When I was planning our recent trip to England, I knew we had to make a visit to the Diddly Squat Farm Shop. I’ve laughed and cried my way through all three seasons of Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime (affiliate link) and thought it would be fun to visit in person. We didn’t want to rent a car, so I set out to find a way to use public transportation to get there. With some careful planning, we figured out how to visit the Diddly Squat Farm Shop without a car. You can do it too!
If you are asking Can I visit Diddly Squat Farm Shop without a Car? The answer is yes! Continue reading to learn exactly how we traveled from Oxford to the Diddly Squat Farm Shop. If you are staying in London, you could use the same strategy with a longer train ride.
Using Public Transportation to Visit the Diddly Squat Farm Shop
We took a train from Oxford to Charlbury. From the Charlbury station, we walked about ten minutes into the town of Charlbury, and then took a bus from Charlbury to the Diddly Squat Farm Shop.
Currently (September 2024) there is a 9:45 am train that departs the Oxford train station and arrives at Charlbury at 10:01. Note- we traveled on a Friday. Make sure to check the schedule for other days. We used Google Maps to navigate on foot from the station to the bus stop for the X9 bus, which is outside the Bell Hotel. There is a small bus shelter and sign so it’s easy to spot.
At 10:38 we took the X9 bus toward Chipping Norton. Do not take the bus going to Witney.
The bus arrives at the Diddly Squat stop at 10:56. There is a stop right outside the driveway. I would recommend following the route on Google Maps so you know when you are approaching and can request the stop. You won’t see the entrance to the farm shop until there are right there.
Planning Your Route
When planning your own route and departure time, I would recommend first using Google maps to review current options for public transportation and the times available. Week days and weekends will likely have different schedules. If you are traveling from Oxford, you have options of taking two or more buses or a combination of train and bus.
I also found it useful to download the app for National Rail and the app for the bus company we took, which is called Pulhams. The apps will help you to verify times and keep abreast of any delays or changes to schedules.
Things to Consider When Route Planning
- How much time is there between your connections? If you are coming from Oxford or London, you will need to transfer at least once. Buses in the Cotswolds are infrequent, so you may have to wait one to two hours if you miss your connection. Make sure you allow enough time for your transfer from train to bus or bus to bus. You may have to walk a bit.
- When catching the bus in Charlbury, make sure you get on the bus going toward Chipping Norton. Don’t be like us and get on the wrong bus! Multiple buses serve the bus stop in Charlbury. When in doubt, ask the driver. They are helpful. Do not take the bus going to Witney.
- What time do you want to arrive at Diddly Squat? We arrived about 11:00 am and the line to get into the shop was about 2 hours long at that time. You may want to arrive earlier. If not, just be prepared to wait and try to enjoy the experience. Send a travel partner to the food and drink lines for refreshments while another person holds you spot in line.
- Consider the weather. Be prepared for a rogue rain shower and consider your footwear. We all know if can get muddy there. In our case there was no rain, but a hot August sun. A sunhat and sunscreen was a must. I was also very glad I had packed bottles of water to keep hydrated. Keep in mind that you may be standing in line for hours, so wear comfortable shoes. There are some portable toilets but the lines were long, so plan accordingly.
- Know your options for buses leaving the Diddly Squat bus stop. Buses are infrequent, so know your options. You may have to wait two hours if you miss one. If you are returning through Charlbury, take the bus going toward Witney.
How Much Does it Cost to Take Public Transportation to the Diddly Squat Farm Shop?
The train from Oxford to Charlbury was £8.20 each way during off peak times. Bus between Charlbury and the Diddly Squat Farm Shop was £2 each way. Make sure to check apps for current pricing which can vary by day and time of travel.
What Can You Buy at the Diddly Squat Farm Shop?
In the farm shop you can buy local products like milk, refrigerated meat products, bee products, crisps, marmalade and chutney, mushroom powder, granola, etc. There are a few greeting cards with photos of tractors, Jeremy and Caleb, etc. There was a small amount of fresh produce and a few bread products . You can also buy Hawkstone beer and cider in individual bottles or by the case. As we know, they aren’t able to sell things that aren’t produced locally, so you will find more souvenir type things like t-shirts on their website.
They had a small stand (a Piddly Diddly shop) in back of the main farm shop. There is a separate line and it’s much shorter. The inventory is small, but you can buy things like a tea towel with an image of Pepper, tote bags, aprons, wooden spoons, etc.
In the barn next to the shop you can buy food and drinks and take a seat at one of the picnic tables. We had burgers, soft-serve ice cream, and drinks. There is a nice selection of Hawkstone cider and beers on tap. The Hedgerow Cider was delicious, and I really enjoyed the creamy soft-serve on the hot day. They also sell breakfast sandwiches and a few other food items.
There were also a few people selling local products in the barn. One woman was selling lavender products and another couple were selling wool creations sculpted into cute little animals.
Was it Worth a Visit?
Although it takes some planning, we were so glad we visited! It was definitely a fun experience, but temper your expectations. You won’t be seeing anyone from the show or get to see much of the farm. You will likely need to wait a long time to get into the shop. Despite all that, we were glad we did it. We were surrounded by British fans of the show who were even more excited than we were. It was fun to listen to people chat about the show and genuinely be happy about being there. People were having a much better time than those we waited in line with for attractions in London. We also loved the opportunity to see a bit of the Cotswold countryside and enjoyed the journey to get there. We made visits to several Cotswolds towns during our holiday and I would definitely encourage you to explore beyond the farm shop. Charlbury is a quite and charming town and was not packed with tourists like many other places we visited. If you have time, the Bell Hotel looked like an amazing place for dinner. We popped briefly into the Charlbury Deli and Cafe and it had an amazing assortment of bakery items and treats. If we had more time, we would have enjoyed taking some of the recommended walks around the outskirts of Charlbury.
Do you Have Questions About How to Visit the Diddly Squat Farm Shop without a Car?
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments.
