George Nympton declares UK first ‘hunt free zone’

The top story in our July 2025 issue is about residents of the village of George Nympton taking action over hunting

They hope it will become a model for communities across North Devon, Exmoor and beyond. People living in George Nympton have declared the UK’s first ‘hunt-free zone’, after becoming increasingly unhappy at hunt activities around their normally quiet village.

“This is a great example of villagers coming together to make our voices heard, in the face of strong opposition, to safeguard the wellbeing and tranquillity of our peaceful village,” said lay minister Richard Holloway, after 76% of the community signed a petition supporting the groundbreaking declaration. “I’m pleased that we’ve done this in a peaceful way, and we hope very much that other villages will be inspired by us.”

While not legally binding, the Tiverton Staghounds are said to have agreed not to pass through the village or ‘hunt’ on its boundaries after North Devon MP Ian Roome stepped in to help broker the deal. It’s hoped other hunts will also stick to the agreement.

The Hunting Act 2004 banned hunting wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales, though exemptions and alternative activities like trail hunting - which involves following a scent - still exist. George Nympton’s ‘ban’ forbids the latter.

The campaign followed an incident last October where residents say they witnessed a stag being chased by “a group of quad bikers” towards a pack of hounds. When conducting a survey of opinions it became clear that the behaviour of hunt members had caused “considerable upset to a large number of villagers.”

Concerns about safety have also been raised over large numbers of vehicles following the hunt and quad bikes using the narrow lanes.

On January 1st 2024, a police investigation was launched after a pregnant pet alpaca, Ruby, was allegedly killed by hounds from a hunt on a nearby farm leaving owners Lucy Aylett and Nick Stringer devastated by their loss.

Both Tiverton Staghounds and the British Hound Sports Association were approached for comment but have yet to respond. A spokesman for the Devon County Hunt Saboteurs said, “This is a fantastic initiative by the people of George Nympton to take back control of their village! It shows the will of many rural people is against the hunting of our wildlife and the havoc that often accompanies it.”