There are worse ways to celebrate a birthday than with a two-night escape to Oxfordshire, a beautiful Cotswold town, some excellent pub food and, most importantly, lunch at Jeremy Clarkson’s rather famous pub.
Our little Oxfordshire adventure took us to the Artist Residence Oxfordshire in South Leigh, the medieval town of Burford, The Farmer’s Dog, a failed attempt to get into the original Diddly Squat Farm Shop, and finally Goring and Streatley on the way home.
It turned out to be a wonderfully varied couple of days — and one that combined several things we particularly enjoy: good food, interesting places, countryside, characterful accommodation and plenty of opportunities to take photographs.
And yes, The Farmer’s Dog was every bit as busy as we’d expected.
Staying at Artist Residence Oxfordshire
Our base for the two nights was Artist Residence Oxfordshire, in the small village of South Leigh, just outside Witney.
The property is also known as The Mason Arms, a 16th-century thatched pub and country retreat surrounded by Oxfordshire countryside. The hotel describes itself as being at the gateway to the Cotswolds, and it certainly makes a good base for exploring the area.
We stayed in one of the Stable Rooms, which was particularly pleasant because it had its own little terrace with a couple of chairs and a table. It gave the room a feeling of being slightly removed from the main pub, while still having all the facilities you’d expect.
The room itself was comfortable and nicely appointed, with tea and coffee-making facilities, a coffee machine, kettle, complimentary water and a decent shower, along with a roll-top bath in the main room.
Our only real criticism was the bathroom lighting, which we found rather too dim. Perhaps atmospheric, but not especially practical when you’re trying to shave or get ready in the morning!
Artist Residence makes a point of giving each room its own character rather than making the place feel like a conventional hotel. The farmhouse itself dates back to the 16th century, while the Stable Rooms and other outbuildings tend to be quieter than rooms in the main building.
The staff were excellent throughout our stay. Friendly, helpful and seemingly genuinely pleased to have you there — something that makes a surprising difference to a short break.
We ate at the pub on our first evening and enjoyed the food. The pub itself has the sort of relaxed, quirky atmosphere you’d expect from Artist Residence, with plenty of outdoor seating and a lively but comfortable pub feel. Almost everything worked beautifully, with one notable exception: the doughnut dessert simply wasn’t for us. The good news was that the team immediately offered us an alternative, which was provided on the house.
That sort of response is worth mentioning. Things occasionally go wrong in restaurants — what matters is what happens afterwards. In this case, the staff dealt with it exactly as you’d hope.
It isn’t a cheap place to stay, and we’d probably say there are better-value options if price is your primary consideration. But as a characterful countryside escape, we enjoyed it.
And the location is a big part of the appeal. South Leigh is quiet and rural, yet Witney, Burford and the wider Cotswolds are all within easy reach.
Witney: proper Middle England
We also spent a little time exploring Witney, which is a very typical — and very attractive — Oxfordshire market town.
Witney sits on the River Windrush and has historically been associated with the wool trade. Today it is the largest town in West Oxfordshire, with a population of around 29,000. It has a busy high street, shopping centres and a mixture of independent shops and familiar names.
What particularly surprised us was the amount of free parking.
In an era when seemingly every town centre has discovered the joys of charging you £2.50 for an hour, Witney’s free parking felt positively revolutionary. And it was a wise move because the shopping areas were busy.
It’s not necessarily a destination we’d travel miles specifically to visit, but it makes a very pleasant stop when you’re staying in the area.
Burford: the gateway to the Cotswolds
Of course, no visit to this part of Oxfordshire would be complete without spending some time in Burford.
Burford is often described as the “Gateway to the Cotswolds”, and it’s easy to see why. The town tumbles down its famous High Street towards the River Windrush, with traditional stone buildings, independent shops, historic pubs and the impressive medieval church creating one of those quintessentially English scenes.
