farm

Kelvin Fletcher will return to screens tonight with an episode from series one of Fletcher’s Family Farm.

Kelvin and Liz Fletcher were forced to make a heartbreaking decision on the farm.

Following the end of series four of the ITV reality show, which follows Kelvin Fletcher and his family as they run their farm in Cheshire, fans will be treated to a repeat episode tonight.

In episode seven, available to watch on ITVX, Kelvin and Liz faced brutal decisions, one of which left their daughter, Marnie, feeling upset.

The family decided to put their pet lamb, Aga, with the rest of the flock before sending two of their sheep to slaughter.

Kelvin reflected, “It’s the right thing for him, but a day we’ve all been dreading.”

As they walked Aga up to the top field, he went on, “Our Aga is more like a dog than a sheep, and we’ve all become very attached to the little guy.”

“I don’t want him to go,” Marnie pleaded with her parents. Kelvin then proceeded to mark Aga with a special love heart on his back before he joined the rest of the flock.

The former soap star commented, “He seems reluctant to join the flock, giving Marnie a little more time to say goodbye.”

Marnie shared her fears that her dad would send Aga to the butchers for the family to eat, but Kelvin reassured her that he was part of the family.

“She’s gutted,” Kelvin said to his wife, Liz. “She’s going to be upset, isn’t she?”

Liz shared, “We’ve had him from literally day one. The second he was born, we’ve looked after him, and it’s a success that he’s a healthy lamb, and he’s good enough and well enough to now go out in the big field.”

Kelvin noted, “Neither of us are willing to accept it just yet. He’s probably thinking, ‘I want to be back with you, Dad, back down there,’ but within a day, he’ll be happy, I hope.”

Calling to his daughter, Kelvin shouted, “Marnie, come on now, darling. We’ll come and check on him later on, okay?”

“Right, darling, come here. It was a bit tough, that wasn’t it, a bit tricky,” Kelvin said as he cuddled his daughter, who was visibly upset.

“But listen, he’s only in this field, he’s with all his friends, just like the first day at school.

“In a couple of hours, he’ll be out there running around with all his friends, and we’ll come and check on him, and I’ll do you a deal. I promise, shake hands…. that we’ll always have him.

“I’m making you a promise, you see. Like the other lambs and the other sheep, sometimes they help feed everybody. He won’t end up on our plate. I promise you that.”

“That may not have been the most profitable decision I have made today, but family comes first,” Kelvin added as they walked back to the farm.

Fletcher’s Family Farm will air tonight at 7.30pm and is also available to watch on ITVX.

Everyone’s heard about Clarkson’s Farm, so a visit to the Diddly Squat Farm Shop is a must for any fan, but it might just surprise you as it did when I visited while in the Cotswolds

Eager to see what Jeremy Clarkson’s famed corporation was really like, earlier this month I visited his Diddly Squat Farm Shop on the grounds of The Farmer’s Dog in the Cotswolds. Truthly, it was far from what I had expected.

Ever since Clarkson graced our screens in 2021 to take on the mammoth and unexpected task of running his very own farm in the Cotswolds, I was invested. Not because I’m an avid Top Gear fan, but after seeing the mega operation of Clarkson’s Farm and the endless challenges that come with it, I wanted them to succeed.

That, along with the comical moments that unfolded between Jeremy and fellow farmer, Kaleb Cooper, as well as the iconic characters of Gerald Cooper, Charlie Ireland and Lisa Hogan, who contribute to the highly entertaining and beloved Amazon series.

OPINION

Amy Jones

OPINION

Amy Jones

So when I found myself spending the weekend in the Cotswolds, a visit to Diddly Squat Farm Shop was top of my list.

While the flagship farm shop is in Chipping Norton, another of Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shops is in Burford. With ample space on the grounds, this is where you can also find The Farmer’s Dog, Clarkson’s pub and restaurant, which gets fully booked every weekend, as I quickly discovered. Yet, there was so much more on the site than I had initially anticipated.

From the moment Google Maps told me I had arrived at my destination, I was bewildered by how busy the car park was. I mean, it was a Saturday afternoon, but it was a gloomy day in May, and it was absolutely packed with fellow Clarkson’s farm fans who were just as eager to experience the show for themselves.

As I crossed the road and walked into the sprawling site, underneath towering woodland adorned with string lights, people were carrying crates of Hawkstone’s beer and an array of Clarkson merch. And that was just the start.

I was amazed by how big the grounds were and how much there was to do. While The Farmer’s Dog prompted the opening of this space, it’s rapidly grown to include an outdoor food van, The Farmer’s Dough, selling pizzas, and two bars pouring pints of Clarkson’s Hawkstone beer.

