Jeremy Clarkson makes big change to Diddly Squat Farm after ‘sad’ realisation
Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has detailed how he was left feeling ‘sad’ after a ‘poignant’ moment at his Diddly Squat Farm
Jeremy Clarkson had a ‘sad’ moment at Diddly Squat Farm(Image: Amazon Prime Video )
Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about a touching experience from his time running Diddly Squat Farm that left him feeling “sad”. The former Top Gear presenter, who bought a thousand acres including Curdle Hill Farm back in 2008, was dismayed by the absence of birds at his Chipping Norton location.
A tenant had previously managed the farm, but when they left in 2019, Jeremy decided to run it himself. His venture into agriculture has been documented in the hit Amazon Prime Video show, Clarkson’s Farm.
Jeremy spoke about his disappointment at the stark reduction in bird numbers since he first began farming six years ago.
Writing in his Sunday Times magazine column, he said: “Since 1970 their numbers have plummeted by more than 60%, and when I first bought Diddly Squat this sorry state of affairs was obvious. I’d go for a walk and the skies were completely empty.”
Jeremy Clarkson runs Diddly Squat Farm(Image: Prime Video)
The TV star was determined to make a difference when he started farming seven years ago.
He said: “This made me sad, so when I started farming the land seven years ago I decided to do something about it. Away from the roads, I stopped trimming the hedges and widened the margins round the edges of the fields.” For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
According to Jeremy, farmers must leave between four and six metres around field edges. But he opted to leave 10 metres in certain spots to create a better habitat for birds, despite this resulting in reduced food production.
Jeremy has been busy making improvements to Diddly Squat Farm, including digging ponds across the property. He jokingly confessed his love for using diggers, but also expressed hope that these water sources would attract farmland birds back to the area.
In a bid to entice insects as food for the birds, Jeremy planted “wildflower strips” around the farm. He sought advice from bird expert Hannah Bourne-Taylor on how to further enhance the environment for the birds.
Hannah, who once stayed in Ghana for an extra 84 days due to a bird nesting in her hair, suggested more modifications at Diddly Squat. These included planting a variety of flora with Latin names.
Unfortunately, due to dry weather conditions, none of the flowers grew. Hannah also advised him to rent a digger and create more ponds, explaining that birds preferred not to travel far.
“A corn bunting, for example, rarely strays more than a mile or so from the hedge where it was born.”
The former Grand Tour presenter revealed that Hannah identified 45 different bird species at Diddly Squat, significantly more than the average farm’s 27.
Among the species spotted at Jeremy’s farm were whitethroats, goldfinches, buntings, and skylarks. Despite describing most of the birds as “small and boring,” he expressed satisfaction that his efforts had yielded results.
Jeremy’s farming endeavours extend beyond Diddly Squat Farm, as he has also invested in the nearby Farmer’s Dog pub. He admitted, however, that running the pub was costing a “fortune”, although he said customers had “loved” the venue.
