Inside Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub with sublime views

The Farmer’s Dog, situated just outside Burford in West Oxfordshire, is the Oxford Mail’s Pub of the Week.

Long before the TV cameras rolled in, locals knew the spot as The Windmill, a restaurant, bar and wedding venue set in several acres with sublime sweeping views over the Cotswolds.

It traded as a refurbished barn‑style destination with a strong food offering and event space, drawing in diners from Witney, Burford and beyond.

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Jeremy Clarkson, Lisa Hogan and Kaleb Cooper in the Cotswolds pub. (Image: Prime Video)

When the business went up for sale, locals were left wondering what might come next for the place, given how many pubs have closed in recent years.

Enter Clarkson. The former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter revealed in 2024 that he had snapped up The Windmill for around £1,000,000 after a lengthy search for a pub of his own.

The site was reborn as The Farmer’s Dog and featured in the most recent series of Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video, with fans turning up in their droves for opening day in August 2024.

Since then, Mr Clarkson has set about turning the Asthall pub into what he bills as a “proper British pub” with a twist.

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The tractor suspended from the roof. (Image: Newsquest)

The building has been renovated and expanded, with more catering space, outdoor seating and a striking marquee from The Grand Tour parked up in the grounds to act as an extension of the offer.

Inside, visitors will find a polished country‑chic interior, a busy bar and even the odd piano performance beneath a tractor suspended from the ceiling.

What really sets The Farmer’s Dog apart, though, is its fiercely local ethos, with Mr Clarkson insisting that the pub relies solely on produce made in Britain.

The pub avoids imported ingredients wherever possible, meaning that those in search of ketchup or cola will be left disappointed.

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A pint of Hawkstone at the bar in The Farmer’s Dog. (Image: Newsquest)

An outdoor kitchen, dubbed The Farmer’s Puppy, serves meaty street‑food style dishes to those who prefer something quick over the in-pub restaurant.

Hops & Chops, the on‑site butcher and Hawkstone shop, and a small Diddly Squat Farm Shop outpost both sit in the Grand Tour tent on the pub’s grounds alongside another bar.

No Clarkson venue would be complete without Hawkstone, the drinks brand he helped create using barley from Diddly Squat Farm.

Hawkstone lager and IPA, brewed at Hawkstone Brewery near Bourton‑on‑the‑Water, feature prominently on the bar, giving punters the chance to drink beer made with grain grown just up the road at his Chadlington farm.

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The tables inside the Cotswolds watering hole. (Image: Newsquest)

Ciders and other Hawkstone lines help reinforce the all‑British and farming theme, and today, The Farmer’s Dog is far more than a celebrity vanity project, which several anticipated.

TripAdvisor reviewers praise its fresh, locally sourced British cooking and friendly staff, even if some baulk at Cotswolds‑level prices.

With a restaurant, bar, outdoor tent, butcher, bottle shop and farm‑shop add‑on, it has become a full day out for Clarkson fans, food lovers and curious locals alike.

Gorgeous surrounding views, good drinks on tap and a beautiful stone watering hole with a huge garden make for a worthwhile trip, whatever the weather.