Travellers occupy Mowbray Fields nature reserve; goats stolen and recovered as residents report intimidation

A convoy of travellers pitched up at Mowbray Fields nature reserve in East Hagbourne, Oxfordshire, last Wednesday, triggering fear among local residents after two pygmy goats disappeared and complaints of intimidation spread across the village.

The five-and-a-half acre reserve, which separates the southern fringes of Didcot from the chocolate-box village, is a haven for biodiversity and a popular route for dog-walkers, cyclists and ramblers. Officials said eight or so caravans and campervans set up in the right-hand corner of the field, where generators hummed through the night and a wooden gate leading onto the site was forced open with bolt cutters. An eviction order issued by Oxfordshire County Council, attached to a fence post two days earlier, had not stopped the encampment as it expanded over the weekend and into Monday.

Two pygmy goats, Randall and Lawrence, owned by Justine Shepperson and Tom Goodenough, were taken from a nearby farm on Monday afternoon, shortly after the travellers had established themselves at the reserve. The animals, which had become local favourites on social media, were recovered two days later at Prospect Park in Reading, Berkshire, tied to a tree and later released to police custody before being returned to their owners. Shepperson, who said the goats are the family’s lifeblood and are well-known to local schoolchildren, described the moment as a “miracle.”

Police later confirmed they were investigating a series of incidents linked to the encampment, including reports of a dog attack on an Asian couple and racist abuse. A female officer told Shepperson that children at the site had provided information suggesting the goats had been bought by a man in the area, underscoring the complex social dynamics surrounding the disruption. Thames Valley Police said inquiries were ongoing.

Locals described a sharp shift in the village’s usual calm as more travellers arrived over the weekend, despite an eviction order. One resident recounted an encounter in which a dog belonging to the travellers charged at a walker, and another described being threatened with a pitchfork during a confrontation. Reform county councillor Hao Du, who visited the site, said he had raised residents’ concerns with the police and the police and crime commissioner.

Volunteers and Earth Trust staff, which manages the reserve on behalf of South Oxfordshire District Council, began a mammoth cleanup operation after the travellers left. Volunteers found bin bags, wood cuttings and human waste dumped around the site, with generators and noise contributing to the disruption residents described as out of character for the area. The Earth Trust said it would reassess site security to prevent a recurrence.

Mowbray Fields is known for its biodiversity, hosting more than 200 species of invertebrates along with foxes, deer and hares, and a variety of birds including red kites and robins. The site is owned by the district council and managed by Earth Trust. Local residents, while relieved that the goats were recovered and the encampment dispersed, said the episode has left a lasting unease in a community that normally enjoys a tranquil rural landscape.