Then, of course, there was The Grand Tour tent, and for anyone a fan of the show, will remember Clarkson sparking up the genius idea to get in touch with his fellow Top Gear connections to use the tent as part of his franchise.

As I unassumingly strolled into the tent, decorated with more string lights and the iconic The Grand Tour sign still in place, I was taken aback by its scale and the amount on offer. Alongside its bar, there was an incredibly well-stocked butcher’s, a variety of tables and chairs packed with visitors, and two shops.

In one corner was the Hops & Chops, where I found a huge amount of The Farmer’s Dog merchandise, from t-shirts, caps, farming shirts, mugs, hip flasks, dog beds and dog jackets. There were also Hawkstone socks, bags, glasses, wine and of course, their signature beer. I couldn’t believe how much merch was laid before me, with clearly a huge demand for it, and its ever-growing popularity.

On the other side of the tent was the Diddly Squat Farm Shop, selling everything from fresh produce, spirits, snacks, books, clothing, aftershave and the iconic ‘This smells like my boll**ks’ candle, all under Clarkson’s brand. He’s clearly doing incredibly well, and for a fan like me, it’s easy to see why.

Clarkson has created an inviting space where you could easily spend hours or an afternoon. There’s a sprawling garden with views across the rolling countryside and dozens of outdoor benches for visitors to enjoy a refreshing Hawkstone beer.

It’s easily one of the best pub gardens I’ve been to, simply due to the copious amount of space available, and it’s even better for those who can’t secure a booking at The Farmer’s Dog. There’s even a traditional pub game of Aunt Sally to enjoy, where players throw wooden battens in an attempt to knock over a small skittle that is positioned on a pole around 30 feet away.

During my visit, I had my first taste of Hawkstone’s, opting for a pint of the IPA for £7, and I was impressed. You never quite know what you’ll get with a celebrity beverage, but I would happily drink it again. Elsewhere on the bar menu was their premium lager, session lager, premium lager zero, and the Kaleb cider, Hedgerow cider, rhub**tard cider, black stout and elderflower lager top.

While I expected to walk in and spend a few minutes browsing the farm shop offerings, I ended up staying for a few hours, in a place where there was no rush to leave. Even when the heavens opened, visitors scurried under the garden umbrellas, not being deterred from their day out at Clarkson’s farm.

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EVERYONE loves a family day out, but let’s face it, everything is better when it’s free.

The much-loved Cotswold Farm Park run by Countryfile’s Adam Henson, has scooped up a Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award for the last 15 years.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

To celebrate, the attraction is offering free tickets to children, toddlers and babies.

The T&Cs are that it’s one complimentary ticket to each paying adult and or senior guest, and the offer is only running until the end of May.

Families can take advantage of the offer through May half-term and on the bank holiday (but make sure to book in advance).

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The farm park is open seven days a week with plenty of activities to enjoy from feeding time with lambs and baby goats to jumping on its bouncy castle and trying out the zip wire.

When it comes to animals, visitors can get up close and personal with lots of breeds.

There’s Gillie the Jersey Cow, Marge the Middle White Pig, and Attenborough the Highland bull calf.

Feeding sessions with some of the youngest animals happen twice daily at 11.30AM and 3.30PM with lambs and baby goats.

There’s also a chance to watch chicks hatch as well as meet guinea pigs, rabbits and ducklings.

When it comes to playtime, children can head into the Adventure Barn – which is perfect for rainy days with didi cars and soft play.

Outside children can jump up and down on bouncy pillows, go on swings, zip wire, pedal tractors, explore the sandpit and climbing frame.

There’s a wooded area for bird-spotting and bee hive to take a look at too.

Between May 23 and May 31 the farm is celebrating Bee Wild Week with new activities like daily talks from the farm’s beekeeper-in-training.

When it’s time to eat, head to The Ox Shed Restaurant for all-day dining from breakfast to dinner, and pizza evenings every Saturday night.

Families from further afield can book to stay on-site at the campsites.

It has tent pitches to glamping tents, luxury lodges and new cabins.

A one-night stay on a grass tent pitch with electric starts from £67.

Head of Sun Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited the farm park last year, she said: “Spring is easily the best time to visit any farm in the UK, as new lambs, chicks, calves and piglets all arrive noisily on the scene.

“Inside the Discovery Barn, which teaches children all about farm animals, my five-year-old son petted chicks and baby rabbits, and was lucky enough to see a lamb being born.

“We refuelled at the on-site Ox Shed restaurant, dining on burgers and loaded salads, washed down with apple juice and a glass of Adam Henson’s own pale ale for me.”

