8 THE WARWICKSHIEE HUNT. 



to get over it. The Ilmington and Meon Hill Coverts are 

 neutral, and are drawn on alternate months by the Warwick- 

 shire and North Cotswold. Sometimes the fox sinks the Vale 

 and runs for the Clolden Cross or Ettington Coverts, but the 

 hills are not perhaps a very favourite resort, and, owing to 

 Warwickshire being really a five days a week countrj^ and 

 only hunted four days a week, Ilmington is not so fre- 

 quent a meet as it used to be. 



The Central Coverts now claim our attention. They 

 are generally drawn on Mondays, when the fixtures 

 are at Compton Yerney, Bowshot Cross Roads, Walton 

 Hall, Ettington Cross Roads, (xoldicote, Wellesbourne, 

 Charlecote Park, Snitterfield, Barford, Warwick Park, 

 Chesterton Windmill, Lighthorne Village, or Chadshunt. 

 The largish woods around Compton Verney and Walton 

 are always well stocked with foxes, and occasionally a 

 good run across the Vale southwards takes place from 

 them. 



Sir Charles Mordaunt's keeper, Wm. Butler, and Lord 

 Willoughby's, Jesse Eales and John Creed, the former of 

 whom is a well-known character in Warwickshire, are 

 capital hands at keeping game and foxes together ; and at 

 Chesterton Wood in particular there are always foxes and 

 pheasants, showing that it is perfectly easy to have both if 

 only the keeper is staunch and keen. Chesterton Wood, 

 having been a noted fox covert for so many years, deserves a 

 more than passing notice. It was planted years ago on 

 beautifully light soil, is about 150 acres in extent, it 

 slopes away to the north down Chesterton Hill, is beau- 

 tifully rided, and on the south, east, and west is surrounded 

 by a fine rideable country, perhaps rather too well 

 gated. By Stevens' diary we see that hounds generally 

 began here or at Oakley Wood, about three miles 

 to the north, the property of Mr. Tree, of Ashborne, 

 for the first day's cubhunting. The usual run of 

 the fox from Chesterton Wood is across the old Sitch 

 Field to Itchington Holt, before mentioned, about two 

 miles, and from here there are many possibilities. We 



