How to get to The Farmers Dog Safely

How are you getting to Burford?

I love Burford. (don't forget the letter "r").

I will say that in the more than 50 years I have been going to the hilly town with the beautiful Wool Church and magnificent ancient bridge over the Windrush I have never heard of The Farmers Dog. I must have been past it hundreds of times.

Why is it famous? What's taking you there?

Looking at my friend googlemaps I see that it is on the A40 - the main road between Oxford and Cheltenham - which I would not advise walking along. It can be done but I wouldn't. Plus there is that hill I mentioned up to the A40 from the town. On the good side however, there is a bus stop at the top of the hill at the junction, and another at the pub you search, so if the walk back gets too much you can take a bus back, if you time it correctly. Be exceedingly careful crossing the A40.

There is a paved lane from Burford generally following the Windrush and you can reach The Farmers Dog with nearly zero mud. Witney Street leaves the High Street across the road from Huffkins. Since the walk will take about an hour and 20 minutes on the lanes, more if you walk along the river (about 3 and a half miles) it may be a good idea to forage at the Huffkins or other deli/bakery for provisions. I love Huffkins, and especially their Beestings, and they make good coffee and teas. Huffkins is a small local Cotswolds bakery chain - I usually go to the one in Stow on the Wold where my family lived - with a few branches, and now a couple of concessions at John Lewis including Oxford Street in London.

Witney Street parallels the river (a wide and shallow river at that point, beautiful, with a couple of stepping stone bridges although it has been long enough since I've crossed the river that way that I forget exactly where (an OS map would know). One and quarter miles out of Burford the lane reaches a fork in the road, road signs showing Witney 6 miles, Oxford 18 and at that point the lane goes down into the A40.

Take the left fork signposted "The Swan Inn Riverside Pub". That takes you back closer to the river and away from heavy traffic and is much narrower. Straight on, and straight through the hamlet. At 2 and a quarter miles from Burford pass the cricket club, still following cyclepath 57 signs, carefully cross the cross road and continue ahead, signposted Asthall 1/2 mile. You could detour here and turn left past the village sign of Swinbrook with the cricket club on your left to the river and Swan Inn. Beautiful, right on the river, plenty of outside seating and tables for a quick pint.

Continuing the original route, towards Asthall, and straight on there into the avenue of trees. Follow the road around and towards your goal. Just before the Burford Road and the A40, at the 40 mph sign, you find the carpark for The Farmers Dog and a cute sign for the pub.

Bon chance.

Why is it famous? What's taking you there?

It's Jeremy Clarkson's pub.

Lastly, how good is The Farmers Dog IPA?

The Farmer's Dog IPA is the Hawkstone IPA simply renamed. I haven't tried it though so I can't comment on what it's like.

ah. him, huh?

Thank you for the very helpful and detailed information! Much appreciated!

My husband is interested in checking out the Farmers Dog and the IPA.

We plan to get to Burford via coach from Heathrow to Oxford and then train/taxi. We've been to the Cotswolds several times (including walking the entire Way) but have stayed only in Moreton-in-Marsh. Our experiences with the local bus service is that it's a little inconsistent and also that it can be a little dicey to get taxis, and it looks like Burford is closest to The Farmers Dog.

Thanks again.

If you don't fancy the walk, the 233 or 234 will take you there from Burford. Taxi back, if too late for the bus:

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/

British versions of IPAs are generally not as strong and nowhere near as hoppy as their American counterparts.

The Farmer's Dog IPA is the Hawkstone IPA simply renamed. I haven't tried it though so I can't comment on what it's like.

Funnily enough my local farm shop has started selling Hawkstone beers as I discovered this morning. They did have the IPA but I didn't fancy it, I bought a bottle of the lager and the pilsner. The lager was OK, the pilsner wasn't that good so I wouldn't recommend it. I've looked at the pub's website and I can only see Hawkstone beers on the menu so I'd be disappointed if that was all they offered as there are plenty of nicer beers that they could have on tap.

It always amazes me that people will come from far and wide and apparently queue up to eat and drink at a pub just because a bloke has been on TV a bit and not even someone with any pretence to deliver something special. It’s not just from overseas, people seem to be travelling ridiculous distances within the UK to visit the Farmer’s Dog, literally driving past loads of better options that don’t have the benefit of an Amazon TV series.

People really enjoy the TV show so it’s natural they want to see the place in real life. I’m sure I will visit at some point myself. When we had family visit from overseas recently it was one of the things that they really wanted to do.

I forgot to mention that I love Huffkins!

If you don't know why the Farmers Dog is famous, don't bother asking; you'll never understand.

It always amazes me that people will come from far and wide and apparently queue up to eat and drink at a pub just because a bloke has been on TV

Its not really a mystery. Its the same reason many people here ask about Richmond, to see sites from Ted Lasso. Or people go on Beatles Tours of Liverpool. Or frankly, why people go to Buckingham Palace. For millenia people have travelled to see sites associated with famous people, solely because famous people have been there.

Its not really a mystery.

I think you're maybe missing the subtleties of John's point. I'm pretty sure he knows all the things you said. It's just that many people think Jeremy Clarkson in particular is a twit. He's a divisive character and many people wouldn't want to visit his farm or pub.

Agree with Gerry- J Clarkson is very divisive here. While in the US maybe he is best known for his tv shows here he is also known for his newspaper columns where he has said some very unpleasant things that I wouldn't repeat here. He also punched a work colleague in the face, which is how he lost his last tv show.

many people wouldn't want to visit his farm or pub.

me included. I don't put my hand in a blender either.

Probably why it didn't register even though I am frequently on the A40 driving by.