On a January morning in 1938, Pitmiddle’s last resident, James Gillies, closed the door to his cottage for the final time and walked away through the snow. High on the south-facing slopes of the Sidlaw Hills in Perthshire, the village is now little more than a jumble of half-ruined walls gradually being reclaimed by the land.

My children pick around the overgrown stones like explorers discovering a lost civilisation, before scampering back through the gate and over the grass to our cabin in a neighbouring field. Called the Pitmiddle Hut, it’s the latest addition to Guardswell Farm, which spans 81 hectares (200 acres) of countryside halfway between Perth and Dundee (an hour and a half from Glasgow or Edinburgh). “People gradually moved away from Pitmiddle’s way of life,” says Anna Lamotte, who runs Guardswell with her husband, Digby Legge, often aided by their four-year-old daughter and a smiley 10-month-old in a vintage pram. “Villagers each had a pendicle, the small area they could farm, a system of outfields, infields and ‘kailyards’ – a Scots word for a kitchen garden.” Anna and Digby grew up on farms and small-holdings nearby, and today they rear cattle, sheep, goats and chickens and tend to the vegetable gardens, alongside welcoming guests to stay.

The Pitmiddle Hut sits in the old village’s pendicle field and the slim volume Pitmiddle Village and Elcho Nunnery in our cabin inspired the names of Guardswell’s huts: the Pendicle with its wildflower roof, the Infield with a stargazing window above the bed and shepherd’s hut the Kailyard. They can be rented alongside two cottages and a large farmhouse, all clustered around the Steading, once a dilapidated barn that is now a smart events space for weddings, craft and cuisine classes including cheese-making, and a popular monthly market. It’s also home to a small shop (stocked with the farm’s meat, eggs and Diggers cider), smart washrooms and a cosy room filled with games and wellies.

All the existing cabins were made for two, but as Anna and Digby’s family grew, and couples who married at Guardswell returned with first a dog then a baby, a bigger hideout made sense. The Pitmiddle Hut is a 10-minute stomp uphill and has a mezzanine bed up above the kitchen for grownups and a second bedroom for children to pile into the set of bunks and a double bed. The two are linked by a central indoor-outdoor space, with sliding doors for sunnier days. It’s the end of March when we stay, and the thick blankets (made with wool from Digby’s parents’ farm) and douglas fir planks lining the cabin give it a deep cosiness.

As a somewhat reluctant camper in a tent-loving family, it’s an ideal balance. We build fires in the Esse Bakeheart stove to cook dinner and keep the wool-insulated cabin toasty (there’ll soon be an outside kitchen and a firepit for toasting marshmallows too). My son dashes in and out fetching ingredients from the giant coolbox on the deck. The hut is off-grid, but uses solar-power for lights and the single induction hob. There’s a proper loo, but it’s a walk down to the Steading in the morning for a shower. It quickly becomes our favourite part of the day, saying good morning to fluffy Shetland cows, dinky Hebridean sheep, donkeys Ollie and Hugo, and cheeky pygmy goat Jimmy, who once escaped his pen and crashed a wedding. It feels as though we have the farm to ourselves.

There’s no wifi, no TV and, on my phone at least, blissfully little phone signal. Instead, a basket beside the kindling is filled with Uno, playing cards, drawing pencils and a watercolour set. My daughter washes a page with streaks of blue sky and green fields that are framed by the hut’s huge picture window, before taking a nature scavenger hunt sheet around the farm, checking off pine cones and primroses.

It would be easy to simply roam here for a couple of days, foraging for wild garlic, helping feed the animals and exploring the Big Wood at the bottom of the farm, counting the 198 steps cut into the hillside among the trees. But with all of Perthshire on the other side of the Sidlaws and Fife across the River Tay there’s plenty to get stuck into, from sandy beaches at East Neuk to Highlands hills just beyond the foodie town of Dunkeld, where the Taybank pub and Aran Bakery make a delicious detour. We swerve the Munros and instead stride out on the nearby Scone circular, starting at Old Scone Church, rebuilt stone by stone in 1805 when the village moved a couple of miles east from its original site next to Scone Palace, and climbing through gorse-thick moorland to MacDuff’s Monument and the Lynedoch Obelisk with their sweeping views to Perth beyond.

