The 66-year-old owns a 1,000‑acre holding known as Diddly Squat Farm, near Chipping Norton in West Oxfordshire, where his hit Amazon series Clarkson’s Farm is filmed.

The site includes the Diddly Squat Farm Shop and a restaurant, which attract visitors from across the country and regularly cause queues on local roads.

In 2024, the former Top Gear presenter also bought a village pub at Asthall, near Burford, renaming it The Farmer’s Dog.

READ MORE: Over 25,000 people to descend on Jeremy Clarkson’s farm this summer

The Cotswolds inn, on the A40, now operates as a pub and restaurant serving Hawkstone beer and produce linked to the farm.

Writing in his latest Sunday Times column, Mr Clarkson said: “I’m very proud that we’ve been selected to host this prestigious event, but also a little embarrassed, because 30,000 farmers will be talking nonstop about farming on a farm where not much actual farming is going on.

“We know for a fact we won’t make money on wheat and barley. And we’re still closed down with TB.

“Last month, when I would normally be out in the fields planting the spring barley and the durum wheat, Cheerful Charlie, my land agent and all-round font of wisdom, told me that this year there’s absolutely no point, because even if the weather is perfect and I make no mistakes, we are guaranteed to lose money. It is a mathematical certainty.”

The milestone marks a quarter-century since the first of the BMW-era models rolled off the line at Cowley on April 26, 2001.

On Sunday, the plant hosted a Drive It Day event to mark the anniversary and raise funds for the NSPCC’s Childline service.

The plant also celebrated 50 years of the Rover SD1, 40 years of the Rover 800 and 25 years of the modern Mini, all which have been built at Cowley.

READ MORE: Major grant launched to support ambulance staff across four counties

A 1997 Mini Rover (left) and A 1984 Mini Austin (right) (Image: Zac Holmes)

Tanya Fields, organiser of the Drive It Day said: “The general Drive It Day also went extremely well with 10 Rover SD1s coming back to the plant for their 50th anniversary.

“One of them made considerable effort, coming from the Netherlands.”

Since 2001 nearly 4.7 million Minis have been built in Oxford under BMW ownership.

The Cowley plant contributed to the days festivities by creating aerial footage with modern Mini’s (Image: Matt Richardson)

Organisers said around 70 modern Minis built in 2001 returned to the plant, including 27 with the Y*** OBL number plates, the first batch of the car used for press and marketing purposes.

READ MORE: Wildlife park warns visitors from Oxfordshire

The event drew in more than 1,000 visitors, where drivers could drive a vintage car for free.

“We were visited by around 200 classic cars over the day and lots of former workers took the opportunity to come back, along with the local community,” a spokesperson said.

Markus Gruneisl, BMW Group’s chief executive for UK manufacturing, said: “This 25-year milestone is a proud moment for Mini and for everyone involved in its production here in the UK.”

This follows a Reform councillor calling the removal of Union and St George’s cross flags a “waste of money” after they were replaced on Station Road, Didcot, less than a week after being taken down.

Olly Glover MP described mounting frustration about the situation around Didcot Parkway as he rebutted the claim.

Mr Glover said: “It is great to see our national flags flying from authorised sites such as public buildings and flag poles, and many local households and businesses proudly flew the flag for St George’s Day to celebrate our shared culture and values.

“However, I have recently had flurry of correspondence from people frustrated that despite the best efforts of council and GWR contractors to remove flags from around Didcot station, that the flags have been replaced.  

“It is right that councils take down flags attached illegally to public property without council permission and take legal action against those responsible.

“It is not a ‘waste of money’ to enforce the law.

“The cost of removing flags, or anything else, attached to public property without permission, should be paid for by those responsible for putting them up – not the tax payer”

When flags were replaced on Station Road last week by a Raise the Colours group, more were added in other locations, including Saxton Road in Abingdon, and in Shillingford, Benson and Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.

The movement says it is placing flags around the county in the name of patriotism, but it has attracted criticism with allegations of intimidation and threatening behaviour from some members towards the public and council staff.

Last month, the county council issued a formal legal notice to Raise the Colours Oxfordshire in a bid to prevent it from putting up more flags.

Didcot South county councillor Hao Do (Reform) said the legal notice was “ludicrous”.

County councillor for Didcot South Hao Do (Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

He added: “These are not prohibited flags and it’s a waste of money for the council to take them down – they should be left in place – these are our national flags – they are not offensive.”

A spokesperson for Raise the Colours Oxfordshire said: “Raise the Colours Oxfordshire are a part of a wider nationwide movement that wishes to peacefully raise the concerns of the British people who are increasingly made to feel like second class citizens in their own country.

“Our aims are to highlight their concerns, whilst spreading joy and unity through the flags of our nation.”

Previously, a county council spokesman said the local authority was aware of the flags in Didcot, Benson, Shillingford and Abingdon.

They stated: “In March we issued a formal legal notice to Raise the Colours requiring them to stop placing flags on or near highways without consent.

“We are considering all available options to prevent further unauthorised action, which will include, but not limited to, civil and criminal proceedings.”

What do you think about the raising and removal of Union and St George’s cross flags in communities across Oxfordshire?