Jeremy Clarkson has revealed his plans for a historic Cotswolds pub, The Windmill, which he purchased for less than £1 million. The former Top Gear presenter aims to create a traditional British pub serving all-British ingredients and his own Hawkstone lager, with bar billiards, darts, and a ban on noisy TVs, fruit machines, and confusing toilet signs.
Clarkson, who part-owns a Cotswold brewery making Hawkstone lager from barley grown on his Diddly Squat farm, said he needed a place to sell what he produces. Despite early challenges including finding staff 'thanks to Brexit', a 'loft full of dead rats', and 'illegal' lavatories, he remains committed to opening promptly, with a wedding reception to host in two weeks.
Friends have warned the venture could be a disaster, with one comparing it to buying a cinema. Clarkson also noted that after buying the pub, he discovered a 'famous dogging site' nearby, which West Oxfordshire District Council agreed to close.
The Windmill, a 400-year-old coaching inn near Burford, had glowing reviews before closing. Clarkson's farm shop has attracted huge queues, leading to police presence. The pub's reopening may draw similar crowds, raising concerns among locals about traffic chaos.