... but I can still give directions to somebody who wants the experience

GerryM - thanks for suggesting that I can write with subtlety! Indeed I too have no time for Jeremy Clarkson, although he does seem to have resurrected his career by playing the incompetent farmer for entertainment.

Indeed I can't see any attraction in visiting places just because someone famous was there or indeed, in the case of Richmond, where a made up person was "there". I can see the draw of visiting places that you have seen on TV or film to experience the views you admire but not people who are no longer there or never even existed.

Anyway, my main point is that there are literally hundreds of pubs across the land as good or better than the Farmer's Dog that you don't have to book ages in advance or queue up to get into.

Jeremy Clarkson is definitely a divisive character but his farming programme is still worth a watch. As a townie I definitely found it an eye opener about the pressures of farming. Clarkson is not stupid and has surrounded himself with people who do know what they are doing and are able to explain the ups and downs of farming life very well.
Since watching it I definitely have more of an appreciation of the food that lands on my plate and how hard it might be to get it there.

I have no wish to visit his pub or shop but I think there should be some credit for the drive to use local small suppliers. My brother works in hospitality so I have some awareness of how hard that industry is finding it at the moment so hopefully his programme will raise the profile of problems in that industry like it has farming.

Reverting to the original question Minster Lovell is the closer village and Street View shows that there is a pavement/sidewalk all the way from there. Not the widest ever pavement by a long way, but a pavement none the less.
Minster Lovell also has bus services (the same hourly 233/234 Witney to Burford, connections at Witney from Oxford), including (rather surprisingly) one Oxford Tube bus a day to London Victoria am and back pm, plus some much less regular other routes.

many people think Jeremy Clarkson in particular

Obviously not this OP, so if that is what he meant it was particularly unhelpful.

It's just a pitfall of mentioning Jeremy Clarkson associated projects on the internet. British people have an opinion on him one way or another and may share it.

The OP wants to visit The Farmers Dog presumably because of Clarkson's Farm. What any of us may think of Jeremy Clarkson is irrelevant, it's not our trip. The OP asked for advice about visiting the pub safely not what anyone thinks of Clarkson.

It happens on the internet sometimes though.

I'm not keen on Jeremy Clarkson, but I think he's a good motoring journalist and a very engaging broadcaster in his own way. I'm supposed to hate Piers Morgan too, but I'd consider him similarly. I remember when he was a good enough journalist to edit a national daily (until he messed it up) and I think he's a real pro with the character he's created for TV.

I'd probably go to Clarkson's Farm or The Farmer's Dog if someone else wanted to go. I wouldn't head there deliberately I don't think.

Nigel's description was great and Stuart gave some really helpful directions a little further up, so the thread's not a total loss.

I usually mention Harry's Farm on YouTube, someone else who was previously involved in automotive publishing and is Clarkson's neighbour in Burford. I'll link to his channel below. I think if I was in Burford, I'd be looking out for one of Harry Metcalfe's cars rather than Clarkson's.

Harry's Farm on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@harrysfarmvids
Harry's Garage on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@harrysgarage

Thank you to everyone for the very helpful directions/information/suggestions. It's also been quite interesting to read the comments about JC himself. Thanks again, and happy holidays!

It's also been quite interesting to read the comments about JC himself.

Lol, for a moment there I thought I had missed something!

"Indeed I can't see any attraction in visiting places just because someone famous was there."

Around 1980, two of my good friends went out of the way to visit The Hog's Breath Inn in Carmel. I was in living in England at the time and was gutted to find out that Clint was actually there at the time of their visit, and he was gracious enough to take a photo with them. I think they were drinking Anchor Steam Beer (unfortunately, not available any longer). At the time, Clint was almost as handsome as Jeremy Clarkson is now.

I visited Richard Burton's gravesite this year, if that counts.

I would have liked to have met Lemmy at Rainbow Bar and Grill while he was still around.

Gerry - I once spent an hour or so having a beer with Lemmy in the bar of the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff. It was about 11pm and we came in after a meal out whilst I wa# working down there. I think he had just got up!
I was no fan of Motörhead but it was still an interesting experience.

Ha, my son loves Lemmy/Motorhead (and Iron Maiden). Lemmy was always funny in the interviews I read or heard.

John, did Lemmy have his teeth in or out when you had a beer with him?

I once spent an hour or so having a beer with Lemmy in the bar of the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff.

Great! He was a very friendly guy by all accounts.

It was more than 20 years ago so in truth I can't remember much about it other than he and I were there!

"Indeed I can't see any attraction in visiting places just because someone famous was there."

That is a very interesting comment, isn't it? I guess no one visits Buckingham Palace, the White House or Abbey Road Studios anymore.

I still stand by my comment darrenbois, although I do think you are offering dramatically different situations here. The thread is about going to a pub owned by a TV celebrity, who has recently made more money with a reality TV series about running a farm (badly, mostly). Buckingham Palace has significant historical significance, although personally I think it's a rather boring building. I have been inside it, but only because I was invited. The White House likewise - I've seen the outside but not been in. Abbey Road is somewhere in between for me, I suppose useful for Beatles fans who can't get to Liverpool.

I'm locking this thread as it seems like the OP got the answers they need, and I don't think she needs a hundred more posts about aspects unrelated to the travel question. (Many have email notifications turned on, folks.)

I'm also leaving this up so that those who participated might take a second look and understand that this thread did not hold to the #1 guideline to stay on topic. You might look back at where it went sideways, and see if you helped keep this thread on track for the OP's question. Thanks to the OP for being so polite about it. Thank you all for your consideration.