Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub faces a potentially devastating financial blow – it could be forced to close the huge car park that allows it to welcome hundreds of punters at a time because it’s next to a historic grave.
The car park is adjacent to a listed ancient monument, a 1,400-year-old burial mound containing the remains of an Anglo-Saxon warlord, and there are suggestions it could be damaged by the number of cars now arriving.
So there is now growing local pressure to close the car park – which would massively affect the number who could visit.
The presenter spent £1m to take charge of The Farmer’s Dog which is close to his base in the hugely popular Clarkson’s Farm TV show and has spoken of how expensive the project has been – but he’s dependent on car users to have any hope of keeping it solvent.
A local who drinks in the pub said: ‘Clarkson’s problems with the pub could spiral to another level if they make him close his car park – the punters wouldn’t be able to get to the pub.’
The brewing row centres on his use of a leased 34-acre field close to the pub.
As soon as Clarkson acquired the pub lease he knew he needed to increase its parking capacity – because of what happened previously when he opened his hugely popular Diddly Squat Farm Shop near Chadlington, and it featured in the show.
Fans soon came in their hundreds causing traffic jams with punters parked for miles around on the grass verges of narrow single-tracks, blocking roads and causing fury among neighours.
Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub could be forced to close the huge car park that allows it to welcome hundreds of punters at a time because it’s next to a historic grave. Clarkson is pictured at the opening of his pub in August 2024

The presenter spent £1m to take charge of The Farmer’s Dog which is close to his base in the hugely popular Clarkson’s Farm TV show and has spoken of how expensive the project has been

Jeremy Clarkson spent £1m to take charge of The Farmer’s Dog which is close to his base in the hugely popular Clarkson’s Farm TV show
So Clarkson quickly struck a deal with local landowners Edward and Patricia Walker to lease the field with motorists charged £2 to park there, £1 of which would go to the Walkers.
The arrangement seemed to be going well with cars flooding in and out since last summer’s August opening, all carefully managed by parking wardens wearing hi-vis jackets, as Clarkson’s pub tills rang day and night.
But there are now calls to stop using the field because it is so close to the burial mound.
Asthall Barrow, which dates from the seventh century AD, contains the cremated remains of a ‘high-status individual’, probably a warlord commanding all or part of one of the regional kingdoms the country was divided into during the Dark Ages.
The barrow is listed and protected by Historic England in the heritage category of a ‘scheduled monument’ in the same way that Stonehenge is.
But it sits at the western edge of the field Clarkson is using as a car park.
And for the long term protection of the ancient mound, locals are suggesting it may be necessary to close the car park – which at times turned to a mud bath over the wet winter.
Clarkson would then need to find an alternative field – and if he can’t find one near enough to walk to the pub from, he may even need to provide a shuttle bus for customers.

Fans soon came in their hundreds causing traffic jams with punters parked for miles around on the grass verges of narrow single-tracks, blocking roads and causing fury among neighours

The car park is adjacent to a listed ancient monument, a 1,400-year-old burial mound containing the remains of an Anglo-Saxon warlord and there are suggestions it could be damaged by the number of cars now arriving
Minutes from the last Asthall Parish Council meetings noted: ‘The (overflow) car park is likely to be a contentious issue particularly if the county archaeologist objects. They did not object to its temporary use (as an overflow car park) but permanent use is a different matter.
‘It was felt that (moving the overflow car park to) land elsewhere on the other side of the road or further away with a shuttle bus would be a better option. It was felt that planning enforcement should be taking more action.
‘Parking was also raised with local residents concerned about the use of a historic site for parking. The chairwoman has already contacted Oxford County Council with respect to the site being of archaeological interest.’
Summing up, the parish council agreed that it should be a priority to ‘protect the barrow as far as possible’.
Lynne Hughson, a local resident who is also the chairwoman of Asthall Parish Council, spoke to MailOnline to confirm the locals’ concerns about the overflow car park’s proximity to the burial mound:
She said: ‘I think that the minutes of the last couple of meetings [which express concern about the car park being so close to the burial site] reflects the views of the parish council.’
Parish councillors added that the matter has not been helped by the temporary use planning agreement granted to Clarkson to use the overflow car park expiring ‘many months ago.’
A West Oxfordshire District Council spokesperson confirmed that other options are being considered to ‘protect the important historic site and comply with relevant laws.’

The use of the car park over winter, often in wet weather has seen it at times churn up into thick mud

Clarkson wrote how his pub – run only on British produce – is a ‘total disaster’ behind the scenes as thefts, traffic chaos and toilet nightmares run rampant
The spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of the expired temporary use period for the overflow car park plus the presence of the prehistoric barrow in the proximity of the car park.
‘We are working with the management of The Farmer’s Dog to provide advice on potential solutions that will protect the important historic site and comply with relevant laws.
‘Officers are working closely with the archaeological team at Oxfordshire County Council as part of this work.’
The new development could be bad news for Clarkson as he prepares for the predicted boost in customers to The Farmers’ Dog which will come with the release of the new series of Amazon Prime’s Clarkson’s Farm in the Spring, which is understood to heavily feature the opening of the pub.
The TV presenter – who recently had a heart operation due to stress – recently spoke of how desperate the pub trade was, listing a range of difficulties he has had since opening.
Clarkson wrote how his pub – run only on British produce – is a ‘total disaster’ behind the scenes as thefts, traffic chaos and toilet nightmares run rampant.
When the Farmer’s Dog first opened in Oxfordshire in August many had travelled from far and wide to the picturesque spot for a chance of a pint, with the car park rammed within an hour of its opening.
So the emergence of the burial mound issue is a new, unwelcome headache.
Historic England has previously stated: ‘Asthall is a burial monument of Anglo-Saxon or Viking date.
‘The Asthall Barrow is one of the best preserved examples of a type of burial mound of which there are about ten examples in West Oxfordshire. Despite partial excavation and recent animal burrowing it will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction
The medieval burial mound was partially excavated by archaeologists in 1923 and a number of ancient artefacts were uncovered including cremated human bone pieces, ivory pieces, pottery, gaming pieces, bronze and silverware.
Archaeologists say the position of the burial mound on top of a hill which has commanding views all around, its orientation.
Its location on the once fought-over borders of the ancient kingdoms of Wessex to the south and Mercia to the north suggests the person buried beneath it is likely to have been a high-ranking individual of the ‘warrior elite’.
The use of the car park over winter, often in wet weather has seen it at times churn up into thick mud.