Axbridge and the Weston and Banwell Boxing Day Meet
They block roads, they obstruct emergency services, illegally prevent vehicles from parking, and ride their horses on pedestrian only areas. Most of the loacls don’t want them there. Who will stop them from abusing Axbridge?
A bit of background
For some years, the Weston & Banwell Hunt have met in the Town Square in Axbridge every Boxing Day. They occupy Square, and block the roads through Axbridge, with vehicles, horses, riders and spectators.
It is illegal to block the road without a road closure. However, the Seavington Hunt have not applied for road closure. Since 2021, AAF have been liaising with Somerset Council over Boxig Day road closures, and the Highways department have repeatedly contacted the W&B Hunt to tell them to apply for one. However, the Hunt has chosen to ignore them. Other organisers of events in the Town Square must apply for road closure.
A local told us about this incident a few years ago. A blind two-year-old child with autism had pneumonia, she became worse on Boxing Day. The family called Emergency Services, but the ambulance was unable to get through the Town as the hunt had obstructed the roads, The paramedics had to walk ten minutes to get to the patient and carry her ten minutes back to the ambulance to take her to hospital.
If the Hunt had applied for road closure, Emergency Services would have notice and alternative routes to get to their destination. The child recovered.
AAF have been campaigning in Axbridge for a few years. We have leafleted the whole town on several occasions, outreached in the Town Square every market day, surveyed locals with the Rural Survey and are now going door-to-door with our petition. We are asking the Town Trust and Town Council to tell the Weston & Banwell Hunt that they are not welcome in Axbridge.
The Town Trust manages the Square. We have tried to talk with them, but they refuse.
We are continuing to research the laws and regulations regarding the Boxing Day Meet and the responsibilities of the Town Trust and Town Council and continue to tell local people what the hunt are getting away with.
We intend to go to the Town Council Meeting and present them with our findings.
What can I do to help?
COMING SOON
Documented kill by Weston and Banwell Hunt 28/01/23
Sabs witnessed hounds go into cry and follow a line across fields. They saw a panicked young fox crossing a rhyne and entering a field. Hounds followed, but sabs successfully distracted them for a few minutes.
The huntsman, who had been a little way behind, caught up and encouraged the hounds back onto the scent. They found the line again, flushed the fox from a patch of scrub, chased it across several fields and killed it.
Sabs filmed the kill and aftermath from a distance. A video exists of the huntsman clearing up the fox’s body.
Investigation and prosecution
The case was dropped for evidential difficulties.
