Hannah Bourne-Taylor, known to viewers of the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm, made a notable impression with her expertise in wildlife conservation during her visits to Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm. At 39, the Oxfordshire-based environmental campaigner shared invaluable insights into protecting farmland birds and enhancing local biodiversity, offering Jeremy and the audience a calming and knowledgeable presence.
Long before her television appearance, Hannah had built a respected reputation in conservation circles through her writing and advocacy. She resides in the North Oxfordshire countryside, close to Diddly Squat Farm, where her rural home doubles as a sanctuary for native birds and fuels her environmental dedication.
Her childhood was marked by frequent moves-as her parents worked in healthcare and ecology, she lived in nineteen different homes, a fact she revealed in an interview with The Observer. This early exposure to varied environments deepened her bond with the countryside in later years, a theme central to her bestselling memoir, “Fledgling.” The book explores profound topics such as grief, belonging, and the restorative power of nature.
Aside from authoring and television work, Hannah is an active campaigner who has led significant environmental initiatives. Notably, she has advocated for the compulsory inclusion of ‘swift bricks’ in new housing developments across the UK. These specially designed bricks offer nesting spaces for swift birds, whose urban populations are increasingly under threat. She demonstrated the practical application of such conservation efforts on Clarkson’s Farm by showing simple architectural adaptations for farms and new buildings to support at-risk species.
Her advocacy includes impactful moments such as leading a demonstration in central London, dressed in full-body paint, before addressing then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Hannah is married to Robin Bourne-Taylor, a former British Olympic rower who represented Great Britain in the 2004 and 2008 Games. Robin also competed in the renowned Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race and served as President of the Oxford University Boat Club. Following his sporting career, he served as an officer in the British Army before moving into the business world.
The couple spent several years living in Ghana due to Robin’s military and professional commitments. During this time, Hannah began her hands-on work with rescued wild birds, famously nurturing an orphaned finch that once nested in her hair. They returned to the UK in 2021 and continue their life together in Oxfordshire, deeply rooted in conservation and rural living.