Crime & Safety
Fears Jeremy Clarkson will move to town with Richard Hammond
The two presenters worked together alongside James May on both BBC’s Top Gear and Prime Video’s The Grand Tour for more than two decades.
Mr Clarkson lives in Oxfordshire, where he runs Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington and The Farmer’s Dog pub in Asthall, near Burford.
It has been reported that Mr Hammond has bought a six-bedroom Georgian manor house near Abergavenny in Wales.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson revamps Cotswolds farm shop with major changes
With a price tag of £2m, the mansion that was bought with cash comes with a tennis court, wine cellar, conservatory, lake and outbuildings for his collection of cars and motorbikes.
Villagers have seen the TV presenter shopping in Waitrose, with one telling The Sun: “It’s great having a celebrity face in town.
Now, some Abergavenny locals are fearful that Mr Clarkson may follow his former co-star and pal to the Welsh town.
The Abergavenny Chronicle reports: “A handful of agitated residents fear that once Hammond’s former partner in crime, Jeremy Clarkson, gets wind of just how lovely Abergavenny and its wider environs are, the born-again farmer might just decide to snap up a property of his own in the area.”
READ MORE: Historic England issues statement to Jeremy Clarkson over Cotswolds pub
A spokesperson for Not In Our Backyard (NOB) said: “Apart from the occasional sighting in the frozen aisle at the local supermarket, Mr Hammond has kept a very low profile. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Mr Clarkson.
“Since he has set up camp at Diddly Squat Farm, Chipping Norton has turned into an absolute circus. That ghastly farming show he’s involved in makes an absolute mockery of any true son of the soil.
“Imagine if, for instance, he eyes the Abergavenny area as rich for a similar sort of TV special. It would be the absolute ruination of us. It cannot and will not be allowed to happen! One former Top Gear presenter is enough, thank you.”
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
The Rose & Crown in Ratley, a village new Banbury on the northern tip of the Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), shut down unexpectedly ahead of the festive period in December 2024, due to personal circumstances, according to the owners.
The village pub and restaurant, 10 miles north of Banbury, is now set to be reopened under new owners after more than a year on the market.
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In a statement released to introduce themselves, new owners Dee and Norm Knight-Barrett said: “We wanted to reassure everyone that we intend to reopen The Rose & Crown as a traditional British ‘pie and pint’ pub.
“There is quite a bit of work to do internally in particular the cellar and kitchen.
“We want to offer the best beers and pies that we can so we need to carry out some upgrades. We will keep you posted with regard to progress so please bear with us.
“We are looking forward to meeting you all and making lots of new friends.”
READ MORE: TV legend’s daughter selling £3.95m Oxfordshire mansion
The new owners revealed the plans include theme nights, pizza, curry and barbecues, live music, a pool table and sports games, and has invited further suggestions from the village.
The property is a grade II listed, detached building which is believed to have operated as a pub for more than 250 years.
No opening date has yet been announced and works to renovate and refresh the venue are ongoing.
Michael Caine’s £9m riverside manor unsold after a year
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