We get back to the farm just as some wet weather blows in and hole up in the boat-turned-bothy called Girl Linda’s cabin at the top of a field. Scooping up a bottle of Diggers cider and apple juice from the hut, we run for it, the kids screaming into the wind. We light candles and the tiniest wood-burning stove – the valley below now so lost in mist that it feels like the River Tay might rise up and sweep us out to sea. We play Monopoly Deal as the rain whips against the portholes, before rousing a sing-song with the boat’s motley crew of instruments – bongos, guitar, glockenspiel and a giant metal triangle. “Let it go, let it go, I am one with the wind and sky …” My daughter’s favourite, suddenly apt.

We wake on the final morning to milk-glass skies and the rhythmic whirl of two woodpeckers in the trees as the sun rises through a fringe of woodland below us. There are recorded Guardswell morning meditations to start the day, a gentle prompt to pause. But stillness is low on my children’s agenda, so we throw on boots and fleeces over pyjamas and head for the swings on the hill above the hut. Pitmiddle’s simple way of life might not have survived against the advances of the modern world, but for a few days its slower rhythm feels within reach.

Accommodation was provided by Guardswell Farm. The Pitmiddle Hut sleeps six (two adults and up to four children) from £220 a night (two-night minimum), guardswell.co.uk

A new trailer for Clarkson’s Farm has shown a moment when Jeremy Clarkson was hospitalised after suffering an issue with his heart where it “wasn’t getting any blood”

A new trailer for Clarkson’s Farm has shown the horrifying moment when star Jeremy Clarkson had to be hospitalised after a heart scare. In the clip, he told colleague Kaleb Cooper that his heart “wasn’t getting any blood”.

The trailer for season five was released on 18 May. It started with clips about life at Diddly Squat, including Jeremy’s pursuit of a driverless tractor, but the tone suddenly shifted when he opened up about a recent hospitalisation.

Clips of the star in hospital, with wires connected to his chest, just after a clip of an ambulance racing down a country road. Jeremy could be heard telling Kaleb: “You’ve got three arteries that feed your heart to keep it pumping. My heart wasn’t getting any blood.”

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The camera cut to Kaleb’s shocked face before another Diddly Squat farmer said: “To be fair, my mother dropped dead of heart attack at 67.” Jeremy responded that this was “cheery news”.

Jeremy has faced heart issues before. In 2024, he went through a heart procedure where he has a stent put in to open up a blocked artery after suffering from tightness in the chest. Writing in his column for the Sunday Times, the then 64-year-old said he thought he was having a heart attack because the symptoms were so familiar: “I certainly wasn’t having a heart attack. But if it hadn’t looked that way, I never would have been sent to hospital.”

Though he will discuss his latest hospitalisation in Clarkson’s Farm, Jeremy does not seem to be letting his heart scare slow him down. The rest of the new trailer showed him to be getting stuck into life at the farm as it battled a tuberculosis outbreak among the animals.

It also saw him consider using a driverless tractor. In the trailer, Jeremy is sitting in his office and talking to Charlie Ireland: “I’ve had a brainwave, don’t worry.” Charlie was left shocked when he was handed a piece of paper that had plans for a driverless tractor.

The footage cut to said tractor, which was described as the “Starship Enterprise of farming”, working away on the land and Jeremy declaring to farmhand Kaleb: “Behold my technology at work.” Kaleb responded: “That is basically taking my job.”

But, Kaleb didn’t have to worry about his job as the tractor soon stopped moving in the middle of ploughing a field. “That went well,” Kaleb joked.

The new series was greenlit by Prime Video back on November 5, 2024 and filming took place last year. The first four episodes will be released on 3 June and the remaining will arrive in batches on the 10th and 17th.

Prime Video have not said if the show will continue after the upcoming series, but Jeremy has expressed his desire to have the show come back for at least two more seasons.

“We’ll definitely do six – Amazon want to [do season six] and I want to. I’ve got a good idea for six,” Clarkson told The Sun earlier this year. “I said I’ll stop doing them when there are no more ideas. But I’ve got two quite good ones, so we’ll do six and then we’ll see.”

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THIS stunning Irish island has rugged coastal walks, homemade goat’s cheese and some of the best wildlife spotting in the country.

Cape Clear Island lies just eight miles off the coast of West Cork and is Ireland’s most southerly inhabited Gaeltacht island.

Visitors can reach the remote spot by ferry from Baltimore, with the journey taking around 40 minutes.

The island is known for its sparkling waters, dramatic coastline and wildlife-filled seas, where dolphins, whales and basking sharks can often be spotted.

And once on land, visitors can explore walking trails, visit the famous goat farm or enjoy a pint and a bite to eat before catching the ferry home.

Ferry tickets to the remote island start at just €9 for children’s tickets.

Cape Clear Island is three miles long and one mile wide.

As a Gaeltacht island, the majority of people living there speak Irish, or Gaeilge.

