Jeremy Clarkson beats hosepipe ban with green lawns at his pub

A temporary hosepipe ban was put in place by Thames Water last month and remains in place across the county and surrounding areas.

This follows a prolonged period of dry weather which has continued into August, with temperatures staying high consistently.

Mr Clarkson owns Diddly Squat Farm near Chadlington, which has become famous through Prime Video series Clarkson's Farm.

He also owns The Farmer's Dog pub in Asthall near Burford, which opened in August 2024 after he bought and renovated the former Windmill pub

Now, in his latest column for The Sun, Mr Clarkson has revealed how he has managed to keep his Oxfordshire lawns green despite the ban.

He wrote: "An aerial photograph of the lush green lawns outside Rod Stewart’s sprawling mansion in Essex prompted the nation’s bitter people to ask: 'How did you manage that, mate, when there’s a hosepipe ban in force?'

"Well, let’s think. Could it be, perhaps, that Rod, here with wife Penny, probably has a borehole? It’s not a difficult concept to get your head round. 

"You dig a hole maybe 100 metres down into the ground, put a pump in it and water comes out. Water that’s not subjected to any kind of government interference.

"That’s what we did at my pub, which is why the lawns there are also weirdly verdant."