Hundreds of people queued to be the first to enter Jeremy Clarkson’s new pub ahead of its grand opening.

The Farmer’s Dog, located in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire, opened to the public at 12:00 BST.

The former Top Gear presenter revealed earlier this year that he paid “less than £1million” for the pub, formerly known as The Windmill.

There are fears the venture will lead to more traffic problems given the success of his farm shop Diddly Squat.

Mr Clarkson was seen pulling into the car park behind the property shortly before 10.45am, before reappearing to carry a box into the pub.

He told reporters why he wanted to open the pub.

“Last year we wanted to open that restaurant on the farm, but it didn’t work out. And pubs, they’re all for sale.

“So we thought instead of building a restaurant, we would buy a pub.”

He described the preparations for the opening as “terribly stressful”.

“There are just so many things you don’t think about when you’re running a pub.

At the front of the queue for the pub were Lauren Hanly and Blake Jones, who had travelled from Gloucester.

Mrs Hanly said they were keen to try the food as they had previously visited Clarkson’s other businesses, the Diddly Squat farm shop and the Hawkstone Brewery, which features in his Clarkson’s Farm series on Amazon.

“We got here just before 8am. We were surprised to be at the front of the line. We thought it would be busy earlier, but the gates didn’t open until 7:30am,” she said.

“With Jeremy Clarkson’s name on it, it’s always going to do well. It’s a destination site and people will come from far and wide, as will the local community.”

Mr Clarkson says he is happy with his choice of location.

He said: “We looked at 40 pubs. We needed some very specific things, like a big car park, a big car park and lots of parking, and no small roads to get to it.

“There’s no one to irritate you. It’s a good place.”

The TV star has faced opposition from locals in West Oxfordshire over the years when he tried to expand his Diddly Squat farm project.

Some residents were also concerned about traffic problems as the pub is located next to the busy A40.

But Oxfordshire County Council said it had worked “closely and proactively” with Clarkson’s team prior to the opening.

“Several measures have been taken to reduce the risk of traffic and parking problems and to support a safe and successful opening of the site,” said a council spokesperson.

Mr Clarkson even thanked the authority on social media for its help.

Motorists are asked to only use the designated parking spaces outside the highway and not to park on the roads or verges nearby.