Anti-hunting protesters gathered outside the Sheldonian Theatre during matriculation on Saturday to protest against alleged illegal hunting activities on land owned by St John’s College.
Locals Against the Warwickshire Hunt allege that on 1st September an illegal hunt crossed onto land owned by St John’s at Heathcote Farm, near Stratford-upon-Avon. The organisation opposes and monitors the Warwickshire Hunt, a historic fox hunting pack dating back to the 18th century. The organisation told Cherwell that the Warwickshire hunts’ actions result in “cruel and barbaric torment of wildlife” and that they “blight local communities”.
Officially, hunting groups in England can only practise trail hunting, in which an artificial scent is laid for hounds to follow. Using hounds to kill or maim wild animals, or using trail hunting as a cover for hunting an animal, is illegal under the Hunting Act 2004. Locals Against Warwickshire Hunt allege the hunt breaks these laws to illegally hunt foxes.
St John’s issued a statement on 3rd September denying that illegal hunting took place on their land. They note that the hunt travelled across Heathcote Farm with “express consent” of the College’s tenants. The College also stated that it “would not knowingly permit unlawful activity to take place on its property” and that it had “found no evidence” that an offence was committed.
The College met with representatives from Locals Against the Warwickshire Hunt on 5th October to discuss their concerns; however, the group still decided to go ahead with their planned protest last Saturday 17th October.
Around 20 individuals gathered outside of the Sheldonian Theatre at 10am, some holding placards calling for the College to ban trail hunting on its lands. Oxfordshire Coalition of Animal Advocates and Oxfordshire Hunt Saboteurs also joined the group. As students came out of the Sheldonian for matriculation, the protesters told them to tell their colleges to “stop the hunt”.
At the protest, Brian, a spokesperson for Locals Against the Warwickshire Hunt, told Cherwell: “Local people have had enough… we have people that go out and get their roads blocked… they get hounds through their gardens… pets disappearing. It can’t go on.
“What we’d really like would be for St John’s College to say that’s it. We’re not allowing it on our land any more. And then we’re all friends again.”
Another member of Locals Against the Warwickshire Hunt told Cherwell: “It’s just not acceptable. They [Warwickshire Hunt] had an opportunity over 20 years ago to legitimise their actions. Trail hunting was brought in to allow them to do things, providing they called their dogs away. They use it as a smokescreen… They know that they have broken the law. They do it deliberately because they have a bloodlust for murdering animals.”
Following the meeting with Locals Against the Warwickshire Hunt, St John’s has stated it is considering the matter through its statutory governing processes, which will ensure a “potentially significant decision” is made about trail hunting on College land. In the meantime, the College has temporarily removed permission for Warwickshire Hunt to access its land until November 2026.