It is also a town with serious history. The first certain reference to Burford is in the Domesday Book of 1086, while a market charter was granted around 1090. Its prosperity was historically tied to wool, agriculture, milling and other trades.
Today, thankfully, you don’t need to be a medieval wool merchant to appreciate it.
We spent time wandering around the town and, on our second evening, had dinner at The Angel at Burford.
Dinner at The Angel
The Angel is a gastro pub with rooms right in the heart of Burford. It has been run by the King family since 2011 and has developed a reputation for good food, a friendly welcome and a particularly attractive walled garden.
We had a very good meal there.
The Angel also has a strong traditional pub identity. Its bar incorporates a rare Burr Elm counter, while some of the timber used in the bar was reclaimed from Hook Norton Brewery. Its real ales are sourced from the nearby brewery.
So if you’re staying in the area, we’d happily recommend it for an evening meal.
The main event: The Farmer’s Dog
But let’s be honest.
The main reason for this particular trip was always going to be The Farmer’s Dog.
For anyone who has watched Clarkson’s Farm, the pub needs little introduction. Jeremy Clarkson opened it at Asthall Barrow near Burford in August 2024, turning the former Windmill pub into what he describes as a celebration of British farming.
And it has clearly become a destination in its own right.
We arrived on a beautiful day and parked in the overflow car park across the main road. From there, you walk down towards the pub and its collection of buildings and outdoor spaces.
The first thing we encountered was the Grand Tour Tent, which houses the shop, bar and other facilities. It immediately feels more like an attraction than simply arriving at a country pub.
And then there is the restaurant.
We had a 1:15 sitting, and we were genuinely amazed at how busy the place was.
But it was busy in a good way.
There was a real buzz about the whole site. People were clearly there because they’d watched Clarkson’s Farm, but it didn’t feel as though everyone was simply there for a celebrity selfie. There was a genuine enthusiasm for what Clarkson is trying to do.
Does Clarkson’s Farm really make a difference?
We think it does.
One of the interesting things about Clarkson’s Farm is that, beneath all the jokes, Clarkson has managed to explain some of the frustrations and challenges facing modern British farming to a huge audience.
The programme takes the viewer through the weather problems, regulations, planning battles, costs, machinery, labour, markets and sheer uncertainty involved in trying to make a living from farming.
And somehow, despite Clarkson being Clarkson, it leaves you feeling rather sympathetic towards the people doing it.
That seems to have translated directly into the popularity of The Farmer’s Dog.
The pub itself describes the venture as being about supporting and celebrating British farming, and that philosophy is particularly obvious when you sit down to eat.
Three courses — and all British
The most interesting thing about the food is that everything is sourced from Britain.
That isn’t just marketing fluff. The pub specifically states that it uses only British ingredients, with seasonality sometimes limiting the choices available.
We had three courses and the food was superb.
More importantly, it didn’t feel like a gimmick.
Sometimes restaurants build a concept around a particular ingredient or philosophy and the food becomes secondary. Here, the food stands on its own.
Service was also excellent.
Given just how busy the restaurant was, we expected things might be a little chaotic. They weren’t. The staff remained friendly and efficient, and our three-course lunch took around two hours — which felt about right for the occasion.
This wasn’t a rushed lunch. It was a birthday lunch.
And sitting there on a beautiful summer day, surrounded by the Cotswold countryside, it felt like a pretty good way to spend it.
The garden is enormous
After lunch, we went outside to explore.
The garden is huge, with plenty of outdoor seating and lots of space to wander around. It’s the sort of place where you can easily lose another hour without really noticing.
We took the opportunity to take plenty of photographs, soak up the atmosphere and generally enjoy the surroundings.
There is a lot going on at The Farmer’s Dog. Alongside the restaurant are the Grand Tour Tent, Diddly Squat Farm Shop presence, Hops & Chops butcher and bottle shop, and the Farmer’s Puppy bar and kitchen.
It is very much a destination rather than simply somewhere to stop for a pint.
And that’s probably why it works.
