SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



then back towards Bowden Cemetery, by the 

 River Welland to the sewage farm, and down 

 to Ballast Hole crossing, and sharp to the right 

 over the Welland to Sutton village. Owing to 

 unjumpable fences hounds were far ahead 

 when the field got up to Sutton Windmill, 

 and saw them in the distance passing Stoke 

 Albany village. Hounds went on to Wil- 

 barston, but few followed them, as nothing 

 more could be seen or heard. Hounds were 

 heard in full cry near Dingley Hall, and after- 

 wards near Ashley, where some who were 

 thrown out earlier rejoined the hunt ; they 

 ran by Sutton Windmill, on to Weston, over 

 the railway and river towards Medbourne. 

 Leaving that village on the right the fox went 

 close to Slawston covert, by Welham village, 

 over the railway and river again up to Sutton 

 Windmill, for the third and last time, and was 

 killed in a hedgerow near the mill. Mr. Lay- 

 cock and Mr. Mills broke up the fox, dividing 

 the spoils between them. The only persons 

 up were Messrs. Bentley, Douglas, Garner, 

 Haddon, Langham Reid, Laycock, Mills, 

 Pender, Roberts, and Simpson, who got hounds 

 together, and took them to Mr. Stokes' riding 

 school at Great Bowden. The huntsman and 

 whips arrived and took the pack home by 

 train. The distance the hounds ran was at 

 least 25 miles, and they seemed to have raced 

 the greater part of the distance, though no one 

 was near them. 



This season the hounds hunted on 107 days. 

 They killed 40J brace and ran to ground 

 another 35-| brace of foxes. Isaac said that 

 he only had one fall during the season. 



On 8 March, 1899, when hounds met 

 at Guilsborough Grange, John Isaac received 

 from eighty ladies who hunt with the Pytchley, 

 an illuminated address, a silver horn, and a 

 quantity of silver plate, in recognition of his 

 seventeen years' service. 



Mr. Wroughton retired from the mastership 

 in 1902 and was succeeded by Lord Annaly, 

 who remains master. 



Of late years the Pytchley have been very 

 successful at the foxhound shows at Peter- 

 borough. In 1899 Marquis won the Cham- 

 pion Cup, and he was also first as the best 

 unentered dog hound. Other prizes were 

 taken the same year by Potentate, Marks- 

 man, Miner, Pageant, Secret, and Posy. 

 Next year Potentate took the Champion 

 Cup, and the first prize as a stallion 

 hound, and with Marquis, Pageant, and 

 Folkestone, he took the first prize for two 

 couples of entered dog hounds. In 1 90 1 

 the Pytchley took five first prizes and one 

 second prize ; and prizes were taken in each 

 of the four following years. 



THE WOODLAND PYTCHLEY 



The Woodlands are still part of the Pytch- 

 ley country, and until 1876 were hunted by 

 the same hounds; from Brixworth in winter, 

 and from Brigstock in the early autumn. In 

 that year, however, a second pack was pro- 

 cured, and kennelled at Brigstock. The late 

 Mr. George Lewis Watson, of Rockingham 

 Castle, in 1876 became the first Woodland 

 master, with Percival as huntsman. 



Mr. Watson shortly resigned, and Lord 

 Spencer took over the country. Will Goodall 

 hunted the Woodland pack on the Monday 

 and Thursday in each week, and Lord Spencer 

 hunted the open country on the Mondays, 

 during the season 1876-7. Next season 

 Goodall generally hunted the Pytchley six 

 days a week, being in the Brixworth country 

 on the Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and 

 Saturday, and in the Brigstock country Tues- 

 day and Thursday, Lord Spencer sometimes 

 taking the hounds on the Monday and 

 Friday. 



On 15 March, 1877, the pack had what 

 Goodall described as the best Woodland run 

 he ever saw ; during the whole time he only 

 touched hounds twice. The meet was at 

 Weekley Hall Wood, where hounds found at 

 once, and went away through Boughton 

 Wood, over the park, and through Geddington 

 Chase by Stanion. Then through Brigstock 

 Forest, away as if for Deene Thorpe Woods, 

 but turned to the right through Spring 

 Wood and Lyveden Woods, killing their fox 

 ultimately near Lowick. 



When Lord Spencer resigned the master- 

 ship of the Pytchley in 1878 he continued to 

 hunt the Woodlands, William (Tom) God- 

 dard acting as first, and George Dunkley as 

 second whip. The hounds had four days' 

 hunting round Althorpe in October, and then 

 went to Brigstock. They commenced regu- 

 lar hunting on 4 November, 1 878, at 

 Finedon, and one of the best runs was on 

 8 April, 1879, when the meet was at Finedon. 

 The first fox was found at the Poplars, but he 

 soon ran to ground near Woodford. A second 

 fox was found in Cranford Gorse ; after a 

 short circle he pointed for Snapes, but turned 

 into Grafton Park, and then through Boughton 

 Wood into Geddington Chase. Here, possi- 

 bly, they changed foxes. Then out towards 

 the Rushton Avenue, swung back to the 

 Chase, and on into Brighttrees, across the top 

 of it. Here there were two hnes, but the 

 leading hounds pressed on for the Snapes. 

 Beyond Grafton Coppice Goddard viewed the 

 fox walking across a field, and there was a 

 good deal of dodging about. Lord Spencer 



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