Jeremy Clarkson has explained how he has kept The Farmer's Dog pub garden in the Cotswolds green despite a hosepipe ban affecting 40% of Brits. The TV presenter, 66, revealed the secret in his newspaper column, saying he drilled a borehole at the pub.
Borehole solution
Writing about how Sir Rod Stewart has kept his Essex lawn green, Clarkson said: "An aerial photograph of the lush green lawns outside Sir 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?'"
He added: "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."
Clarkson explained that you can "get around government interference" by drilling a hole approximately 100 metres into the ground, installing a pump, and extracting the water. He said: "That's what we did at my pub, which is why the lawns are also weirdly verdant."
Lawful exemption
Private boreholes are entirely lawful to use during a hosepipe ban because the water doesn't originate from the public treated mains supply. A borehole is a shaft drilled deep underground to tap into natural groundwater. Once lined and equipped with an electric pump, you can attach a standard garden hose to the pressure system and water your lawn without breaching drought restrictions. They can cost tens of thousands of pounds to set up.
Aerial photographs taken above The Farmer's Dog on Monday (August 17) showed large portions of grass maintaining its lush green appearance while surrounding fields remained scorched brown. The pub, formerly known as The Windmill, was purchased by Clarkson in 2024 for reportedly less than £1million. Its grand reopening in August 2024 was attended by hundreds of patrons who queued for hours. The Farmer's Dog operates from Tuesday to Saturday and exclusively sources produce made in Britain.
