Exploring James May’s Pub in a Quaint Village: A Delightful Visit Better Than Jeremy Clarkson’s

Former Top Gear presenters James May and Jeremy Clarkson are both now proud owners of pubs, and they are very different, according to someone who has been to both. TikToker philc84 stopped by Captain Slow’s place in the tiny Wiltshire village of Swallowcliffe and was left pleasantly surprised. He wrote: “How many more celeb owned pubs!? This one is quite good though.” The content creator said in his video that it seems every British public house is “either a Wetherspoons or owned by someone famous.”

James May himself is “hard to hate”, Phil added, as he had used his Amazon fortune into the Royal Oak to save it as a community pub, rather than “as a self-indulgent folly”, or “simply as a way to invest in massive property in hugely valuable areas”. House prices in Swallowcliffe have an overall average of £420,000, according to Rightmove. As of 2021, its population was 174, Census stats suggest, which means 0.62% of the people living there are James May.

Mr May purchased half of the pub with entrepreneur, Simon Andrews, in 2020.

He has since launched his own brand of gin.

“The pub is pretty cut-off, but that’s part of its charm,” Phil said.

He stayed at the pub for one night, paying £175 for a “mid-level room” (breakfast included), which is “sailing close to the wind”.

The video creator admitted, though, that it was July, and the area is very desirable.

“And James himself, I’m sure, would say is: ‘Is there a lock on the door, and is there a bed? And if the answer to both of those questions is yes, then what more do you want?'”

Although, Phil pointed out that his shower was a bit shaky and sounded strange, seeming “diesel powered”.

A pint set him back £6.50, and the pub was less busy than Clarkson’s place, the TikToker noticed.

The crucial difference between James’s venue, however, is the Farmer’s Dog in the Cotswolds, however, is that latter “isn’t really a pub”, and is “more of a selfie location and gift shop”.

The bill for his at May’s pub meal was “a more than fair exchange”.

“Don’t come here for a week on holiday or a honeymoon,” Phil concluded, “but do stop in for a night.

“Definitely if you’re on your way to the West Country, or milling around the nearby Stonehenge.”

He added: “James did a great thing securing a community pub, and they repaid him by making it really very good.”