Crime & Safety
Jeremy Clarkson preparing for death amid health concerns
The former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter lives in Oxfordshire, where he runs Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington and The Farmer’s Dog pub in Asthall, near Burford.
More recently he has become known for starring in Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime, which documents his time running the 1,000-acre farm.
He has been a vocal supporter of the UK’s farming industry regularly highlighting the issues the sector is facing.
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In addition, in late 2024 he marched in London as part of a protest against a new 20 per cent inheritance tax on farms valued over £1 million from April 2026.
With the tax about to come into force, Mr Clarkson has revealed he has been making plans for his death in his latest The Sunday Times column.
It comes as he has previously revealed that he underwent emergency heart surgery last year at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital after suffering pains.
Since then, he has been on a new, healthier diet, which has resulted in a noticeable weight loss.
In the column, he reflects that if you’re a farmer and die after April 5, the children will have to “sell up” due to the new policy.
With this in mind he said he’s hoping to “hang on until the Labourites have gone” in the hope the policy will be reversed.
He also revealed that he has been preparing for his death, including looking into his will, his donor card and what might happen if he is incapacitated.
Mr Clarkson said: “All I can say is that I ‘would wish not to be in a vegetative sate’ and that I would ‘prefer it if no heroic efforts’ were made to bring me round after a prolonged deprivation of oxygen.”
Farmers have continued to protest the inheritance tax changes since they were announced.
In 2025 in Oxford, local farmers launched a noisy protest involving tractors.
They parked large tractors outside Oxford University’s Examination Schools where the two-day Oxford Farming Conference was being held.
Farmers in tractors sounded horns outside the conference but did not block the High Street as police monitored the peaceful protest.
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Luke Hawes, a beef and arable farmer at Oakley, near Thame, said the protest was a show of unity from farmers.
He added: “The policies the Government is coming up with are not sustainable, particularly the inheritance tax policy on agricultural property and business property relief.
“My father is 81 and owns the family business, which is valued at about £6m.
“But if he dies within seven years of handing it down we could be hit with a massive tax bill.”
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour host bought the Windmill pub in Asthall for around £1,000,000 and renamed it to reflect his pets and agricultural pursuits.
Situated on a former dogging hotspot, according to Mr Clarkson, the watering hole featured in the fourth season of the Prime Video show Clarkson’s Farm.
The Farmer’s Dog has seen its fair share of famous names visit since it opened ahead of schedule back in August 2024.
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Former US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her actress wife, Portia de Rossi, live nearby and were spotted enjoying a conversation with James Blunt.
Status Quo drummer John Coghlan was also spotted enjoying a drink with his wife both last year and this year.
Then, last May, a British comedy and social media star visited the watering hole with Big John, making the trip to Oxfordshire.
The 52-year-old, whose real name is John Fisher, rose to online fame in recent years, becoming a viral sensation due to his love for Chinese food and his “bosh” catchphrase.
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Uploading a selection of photographs from his pub visit on Instagram, Big John said: “Finally made it to The Farmers Dog pub.
“One night in Cotswolds, so stop off here first
“Big fan of Hawkstone Lager, I won’t nick the glass though. Bosh.”
The fifth season of Clarkson’s Farm will be released on Prime Video starting next month on Wednesday, June 3.
Two further episodes will then be released on the following Friday, before another pair is released the week thereafter.
The Grade II listed mansion near Wallingford was first listed in early June last year and since then a buyer has not been found.
Initially it was priced at £10m by agent Savills but in February the classic 17th-century English country home was pulled from the market and then relaunched in March at £1m less than its original listing.
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It is now priced at £9m.
Mr Caine lived there with his family from 1984 to 1999, with the legendary actor, who played Alfred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol, selling the property in 2020.
At that time it was listed on the market for £6.95m.
Its listing states: “Architecturally interesting, this Grade II listed 17th century, quintessentially English country house affords its future custodian a true Swallows and Amazons lifestyle.
“Marrying period charm with the convenience of 21st century living, Rectory Farm House provides the opportunity to entertain on a grand scale.
“It is a perfect country retreat for those seeking a private edge of village estate, hidden from view.”
With 600 feet of River Thames frontage, the six-bedroom mansion comes with a Moroccan-style jacuzzi, a sauna and a 100,000-litre swimming pool.
In addition, it has two kitchens, five bathrooms, a music room, a drawing room and sitting rooms.
It also has on the ground floor a utility room, gym, plant room, boot room and two lavatories.
Outside Sir Michael added extensively to the 17,000 sq ft property and planted many specimen trees in the grounds.
Property agent Victoria Knight, head of office at Savills in Henley, said: “Situated on the longest stretch of the Thames between locks, Rectory Farm House offers hours of hassle-free boating.
“Despite its 600 feet of frontage, the house cannot be seen from the river and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and grounds.
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“Beneath the formal lawns, waterside meadows are also a haven for all manner of wildlife, including otters, swans, kingfishers, hedgehogs, sparrowhawks, buzzards, rooks and deer.”
Outside, and included in the purchase, is a cottage equipped with a sitting room, kitchen, downstairs bedroom suite and mezzanine bedroom suite.
A three bay, timber clad garage provides an additional three car ports, a large machinery store, a log store and a first floor storage room.
In addition, there is a lodge that is presently used as staff accommodation.
The rural crime police found and recovered a red Ducati Monster in the Cane End area of south Oxfordshire, close to Reading.
According to officers, the bike was involved in an incident last month where it failed to stop for blue lights and made off in a “dangerous” manner having crashed into a police van.
It was found on Wednesday evening, May 13.
The Ducati Monster is a popular motorbike made by the Italian manufacturer since the early 1990s.
Some 350,000 Ducati Monsters have been produced since the model’s introduction in 1993, making it the best-selling and longest-running motorcycle in Ducati’s history.
Its often credited in the motorbike world as being the one that ‘saved Ducati’ due to its popularity and cheap development costs
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