A flesh house is a facility where dead farm animals are processed and stored for feeding to the foxhounds.

Mendip Farmers Hunt operates a fallen stock scheme as a separate business (Lester Fallen Stock Ltd).

Fallen Stock (dead farm animals) are either collected from local farms or delivered to the hunt kennels by the farmers themselves.

The animals are then skinned, gutted and stained, before hanging in the flesh house ready to feed whole to the hounds. Skips full of offal and other waste are then removed for disposal. If there is an on-site incinerator this waste is burned.

Dead meat smells. It attracts flies. It attracts rats and other vermin that need to be controlled. Farm and other vehicles carrying carcasses into the premises are not usually sealed and could create a bio-hazard.

Underbarrow Farm is adjacent to two SSSi's (Special Site of Scientific Interest) and adjoins the Priddy Mineries, a former lead mine. It contains many rare and protected species of flora and fauna, which could be put at risk.

The Mendip Plateau is a vital habitat for nesting birds and other precious species. The Priddy Mineries is a hot spot for rare and endangered reptiles, aphibians, insects and plants. See some examples below.

Priddy Mineries contains many rare species including the Great Crested Newt. Therefore, it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Details of the species living there can be found at

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000337.pdf or if unavailable then try PDF version or HTML version

Hundreds of wildlife watchers come to Priddy Mineries every year to see the rare birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and amphibians that live here. It is a fragile habitat, made even more peculiar by the high levels of lead that exist. There are even some species that only grow on lead contaminated ground.

Any change to the local environment will be almost impossible to reverse and any impact on the wildlife will only be seen AFTER any application is potentially approved. By then it will be too late. Priddy Mineries is a haven for wildlife, a haven away from the hustle and bustle of city life and a peaceful and tranquil environment. Please help us to protect it.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly/c. Mike Dimery

Underbarrow Farm is situated on Wells Road in Priddy. This is a very straight, fast stretch of road, with a 60mph limit. Traffic visiting Underbarrow Farm to service the proposed development will increase dramatically. Access to Underbarrow Farm is via a very narrow track, the existing kennels has two entrances and a very wide access for large horse boxes and vehicles.

Vehicles attempting to turn into the Underbarrow Farm track will have to stop in the road to complete the turn, creating an increased danger to traffic and pedestrians. At a recent hunt meeting CANINE supporters counted over 65 vehicles/horse boxes/trailers as well as five huge horse transporter lorries parked at the Plummers Lane Site. Underbarrow Farm does not have the parking capacity for that amount of vehicles and the track will not cope with that amount of traffic. Hunt supporters will be forced to park haphazardly on the village verges and on the road.

The current location of Mendip Farmers’ Hunt is 1.25 miles from the proposed site at Underbarrow Farm, at the  east end of Priddy village (see map), and separated by North Hill.

The noise of the kennels is clearly audible to residents now. This will significantly increase if planning permission is granted for the kennels to be relocated to Underbarrow Farm and there is no longer a big hill to dampen the noise.

Additionally, being situated right next to many family homes, popular caving accommodation and a well-used public footpath, it is expected that the hounds will be disturbed more often and therefore create more noise.

Mendip Farmers' Hunt claim that they will be constructing 'model' soundproof kennels. However for the majority of the time the hounds are not actually in the kennels.

Hounds are notoriously noisy at feeding time and cannot be fed in an enclosed space for fear of fighting. Noise is expected to be a particular problem as the hounds often wake-up and are fed as early as 5am!

Additionally in the 'hunting' season (October/November to March) the hunt goes out 2-3 times a week. The hounds are not fed the night before to keep them keen and are particularly vociferous the next morning. Usually only part of the pack goes out 'hunting', leaving the remainder to call for their pack in their absence. This can equate to many hours of howling, singing and bellyaching.

So how close do you think is acceptable?

The Bristol Exploration Club's headquarters "The Belfry" is the building here on the left and the existing Underbarrow Farm stable block is on the right.

The stables have not been used for over 15 years and are in a state of disrepair. The window on the upper storey of the Belfry is a bunkroom which overlooks the whole stable complex. No bund is going to protect people sleeping here.