub in the Cotswolds for "less than" £1m.
So raise a toast to the former Grand Tour presenter who has successfully turned his hand to farming and now plans to learn the ropes of owning a pub, near Burford, Oxfordshire.
Clarkson wrote in The Sunday Times: "I just needed the pub where all this could happen. And then, after I'd looked at about 14,000, I found just the place." He joked he couldn't snap up the local pub because the "locals would set fire to me".
The Windmill announced it was under "new ownership" on 4 June this year. Clarkson will be hosting a wedding reception in weeks to come, with a grand opening planned for later this year after refurbishments have taken place.
The journey has not been without its teething problems though, including a famous dogging site.
Read more: What to expect from Clarkson's Farm season 4 after filming delay
Diddly Squat Farm shop got huge queues so we are expecting to see big interest in Clarkson's pub. Here's everything we know, including what's banned.
Clarkson offered less than £1m for the pub within minutes
Jackie Walker, who opened the pub in 1983, was taken back when Clarkson offered her less than £1m within minutes of their meeting. She told The Daily Mail: "A film crew had come into the pub and the next thing I knew someone with Clarkson knocked on the door and asked if I was interested in selling."
In fact, the first thing Clarkson told her was: "I suppose you want a lot of money for this." But the pub landlady said it made her laugh.
The 79-year-old added: "I assume he will make a TV series out of it. I really do hope that he can make a big success of the place and restore it back to how it was. My husband and I had so much fun running it."
Locals have since warmed to the idea of Clarkson regenerating one of their local boozers, despite the threat of increased traffic.
“We are excited for the extra custom, but we’re apprehensive about the noise," said Derek Netherton, a local who owns an AirBNB near the pub.
“With a bit of luck the traffic will stay on the A40, as the roads are very narrow.”
Local artist Chris Townsend hopes newcomers will work in his favour: “It potentially could be really positive for the area as The Windmill had been struggling for years," he said.
“I have a showroom so people waiting around could be brilliant.”
Clarkson's pub problems including dogging site
Clarkson's friends have joked his decision to buy a pub was even more "daft" than taking on Diddly Squat farm. They mocked him with Clarkson quoting them saying: "Owning a pub these days is even more daft than owning a farm. What’s next? You buying a cinema?" Criticism only seems to spur him on though.
Once the deal was struck, unfortunately for Clarkson he then learned his new pub was near a dogging site. The TV star shared his shock at making the discovery and how he quickly sought the help of the council.
He wrote in the column: "So I did a deal and then discovered that there was a famous dogging site in the area. Photographs from inside the nearby lavatories showed holes in the cubicle walls, strong pornography on the floor."
Clarkson's battle with the council has played out in Clarkson's farm so he wasn't expecting to get any help when he come to them about the dogging site. However, he said the council helped close it down.
He added: "So I went to see West Oxfordshire District Council, expecting no help at all, and, blow me down, it was very happy to close the dogging site. So I was in business. My dream would become a reality."
What's more, the area near the pub had also been used for bare-knuckle boxing in the past.
What Jeremy Clarkson banned and his dreams for pub
Now that it's become a reality, Clarkson has great visions for the pub. As a grandfather, the presenter wants it to be a place he'd love to spend time with his granddaughter for Sunday lunch.
Additionally, the former Top Gear star set out he would love to have a fun atmosphere with customers enjoying a garden as well as bar billiards and darts.
He's also promised to give a free pint of Hawkstone to local farmers.
So what's banned? Clarkson has ruled out noisy televisions and confusing toilet signs. Plus he said fruit machines have no place in his pub.
Jeremy Clarkson's pub menu
It won't come as a surprise that Clarkson plans to serve up British-grown food at the pub. No doubt his Oxfordshire farm will be able to supply some of the food, as well as the neighbouring farms.
“He’s already spoken to some of the farmers and talked about using their produce,” said local farmer and livestock owner Tom Walker, adding: “I think he does a lot of good for farming.”
As well as food, Clarkson has turned his hand to making Hawkstone lager using ingredients grown on Diddly Squat farm. His farm manager Kaleb Cooper has produced Hawkstone cider. Proving its success, Clarkson’s Hawkstone listed as one of UK’s fastest-growing companies in The Times.
Read more: What is next for The Grand Tour trio?
Like with the farm, his Hawkstone Brewery hasn't been without disasters. Clarkson had to warn customers about the "serious" incident after the cider turned into "hand grenades".
The glass bottles exploded due to a micro-organism in the white sediment of the bottle continuing to ferment in it. It played out in Clarkson's Farm series three.
Clarkson's Farm series four
As Clarkson's Farm series four filming is underway, it's expected the pub will feature in the next instalment of the hit Prime Video show. Clarkson revealed the next series will all be filmed this year, hinting that the release date could be in 2025 on the streaming service.
His long-time girlfriend Lisa Hogan has shared the special reason they want to continue filming Clarkson's Farm. She said: "As long as it's educating people, and showing people how difficult farming is, and it's helping people appreciate food in a way that they may not have before. Maybe people will pop their bread in the freezer instead of throwing it out when they see how much work goes into making a loaf of bread."
Clarkson's Farm is streaming on Prime Video.