So, is The Farmer’s Dog worth visiting?
For us, absolutely.
If you’ve watched Clarkson’s Farm, we’d say it is almost impossible not to be curious about the place. But even if you’re not a fan of the programme, there is enough going on to make it worthwhile.
The food is excellent, the setting is attractive, the staff are good and the whole place has a genuine sense of occasion.
And, perhaps surprisingly, it doesn’t feel overly polished.
It still feels like a pub.
Just a pub with a very large garden, a huge tent, a farm shop, a butcher, a television celebrity for an owner and a rather extraordinary amount of merchandise.
We couldn’t resist Diddly Squat
Having enjoyed The Farmer’s Dog, we decided we might as well complete the Clarkson pilgrimage.
So we headed roughly nine miles towards Chipping Norton to visit the original Diddly Squat Farm Shop.
This is where our carefully laid plans fell apart.
There was a long queue and we were told that the shop was closing at 4:30 and that we were unlikely to get in.
So we didn’t.
Well, at least we went!
The farm shop began in 2020 after Clarkson found himself with an unexpectedly large crop of potatoes — around 40 tonnes, according to the farm shop itself. From that slightly absurd beginning, it has grown into a substantial business selling a range of products from the farm and other British producers.
The current shop operates Tuesday to Sunday and has both main and overflow parking, although the overflow can become muddy in poor weather.
We’ll have to try again another time.
Lunch by the Thames: The Swan at Streatley
On the way home, we decided to take a slightly more scenic route and stopped in Goring and Streatley.
These two villages sit opposite one another on the River Thames, connected by a bridge, and the setting is lovely.
We stopped for lunch at The Swan at Streatley, and this proved to be an excellent final stop on our little Oxfordshire adventure.
The Swan is a historic riverside inn whose origins are believed to date back to the late 17th century. It developed as a coaching inn serving travellers moving through the Thames Valley, and its location beside the river remains its biggest attraction.
The setting is beautiful.
The Thames is right there, the Chiltern countryside rises around the villages and the whole place has that relaxed riverside feel that makes you want to sit outside for longer than you intended.
And the lunch was excellent.
After two days of pubs, countryside and rather a lot of food, it was a very good place to finish.
Our verdict
This turned into one of those short breaks that delivers far more than you initially expect.
Artist Residence Oxfordshire gave us a comfortable and characterful base in the countryside. The staff were superb, the Stable Room was comfortable and the pub atmosphere was exactly right for this sort of trip. We’d happily return, although we’d probably look around a little harder for better value next time.
Burford is every bit as attractive as you’d expect and deserves more than a quick drive-through. Its historic High Street, independent shops and collection of pubs make it an excellent place to spend a few hours.
The Angel delivered a very good dinner and, importantly, handled our one disappointing dessert exceptionally well.
But the undisputed highlight was The Farmer’s Dog.
We went expecting it to be busy.
It was very busy.
And we loved it.
The combination of the food, the setting, the atmosphere and the obvious enthusiasm of the people visiting made it feel like something more than just another celebrity pub.
Perhaps that’s the most interesting thing about Clarkson’s various ventures. Whatever you think of him, he has managed to get an enormous number of people interested in British farming — and The Farmer’s Dog is tangible evidence of that.
And then there was The Swan at Streatley, providing an excellent riverside lunch and a suitably relaxing finale.
All in all, a very enjoyable couple of nights in Oxfordshire.
And next time, we’re getting into Diddly Squat.
The Considered Traveller rating: ★★★★½
Our highlights
- Best meal: The Farmer’s Dog
- Best setting: The Swan at Streatley
- Best town: Burford
- Best accommodation: Artist Residence Oxfordshire
- Best atmosphere: The Farmer’s Dog garden on a sunny afternoon
- Biggest disappointment: Not getting into Diddly Squat Farm Shop
- Would we go back? Absolutely.
Note: opening times and facilities at these venues can change, so check the individual venue websites before travelling.