Adult return tickets from Baltimore to Cape Clear cost €20, while children’s tickets cost €9.

There are also special family packages, including two adults and two children, for €50 return.

The island is a popular destination during the summer months with secondary school students looking to improve their Irish language skills on immersion courses.

The hillsides are covered in heather, gorse and other wildflowers, while the water sparkles beneath.

While on the ferry, passengers have a good chance of spotting wildlife beneath the waves.

Dolphins, basking sharks and even whales are known to frequent the waters surrounding Cape Clear.

From higher ground on the island, harmless basking sharks can often be seen lazily gliding through the waters close to shore.

And a number of companies provide boat tours specifically for dolphin and whale watching.

GOAT FARM

Once you’re on the island, there’s plenty to do to keep busy — including visiting the Cape Clear Goat Farm, or Cléire Goats.

The quaint farm was established in 1979 and is located near the Cape Clear Heritage Centre.

Visitors can meet the friendly goats and try delicious homemade goat’s cheese and ice cream.

And if visitors attend the farm between 10am and 12pm, they’ll get a chance to see the goats being milked.

There’s also the main heritage centre, the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse, which can be toured, and a world-renowned birdwatching observatory to visit.

There are also plenty of places to go for a paddle in the sea, or to kayak further out.

And on land, there are a number of walking routes that allow visitors to explore every inch of the island’s beauty.

FOOD AND ACCOMMODATION

Cape Clear has a small number of restaurants and bars that provide hearty meals and drinks.

There’s a farmers’ market every Sunday, a small grocery shop and a tourist shop.

Many people who visit the island choose to do a day trip, arriving on the ferry in the morning and leaving again in the evening.

But for those hoping to stay overnight, there are some accommodation options.

There are a few apartments, cottages and houses to rent.

There is also the Chléire Haven glamping site, which is a family-friendly camping site open from April to September.

There’s the Ard na Gaoithe B&B, which provides an early breakfast for guests and encourages Irish speaking.

There’s also Cape Clear Hostel.

Harriet Cowan, who stepped in for Kaleb Cooper on Clarkson’s Farm, has opened up about what Jeremy Clarkson is really like off camera after spending 11 weeks living and working at Diddly Squat Farm

Harriet Cowan has disclosed what Jeremy Clarkson was truly like. Harriet, 25, emerged as one of the standout personalities of series four of Clarkson’s Farm when she deputised for Kaleb Cooper.

She spent 11 weeks residing in a caravan at Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire assisting the former Top Gear host in managing the land. The ex-full-time nurse charmed viewers with her remarkable farming expertise and sharp-witted comebacks to the TV presenter.

Now Harriet, who left nursing behind to concentrate on farming and content creation, has revealed what Jeremy was like away from the cameras. On the Fed By Farmers podcast, she explained: “It was a different dynamic, he was like a father figure when I was there. He was lovely.”

She continued to disclose that people were eager to express their views on Jeremy after discovering she was on the programme. Harriet commented: “He’s like Marmite isn’t he?

“Off the back of the show people would always be like, ‘Oh I hate that guy,’ or ‘I love that guy,’ and I think he just doesn’t care, which is great.”

Harriet has previously stated she knew who Jeremy was before participating in Clarkson’s Farm, but hadn’t watched any of his earlier work. She admits she “wasn’t really into the cars thing” as a youngster.

However, after being approached by Charlie Ireland, Jeremy’s land agent, she was “intrigued” by the opportunity of featuring on the Amazon Prime Video series. She characterises Jeremy as “very much like every other farmer I’ve ever met”.

Speaking to The Times, she revealed that the former Grand Tour presenter was “very much willing to learn”. Jeremy, 66, found his career taking an unexpected turn towards farming in 2019 when the tenant at his farm retired.

He had originally purchased the 1,000-acre plot in 2008, with the-then Curdle Hill Farm being managed by a local resident. After opting to run the farm himself, Jeremy renamed it Diddly Squat Farm and chronicled his experiences on television.

Harriet reveals that it soon became apparent that Jeremy “wanted to do well by the farm”. She also quips that the television personality has the “physique of a farmer”.

While Harriet stopped short of confirming whether she would be returning to Clarkson’s Farm, she did admit to harbouring ambitions of purchasing her own farm in the future alongside partner James Booth.

She went on to say: “I just want somewhere that’s mine that I can just say, you know, I want to grow store cattle and sell them for fat or whatever.

“I want it to be all mine, that I’ve done all that, and look at them and say, ‘I’ve done that’. So that’s the plan, a few very exciting new TV things coming off and YouTube I’m c**p at.”