Crowds lined the streets in the town on Thursday, December 26, to see the The Southdown & Eridge Hunt.
The spectacle takes place every year and sees riders and hounds parade through town as part of the trail-hunting event.
The event, which has been a town tradition since the 1800s, attracts both supporters and protestors every year.
Mick Symes, administrator of Lewes Present Facebook group, said on Thursday morning: “The applause easily drowned out the small number of mainly faceless protesters stood on the steps of the Law courts.”
On Friday, December 27, Sussex Police announced: “A man has been charged after eight people were arrested in Lewes in connection with the annual Boxing Day hunt parade on Thursday (26 December). James Elliott, 31, of Norway Road, Eastbourne, is charged with a public order offence and has been released on bail to appear at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 22 January.
“A 17-year-old boy, a 25-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman and a 50-year-old woman who were arrested on suspicion of public order and assault offences have each been given a community resolution order. A 16-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated offence was referred to the youth offending team. Another 16-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence was released on bail pending further enquiries and a 34-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence was released without further action.”
In 2004, the Hunting Act made it illegal for dogs to chase or kill foxes in England and Wales. But hunts are still permitted to do ‘trail hunting’ in which hounds follow a pre-laid scent in a simulated hunt.
Animal rights campaigners have been calling on the government to ban trail hunting as well. The League Against Cruel Sports, for example, argue that hounds could end up chasing a real live animal scent because trail hunting takes place in areas that contain actual foxes, hares, deer or mink.
The Countyside Alliance’s Campaign for Hunting, which promotes all forms of legal hunting activities like trail hunting, said: “Hunting is often described as the social glue that keeps rural communities together. People from all walks of life and across multiple generations are brought together through their shared passion for their packs of hounds.”
Their website said: “Hunting plays an important role in our rural economy, providing direct employment and supporting many other associated businesses which benefit those beyond the hunting community.” They added that the social aspects of hunting ‘provide a much-needed focus in remote communities where the opportunity for social interaction can be limited’.
The BBC recently reported that The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is ‘committed’ to a ban on trail hunting, which The Countryside Alliance has criticised heavily.

1. Lewes Boxing Day hunt 2024
The Southdown & Eridge Hunt parade through Lewes on Thursday, December 26 Photo: Mick Symes

2. Lewes Boxing Day hunt 2024
The Southdown & Eridge Hunt parade through Lewes on Thursday, December 26 Photo: Mick Symes

3. Lewes Boxing Day hunt 2024
The Southdown & Eridge Hunt parade through Lewes on Thursday, December 26 Photo: Mick Symes

4. Lewes Boxing Day hunt 2024
The Southdown & Eridge Hunt parade through Lewes on Thursday, December 26 Photo: Mick Symes