A vast reinforced metal surface has been installed at The Farmer’s Dog, Jeremy Clarkson’s Oxfordshire pub, after archaeological remains were discovered beneath its overflow car park.
The 100,000-square-foot structure, made up of 530 inch-thick aluminium sheets linked together across a six-acre field, now covers what was once a green hilltop within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The metal covering was put in place to protect sensitive remains found near Asthall Barrow, a protected 1,400-year-old burial mound believed to contain the remains of a high-status Viking or Anglo-Saxon warlord.
The discovery followed a geophysical survey ordered this summer after Clarkson applied for retrospective planning permission to continue using the field as an overflow car park — despite it having already been in use for around a year. Archaeologists identified potential features linked to the scheduled monument just yards away, prompting concerns about damage from vehicle movement.
Specialist reports submitted with the application warn that the car park could have both a visual and archaeological impact on the setting of the burial mound. Historic England confirmed that while the parking area does not extend into the scheduled monument itself, extra measures are required to prevent encroachment or accidental harm.
Local councillors suggested installing a protective membrane or reinforced grass surface and proposed adding an interpretation board to help visitors understand the site’s historical significance. Parish officials also raised concerns over road safety, signage, mud on nearby roads, and pedestrian access.
The metal covering — which weighs hundreds of tonnes and cost a substantial sum to hire — comes amid Clarkson’s public comments about the difficulty of turning a profit at the pub, despite it being fully booked since opening in August 2024. A decision on the retrospective planning application has yet to be made, and the overflow car park could still be closed entirely, a move that would significantly affect the business, which relies heavily on visitors arriving by car.
Clarkson purchased the pub for around £1 million last year, following earlier traffic issues at his nearby Diddly Squat Farm Shop. Learning from that experience, he arranged the use of the field with local landowners ahead of the pub’s opening, charging visitors £2 to park, with part of the fee returned to the landowners.
Asthall Barrow, dating back to the seventh century AD, is recognised nationally as a rare and important example of an early medieval burial mound, protected under the same heritage classification as some of Britain’s most significant historic sites.
