Jeremy Clarkson issues Diddly Squat farm shop update and says ‘there aren’t any queues’

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed how a significant change at Diddly Squat Farm has helped address a long-standing frustration for visitors to his popular Cotswolds attraction

Jeremy disputed several elements of the criticism

Jeremy Clarkson has shared a fresh update regarding his well-known Diddly Squat Farm shop following a notable change at his Cotswolds business.

The Clarkson’s Farm presenter, who has lived in the scenic area for three decades, made the disclosure while responding to criticism of the region in a recent newspaper column, which suggested it might not be the most suitable location for American actress Sydney Sweeney to move to.

Writing in The Sun, Jeremy disputed several elements of the criticism, including claims that the Cotswolds suffered from poor internet connectivity and a lack of accessible supermarkets

He also countered suggestions that his pub and Diddly Squat Farm shop were creating extensive queues, highlighting a significant change he had made to the premises.

Jeremy stated that he had submitted his latest column using an internet connection that was substantially better than the one at his London flat. He also revealed that his nearest Co-op was just a ten-minute journey away, reports the Express.

Responding to complaints about congestion, he wrote: “And then I went on a ten-minute trip to the Co-op, past my farm shop where there aren’t any queues because I finally have a car park.”

The car park has been a source of ongoing planning discussions

The car park has been the subject of ongoing planning discussions, with Jeremy having previously obtained temporary permission for the facility at his Oxfordshire farm. In July, proposals to retain the car park received support from Oxfordshire County Council, which backed an application to extend its use until 2030 due to the “expected ongoing demand” generated by the Amazon Prime Video programme.

The initial temporary permission, granted in 2023, allowed the car park to remain for three years. West Oxfordshire District Council is expected to make the final decision on the latest application.

However, the parking arrangements aren’t the only planning matter currently affecting the television personality.

Jeremy recently warned that uncertainty surrounding decisions by his local authority was placing his wider business activities under strain.

He revealed that he had struggled to obtain permission to improve the surface of a field used by customers visiting his pub, despite being offered materials to strengthen it ahead of the winter weather.

Jeremy Clarkson

The former Top Gear presenter said the uncertainty was affecting hundreds of employees, alongside independent businesses that rely on visitors attracted to the farm.

“Nearly 300 people are employed by my various enterprises these days,” he wrote. “And all of them want to know if their jobs are secure.”

Turning to his latest defence of the Cotswolds, Jeremy also rejected the notion that its rural location represented an obvious disadvantage for potential residents. He pointed out that Sweeney had been raised in an equally rural area of Washington State, writing: “Oh, and I’ve checked. Ms Sweeney, right, was raised in a lakeside home in a very rural part of Washington State where – and I know this because I’ve been there – it also goes dark at night.”