- READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson puts up huge tenton £1m pub’s grounds
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed his new pub will open its doors to the public for the first time on Friday – and that the boozer has a new name.
The former Top Gear presenter, 64, announced The Farmers Dog, in Oxfordshire will be ready just in time for the Bank Holiday weekend.
The grand opening comes ahead of schedule, as Clarkson initially thought The Windmill pub on the A40 near Burford wouldn’t ready until 2025.
However he confirmed in a Instagram post that people would be welcome to come and enjoy a beer from 12noon on Friday.
Clarkson also revealed he had renamed the pub The Farmer’s Dog – and seemed to reveal he was planning to open a new Diddly Squat Farm Shop on site.
Jeremy Clarkson’s pub The Farmer’s Dog in Oxfordshire will open on Friday, he has announced
Clarkson, 64, who shared a video of himself pouring pints in July, said punters will be welcome from 12noon
Ahead of a showery opening weekend in Oxfordshire, Clarkson installed a canopy and outdoor tables (pictured) on his pub’s five-acre site, which boasts ‘staggering views’ across the Windrush Valley
We exclusively revealed that the 5,000sq ft tent – previously used to host filming of The Grand Tour with Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond on Amazon Prime Video – would allow the petrol head to sell booze on the site even when work is going on in the pub building.
Event notices posted on the West Oxfordshire District Council website had already suggested the pub’s doors were set to open this weekend.
And the district council said it has been ‘advising and supporting’ Clarkson – alongside the Oxfordshire County Council.
But, West Oxfordshire District Council leader Andy Graham said this ‘may have teething problems’ as it had ‘been planned at short notice by him’.
Locals are now worried ‘chaos’ will ensue on the roads near the pub.
Traffic measures are being introduced including dropping the speed limit on the Burford roundabout from 60mph to 40mph and work is currently ongoing to improve bus connections by installing new bus stops and paths.
However, county and district councillor Liam Walker said he wanted more measures in place.
He said: ‘It is important Oxfordshire County Council are supportive but also ensuring lessons have been learnt from the farm shop.’
Clarkson revealed earlier this year he paid ‘less than £1 million’ for The Windmill (pictured), which is set in five acres of countryside near Burford in Oxfordshire
Clarkson appears to be setting up a second Diddly Squat Farm Shop on the site as he posted to Instagram: ‘New shop at the pub coming along well’
The existing farm shop sells Diddly Squat produce ranging from jams to chutneys to honey – marketed as ‘bee juice’
The councillor is asking for double yellow lines around the pub and to explore the closure of the lay-by over the road.
But he said the county council ‘seem reluctant to do both those things’.
Mr Walker said: ‘I am concerned people will park in the lay-by when the car park for the pub is full and they will then need to cross a very busy A40.
‘We have seen with the farm shop that people visit even when closed to take selfies with the signage so I suspect the same will happen here and the lay-by offers that easy option to do so.
Read More
EXCLUSIVE Jeremy Clarkson puts up huge tent in the grounds of his £1million country pub to sell booze
‘There is the potential that this will end up being Farm Shop chaos mark 2 and I will be disappointed if that’s the case as there has been plenty of time and learnings to make sure this is safe for visitors and those passing by.
‘We will find out at the weekend whether more will need to be done.’
He added: ‘I know Clarkson has approached a nearby landowner to explore options for another car park but as yet I’m not sure if this has been agreed.’
Sharing his concerns about traffic on Facebook, Mr Walker said the post ‘exploded’ with over 300 comments.
Some locals warned the council not to repeat past mistakes it made over Diddly Squat Farm Shop roughly 10miles away.
There has been a long-running dispute over the local authority initially refusing to grant permission to Clarkson to extend the car park – later granted on appeal – and to build a restaurant captivated audiences of hit TV series Clarkson’s Farm.
One said: ‘If the council hadn’t had been so petty and allowed Clarkson to convert the old lambing shed into a restaurant, which had ample car parking, then he wouldn’t have had to purchase the pub in order to use his, and other local farmers, meat and vegetables in order to make a profit.’
Another said he must be allowed ‘to make a car park as big as he needs for the business to operate safely’.
Those who live in the nearest village Asthall Leigh have so far given Mr Clarkson’s big plans the benefit of the doubt while raising concerns about traffic.
But one resident of a nearby Swinbrook village said: ‘My issue is if you put into a satnav his film set A (the farm shop) to his film set B (the pub) it takes you right through Swinbrook.
‘It will be chaos and devastating for residents.’
Others said ‘can’t wait for traffic in Burford to be backlogged even worse every day when it opens’ and ‘Love Clarkson and glad to have him here but I gotta admit that I’m dreading the school run from Minster to Burford when he opens’.
One local added: ‘Let chaos commence.’
A West Oxfordshire District Council spokesperson said: ‘We are always keen to support local businesses and we have had initial conversations with Mr Clarkson and his team about the Windmill pub.
‘We have provided advice and we are also practically supporting with various elements of opening the pub such as licensing, water supply and food safety.
‘The county council are leading on the issues around parking and traffic, and are putting in place various measures.
‘We will continue to work with the pub’s owners and management as well as partners, such as the county council, to support the business while also helping to minimise the potential impact on local residents and other businesses.’
MailOnline has contacted Clarkson’s reps for comment.