Visiting Clarkson’s Farm | Miss Mustard Seed

When Julia (my English friend and host when visiting the UK) and I discussed what we should do with our time in the Cotswolds, we frequently kicked around the possibility of visiting Jeremy Clarkson’s concerns – The Farmer’s Dog Pub and Diddly Squat Farm Shop.  Both of us are fans of the show, and we were going to be right in that neck of the woods.  Our only hesitation was the tourist attraction factor.  Neither of us wanted to wait in lines and mingle in crowds, but we kept it as an option.

(Before I get further into our visit, let me add a disclaimer.  I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Jeremy on his journey into farming, documented on Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime.  There are some beautiful moments on the show that celebrate hard work, productivity, and the miracle of nature, champion the plight of the family farm, and explore other heartwarming themes.  Everyone on the show seems to put their whole heart into their work, which is a pleasure to watch.  All of that good and wonderful stuff is mixed with excessive cursing and sometimes crass humor that earns the show a TV MA rating.  I just want to mention that, because the show isn’t for everyone, and while I really love the show and the people involved, there are moments when I put my head in my hands and wish they would rise above the lowest common denominator humor and keep their speech a bit more family-friendly.)

Well, fresh off the plane, as we were driving to visit a village or two before checking into our Airbnb, Julia pulled into a parking lot.  “This is the Farmer’s Dog.”  Ah yes!  In my jetlagged state, I recognized it even before I spotted the signage.  The thing is, everything was closed on that particular day, but the parking lot happened to be open for deliveries and workers, so we were able to park for a few minutes, get out, and walk around a little bit without the usual crowds.

The view from the picnic area is truly stunning.  I stood there for several minutes, just taking it in.

After walking around and snapping a few pictures, there wasn’t much else to do, so we walked back to the car to continue with our day.  As I opened the car door, I saw a familiar face walk by.  Julia and I both spotted him.  There is Alan, Jeremy’s general contractor!  

Julia encouraged me, “You should go say hello.”

“Oh no.  I don’t want to be that person.  He’s working, and I don’t want to bother him.”  I sat in the car and felt conflicted.  I’ve always felt very awkward about the celebrity/fan dynamic, so I usually shrink back or just offer a brief hello or handshake.  I hesitated, though.  I flew across the ocean, and I should take a minute to say hello.  Stop being silly about it.

So, I hopped back out of the car and raced over as Alan was getting in his work van to drive away.  I tentatively waved at him, and he stopped. I told him I was a fan of the show and just wanted to say a quick hello.  He put his van in park, got out, and leaned on the hood like he had nothing else to do.  He asked where I was from, and we had a delightful conversation.  He was so gracious and genuine.  We took a quick selfie (with my cracked camera lens), and each went on our way.

A few days later, we were driving by the pub and shop when it was open, so we decided to stop in to buy a souvenir.

I am going to say this with every bit of admiration for all the people involved in the farm, pub, and shop, but everything was just as you would imagine if you watch the show.  The parking was a challenge, the women’s loo was not operational, the milk machine had an “out of order” sign on it, and the shop employees at the pub decided they were going to close an hour early because things were slow (meaning people who perhaps drove to visit the shop at the end of the day during business hours listed on their website, would find it closed.)

I had to laugh about it all because, in a way, it’s what I expected from watching the show.  It seems to me that Clarkson’s Farm is a victim of its own success, and they are rolling with the punches as best as they can.  (Now that season five has started airing, I received even more insight into their struggles with success, constantly putting out fires, and striving to make improvements.) They are supremely popular and just can’t keep up with all of the fans who want to support and experience a bit of the show in person.  Just from watching the opening of the original farm shop in season one and the pub in season four, you can see all of the problems and headaches that popularity has caused, from traffic jams in quiet villages to not having enough (or functional) bathroom accommodations for the crowds.

I share all of this because it is how our experience unfolded and because, on a smaller scale, I can sympathize. There have been some pretty stressful moments at the Lucketts Spring Market when both the venue and our tent weren’t fully prepared for the crowds that descended, and there were issues with parking, long lines, selling the same piece to two different people at the same time, and weather wreaking havoc…  Running a business is stressful and messy, and perfection is impossible.  What endears me to the Clarkson’s Farm team is that they are willing to try new ideas and struggle through them, while genuinely caring about what they are doing.  Any inconveniences we experienced were completely forgivable in that light, and I found myself rooting even more for their continued success.

Before they closed, I was able to get a t-shirt to take home for Jeff and browse around the shop.

I also got to pop into the pub and see the famous chromed tractor hanging from the ceiling.  It really is cool!  They were fully booked, so we couldn’t get a reservation to eat there, but we ate at other wonderful British pubs while we were in the Cotswolds.

As I was walking back to meet up with Julia and my mom, a young man walked along beside me.  I could see he was bubbling over with excitement.  He started chatting with me about being a fan of the show, how cool it was to see the pub and shop in person, and how amazing it would be to meet someone from the show…  He talked my ear off, and it was further evidence of the show’s charm and appeal.

Despite some of the issues, I could see all the progress they had made and the hard work they had put in since the end of season four.  They were planting herb gardens and hedges and continuing to make improvements to beautify the spaces and address the issues that came along with success.

We stopped by the Diddly Squat Farm shop at the end of another day of touring just to snap a quick photo.  It was late in the day, so the shop was closed, but I enjoyed seeing the original shop and the surrounding farmland.  They had also planted hedges and made improvements at that location.

I shared this shot on my Instagram stories, and the Clarkson’s Farm Instagram account reshared it.  Basically, I take that to mean I’m best friends with Jeremy and the gang now.

If you’re an average tourist heading to the Cotswolds, there are other places we visited and experienced that I would recommend over visiting the Diddly Squat Farm Shop or The Farmer’s Dog Pub.  The reason you want to visit one or both of those places is if you’re a fan of the show and want to support them and see those locations in person.  Even though it wasn’t a must-see on our list, I’m so glad we stopped by.

You can read more about my trip to England in these posts..

Arrival & Burford | “gateway to the Cotswolds”

Bibury, Barnsley, & The Pig

Cirencester, Seasalt Cornwall, and Bourton-on-the-Water

The Thatched Cottage in Chipping Campden

Hidcote Manor | National Trust Home & Garden

Plein Air Painting at Hidcote Manor

Cotswold Farm Park

Daylesford, holding history, and dinner at the Village Pub in Barnsley

Minchinhampton & Winchester

Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire

Chawton House