A Farmer’s Bold Act Against Inconsiderate Tourists
A farmer from the Lake District has taken a dramatic stand against inconsiderate tourists who have been parking their vehicles on his land for years. Hogg Hodgson, a third-generation sheep farmer at Rydal Farm, recently sprayed slurry over dozens of luxury cars that were illegally parked in his field. This act was a response to what he describes as disrespectful behavior by urban day-trippers who fail to respect the countryside.
Hodgson’s family has owned and operated Rydal Farm for generations, and he has endured years of frustration with tourists leaving their vehicles on his land whenever the weather is nice. This week, he finally decided to take action after reaching his limit.
The farmer was filmed covering at least 20 vehicles, including Mercedes, Jaguars, and BMWs, with foul-smelling slurry. A sign at the entrance to the field reads: “Polite Notice – DO NOT PARK IN THE FIELD” and another warns: “SHEEP IN THE FIELD.”
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Hodgson described himself as “no hero” but explained that he felt forced to spray the slurry over the cars to protect his livestock and land. He said, “I’m not proud of what I did. I didn’t do it for any particular reason other than the way tourists behave. I just get fed up with the way they treat the Lake District. I am sick of being abused by people when I ask them not to park on our land.”
Hodgson claimed that tourists often leave farm gates open, break fences, and drop litter across his fields, which border picturesque Rydal Water, a popular beauty spot between Ambleside and Grasmere. He emphasized that he acted within the law, stating that he only sprayed vehicles that were on his land. “Everything I did was on the field, I didn’t spray anything on the road,” he said.
Even after the cars left, Hodgson and his family had to fill bags of abandoned litter to clear the site. The footage of his actions against the thoughtless tourists was posted on social media, sparking waves of support from the public.
Emma Davidson wrote on Facebook: “I wouldn’t dream of parking in someone’s field, on someone’s estate or outside someone’s house but unfortunately tourists don’t care as long as they park for free. So well done that farmer.” Stella Conway added: “Fabulous give that farmer a medal.” Geoff Osborne wrote: “Selfish entitled half-wits with no idea about rural life. Many visitors are welcome here but the rest can go.” Brenda Brogan added: “That’s the best news I’ve seen all day. Wish someone had done it to the idiots trashing the Yorkshire Dales this weekend.”
In the footage, taken by holidaymaker Dylan Wakley, one black Mercedes has been drenched in the manure mixture, while owners of other vehicles appear to be fuming while they assess the state of their cars. Wakley, from Lyme Regis, Dorset, a farmer himself, said he had no sympathy for the car owners. “I can’t blame the farmer really,” he said. “These motorists have ignored the sign and gone out of their way to park on the field, so fair enough. Any farmer who has dealt with tourists has dreamed of doing this. I say poor farmer for having to put up with them. Imagine coming back from a long walk to find your car covered in slurry, horrid. But it is their own fault. It acts as a good deterrent and is justice, really.”
Hodgson, who took over the farm from his father, keeps a flock of over 1,000 Herdwick, Swaledale, and Cheviot cross Herdwick sheep, whose wool is used to weave the traditional Lake District Grasmere Tweed. His wife Sharon runs the diversified side of the farm business, which includes a wedding venue in converted traditional farm buildings.
Rydal Hall Farm is part of the 12,500-acre Rydal Hall Estate, which dates back to the 15th century and is still owned by the Le Fleming family.
Illegal and inconsiderate parking is a common problem throughout the Lake District and other beauty spots across Britain. Roads and entrances to properties and land are routinely blocked, hampering emergency vehicles and making pavements impassable. Cumbria Police said they were investigating the incident. A spokesman said: “Police were made aware at 10pm on the 25th May of reports of cars having been sprayed with suspected cow slurry at a location near to Rydal. Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are carrying out further inquiries to determine the full circumstances.”
Cumbria Police urge visitors to the national park to only leave their vehicles in an “appropriate place” so as not to block any drivers, especially emergency service vehicles. But during the recent hot weather, more than 50 fixed penalty notices have been issued by police across the Lake District.
