Jeremy Clarkson is planning to upgrade his renovated Cotswolds pub to include an upstairs bar and extended licence to sell alcohol outside.
Jeremy Clarkson has big plans for his Cotswolds pub including an upstairs bar and outdoor alcohol sales
The 64-year-old owner of Diddly Squat Farm in Chipping Norton - which has become a huge hit thanks to his Prime TV show 'Clarkson's Farm' - recently purchased The Windmill, which boasts five acres of land and was a picturesque wedding venue, near Burford, Oxfordshire, for "less than £1 million".
And West Oxfordshire District Council has confirmed the former 'Top Gear' co-host has massive plans that he is seeking permission for.
The document states: "To update the floor plans to include a bar on the first floor, extend the licensable area outside the premises and include a temporary tent in a fixed location."
Clarkson wants to offer an old-school pub atmosphere with games and local food and drink, including his very own Hawkstone lager.
A spokesperson for West Oxfordshire District Council commented: "We have received an application to vary the Premise Licence at the Windmill Restaurant. It will follow the legal process for an application for this type which starts with a 28-day public consultation before the council determines the request in line with national guidelines, taking into account any feedback received."
Buying the pub has been a wild ride so far - Clarkson was left shocked when he found some underwear in the grounds on a former dogging site.
Taking to Instagram, Clarkson shared a video where of himself holding up a pair of black knickers with a stick before saying: “Tell me you bought a pub on a dogging site without telling me you bought a pub on a dogging site.”
The ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ star previously admitted he was unaware of The Windmill's unsavoury history before he bought it.
In his column for The Sunday Times newspaper, he wrote: “So I did a deal and then discovered that there was a famous dogging site in the area.
“Photographs from inside the nearby lavatories showed holes in the cubicle walls, strong pornography on the floor and evidence of enthusiastic consumption of the drugs made at the first pub I’d considered.
“So I went to see West Oxfordshire district council, expecting no help at all, and, blow me down, it was very happy to close the dogging site. So I was in business. My dream would become a reality.”
As well as this grizzly discovery, he was less than thrilled to find his new boozer was plagued with plenty of other issues, including a loft “full of dead rats”.
‘The Grand Tour’ host penned: “The cellar is too small, the gable end is falling down, the outside decking area is dangerous, the water is unfit for human consumption, the loft is full of dead rats and the lavatories are illegal.”
In a post to Instagram updating fans on the venture, he said: “New pub coming along. Only the water, gas, lavatories, staff and electrics to sort and we'll be ready to go.”
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