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4 months ago
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Jeremy Clarkson was so intent on taking over a local pub that he offered the owner almost £1 million for it within minutes of meeting her, MailOnline can reveal.
The Windmill is set in five acres of Cotswold countryside with stunning views across the Windrush Valley - and is just ten miles from the TV star’s famous Diddly Squat Farm base.
And now MailOnline can reveal just how determined Clarkson was to bring the deal off and make sure the project - and a spinoff TV show - could go ahead that he made the owner an offer she couldn't refuse.
Jackie Walker, 79, who opened the pub in 1983, hadn’t even put the pub on the market - and was stunned to be told of Clarkson’s interest which accelerated into a finalised deal within minutes of their meeting.
Clarkson bought the freehold to the pub and it isn't tied to a brewery, so he can realise his dream of selling his own beer and produce from his farm at the venue.
Jeremy Clarkson revealed this week that he had realised his dream of owning his own pub
Clarkson purchased The Windmill pub for £1 million from Jackie Walker (pictured) who had owned the pub since 1983 - and revealed that it wasn't even on the market when he approached her
The Windmill is set in five acres of Cotswold countryside with stunning views across the Windrush Valley. Mrs Walker ran the pub for 30 years with her husband, Alan
Clarkson has bought the freehold to the pub which means it isn't tied to a brewery, so he can realise his dream of selling his own beer made on his Diddly Squat farm 10 miles away
The Windmill has a rich history. It was converted from a barn in 1983 by Jackie Walker. During the Second World War the barn had been used as a soup kitchen run by the famous Mitford sisters who had lived at nearby Asthall Manor in the 1920s
A Clarkson's Farm spinoff TV show could go ahead now that the star has bought the pub featuring the trials and tribulations of restoring it to its former glory
Jackie explained: ‘A film crew had come into the pub and the next thing I knew someone with Clarkson knocked on the door and asked if I was interested in selling.’
She was invited to meet with Clarkson at his home in the nearby village of Chadlington where his farm Diddly Squat is based to discuss possible terms.
She said: ‘The first thing Jeremy said to me was I suppose you want a lot of money for this.’
He then made her an immediate offer that was much more than she had expected - and she accepted immediately.
Jackie recalled: ‘It did make me laugh, but that is Jeremy Clarkson.’
Clarkson said he looked at a number of pubs locally before deciding on The Windmill
She went on: ‘We had met for coffee at his house, and I took over the maps of the place. He and his partner Lisa were charming, and I really liked them.
‘I had not been planning to sell the place, but I wasn’t that happy with how it was being run and I am not getting any younger.’
Renovation work on the pub has already begun and the project will be filmed by the same production company that makes ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ for Amazon Prime.
Jackie, who ran the pub herself for over 30s years before more recently handing over day-to-day running to lease holders while retaining ownership, now hopes The Windmill’s new celebrity patron can revive its fortunes.
She continued: ‘I assume he will make a TV series out of it. I really do hope that he can make a big success of the place and restore it back to how it was. My husband and I had so much fun running it.’
And she revealed the intriguing history behind the building which had a previous existence as a farm barn - and its links to a famous society family.
Jackie and her late husband, Alan, opened The Windmill near Burford in west Oxfordshire in 1983 having converted the disused barn that was on a 750-acre family farm.
Jackie and her late husband, Alan, opened The Windmill near Burford in west Oxfordshire in 1983 (Pictured, the couple together at a wedding that year)
Jackie and Alan opened the pub after converting a disused barn that was on a 750-acre family farm (pictured, the barn)
Clarkson also bought out the five-year lease of the existing landlords Barry and Vanessa Eason
Renovation work on the pub has already begun (pictured) and the project will be filmed by the same production company that makes ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ for Amazon Prime
During the Second World War the barn had been used as a soup kitchen run by the famous Mitford sisters who had lived at nearby Asthall Manor in the 1920s.
Jackie said the conversion work was carried out by her uncle using elm wood to create a classy restaurant that was always packed.
It became popular with locals, tourists visiting the Cotswolds and airmen from the nearby RAF Brize Norton base in Burford who would often visit the carvery at the restaurant.
Mrs Walker said she now wants Clarkson to make a go of the new venture and repeat the success she had particularly in the pub’s early days.
And she hopes she gets invited to Clarkson’s grand reopening.
She went on: ‘It was a very popular place when my husband and I first opened The Windmill. ‘The place was always packed. In the run up to Christmas, say, it was full every night. People would come from quite a way to our place, and it was very successful.
‘We were known for good food, particularly a Sunday roast.’
‘I worked in the kitchen and Alan and I would also do the carvery,’ said Jackie.
‘Weekends were the busiest with at least 120 people for dinner on a Saturday and 180 on Sunday.’
Jackie said she stepped back from day-to-day running of the pub when her husband Alan died 11 years ago aged 73 and allowed leaseholders to continue its operation.
Clarkson had bought out the remaining five years on that lease from husband and wife leaseholders Barry and Vanessa Eason when he did the deal. The Easons left last month.
In his Sunday Times column Clarkson was less than complimentary about the pub’s condition, describing it as ‘full of dead rats’ and the ‘lavatories [are] illegal.’
He also claimed the water was unfit for human consumption and the outside decking area unsafe.
In his vision for the venue, he says he wants to turn it into a club house where farmers will get a free pint. Only food from Britain will be served with much of it from his Diddly Squat farm.
It will also serve Hawkstone Lager which is brewed in the Cotswolds.
Clarkson was less than complimentary about the pub’s condition, describing it as ‘full of dead rats’ and the ‘lavatories [are] illegal.’
In his vision for the venue, he says he wants to turn it into a club house where farmers will get a free pint (pictured, a shot of the pub's interior)
The pub is just off a roundabout on the busy A40 road and has extensive parking with a twisting 300 foot driveway.
Earlier this week a film production crew arrived at The Windmill while a cleaning company set to work mopping the flagstone floors. A local builder dropped off metal trestles to be used as part of the renovation work planned.
House plants and other pieces of furniture, including a baby grand piano were moved around inside the venue.
Clarkson has said he expects to re-open The Windmill later this year and his new venture has been warmly welcomed by locals in Asthall and nearby Burford.
The 64-year-old fell foul of locals when he launched Diddly Squat farm in 2020 due to traffic chaos on small country roads as fans flocked to buy his farm produce having watched the TV series at his attempt to become a farmer.
He was forced to apologise to local residents but is unlikely to face the same problems in Asthall.
Derek Netherton, 79, who rents out an Airbnb in Asthall , was optimistic about The Windmill's new owner.
He said: 'We are excited for the extra custom, but we're apprehensive about the noise.
'With a bit of luck the traffic will stay on the A40, as the roads are very narrow.'
Derek Netherton, who rents an Airbnb in Asthall, is optimistic about The Windmill's new owner
Clarkson will be hoping to recreate the magic of Clarksons Farm where his chemistry with Kaleb Cooper (pictured) has drawn in millions of viewers
Chris Townsend, 50, a metal wall art sculptor, hoped people would flock to Clarkson's new pub.
He said: 'It potentially could be really positive for the area as The Windmill had been struggling for years.'
He added: 'I have a showroom so people waiting around could be brilliant.'
Even staff at a rival pub The Three Horseshoes in Asthall were happy to have competition.
'Anything that brings in more customers to the area cannot be a bad thing,' said a member of staff.
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