Travellers defy High Court judges at caravan site near Winston Churchill’s Kent home: Group who bulldozed field a year ago face jail for continuing building work

The travelers were found to be in contempt of court and could face prison for continuing to work at a caravan site near the home of Sir Winston Churchill’s family when they were ordered not to do so.

Angry locals want to see the group sent to prison for laying drainage pipes and laying ditches despite the injunction taken by the local council.

The group sparked outrage by turning a leafy part of Kent into a caravan park in just 48 hours.

They worked at ‘extraordinary speed’ on a Friday afternoon during last year’s bank holiday weekend in an alleged bid to avoid council action.

An injunction, called a Dove order, was made in August banning further work at the site at Seasons Farm in Pootings, near Westerham.

The group of 10 travelers were charged with contempt by a judge at the High Court for violating the injunction.

The site is just a few miles from Chartwell, a country house that was Sir Winston Churchill’s home for over 40 years.

The wartime Prime Minister and his wife Clementine purchased the property in 1922 and lived there until shortly before his death in January 1965. It is now managed by the National Trust.

Pootings is a green village with lots of properties for sale for millions of pounds.

Families live in 12 caravans in the area and locals claim they ‘do whatever they want’

But the local council claimed the travelers breached this order in the following days and weeks and took them back to court.

A High Court judge has now ruled in the council’s favour, and a separate hearing will be held to decide sanctions.

There were twelve caravans in the area. A mobile home worth around £130,000 was recently parked on the site along with a new £40,000 BMW car.

Locals claim that they are causing ‘devastation’ by throwing eggs, cutting down trees, releasing horses and being a ‘nuisance’ to the residents of the area.

One said: ‘It was terrible. They do whatever they want. Local people were seen having eggs thrown at them. This is scary.

‘Their horses rushed onto the road and they cut down the trees. It was complete destruction.

‘It’s great news that they were arrested for contempt of court. I would now like to see them jailed and facing serious fines for what they have done.

‘A strong message needs to be sent that we must not tolerate this any longer.’

Locals in the leafy village of Pootings claim traveling families ‘do whatever they want’

Chartwell, family home of Winston and Clementine Churchill, managed by the National Trust

Local residents say travelers threw eggs, cut down trees and freed horses

The High Court documents list the ten passengers involved as Patrick Delaney, William Harrington, John Quilligan, Thomas O’Brien, Thomas Coffey, Amanda Coffey, Chantelle Harrington, Sharon O’Brien, Katerina O’Brien and Naomi O’Brien.

The judge found the men planned to move and bought the land to ‘establish a settled base’.

Judge John Halford, sitting as deputy judge, ruled: ‘I find that drains and other pipes have been added to the septic tank/cesspool area and ditches have been laid from the hardfield to the septic tank.’

Although he said ‘the evidence is unclear as to when this happened and who was responsible’, Judge Halford added: ‘It is clear from the photographs to the criminal standard that the incident occurred after the Dove order was served.’

Judge John Halford rules against traveler families in the High Court

Entry to the site at Pootings where the construction work is a ‘joint project for the benefit of all’

He said: ‘In both cases I have come to the conclusion that the men either undertook these works or authorized or instructed them to be carried out.

‘I think each man is responsible as the photo/septic tank is a joint project for the benefit of everyone, it is part of the plan they created for the area. I see that the men are all in contempt of court in this respect as well.’

He later added to the ruling: ‘The men and women are each in contempt of court for breaching the orders, regardless of whether they knew and understood the terms of the Dove order before 29 August 2025.’

In recent months, travelers have moved into these places over bank holiday weekends, taking advantage of when council offices are likely to be closed.

This also happened at another site in Sundridge, near Sevenoaks, and other locations in Surrey and Hertfordshire.

A spokesman for Sevenoaks District Council said: ‘Whilst we welcome the court’s decision, we are unable to comment further on the case as legal proceedings are ongoing.’

Unidentified members of traveling families who approached the site in Pootings said there was ‘no one to comment’.