Jeremy Clarkson Makes Major Change to Diddly Squat Farm After ‘Sad’ Realisation
A Quiet Walk That Sparked a Transformation
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed a poignant moment that pushed him to rethink how he manages his famous Diddly Squat Farm. In his latest Sunday Times column, the Clarkson’s Farm star said he felt “sad” when he first noticed a striking lack of birds across the 1,000-acre Oxfordshire property he purchased in 2008.
“When I first bought Diddly Squat, the skies were completely empty,” he wrote, noting that Britain’s farmland bird populations have dropped by more than 60% since 1970.
Taking Over the Farm — and Taking Responsibility
For years, Clarkson leased the land to a tenant farmer. When that arrangement ended in 2019, he took on farming duties himself — a move documented in the hit Amazon Prime series.
Determined to reverse the decline in bird populations, Clarkson decided to overhaul how the land was managed.
“This made me sad, so when I started farming the land seven years ago I decided to do something about it,” he explained. He widened field margins, stopped trimming hedges away from main roads, and created more space for wildlife.
Farmers are required to leave four to six metres around field edges; Clarkson chose to leave up to ten in some areas, sacrificing crop yield to restore lost habitats.
Ponds, Wildflowers, and a New Approach to Biodiversity
One of Clarkson’s biggest projects has been digging new ponds across the farm — a job he jokingly admits he loves because it gives him an excuse to use heavy machinery. But behind the humour is a serious aim: attracting birds back to the land.
He planted wildflower strips to draw insects, providing a richer food source for farmland species. For expert guidance, he turned to bird specialist Hannah Bourne-Taylor, known for once delaying her travel home from Ghana by 84 days after a rare bird nested in her hair.
Hannah offered detailed advice, from increasing pond access to planting specific flora — though dry weather prevented many flowers from establishing.
“She explained that birds don’t like to travel far,” Clarkson wrote. “A corn bunting rarely strays more than a mile from the hedge where it was born.”
From Empty Skies to 45 Bird Species
Despite setbacks, the results surprised even Clarkson. Hannah recorded 45 different bird species at Diddly Squat — dramatically higher than the average farm’s 27.
Among them were whitethroats, goldfinches, skylarks, and buntings. Clarkson admitted many of the birds were “small and boring” in appearance, but he was genuinely pleased that his conservation efforts were finally paying off.
Clarkson’s Farming Empire — Beyond the Fields
Clarkson also owns The Farmer’s Dog, a nearby pub he has been determined to operate using only British-made products — a decision he jokes has cost him “a fortune.”
Even so, customers “loved” the venue, and the venture has become a natural extension of his broader push toward supporting local agriculture.
A Farming Project with Heart
What began as an experiment for a former TV presenter has evolved into a personal mission. Clarkson’s efforts — from digging ponds to rewilding field margins — mark one of the most meaningful transformations at Diddly Squat Farm.
And although the outspoken presenter rarely admits to sentimentality, restoring the birdlife of his land appears to be one battle he’s fighting not for television — but for nature.
