THE CENTRAL COVERTS. 9 



remember that an old fox for one or two seasons always 

 used to make straight from Chesterton to ground under 

 Hurton Dassett Church. Oakley AVood and Fir Tree Hill 

 near it often produce a good fox, but Warwick Park, 

 though generally a sure find, is not such a favourite, except 

 with the carriage folk and fair lady division. However, as 

 we said at the commencement, on Monday one generally 

 finds oneself, whatever the fixture, in the grass country 

 before night. 



The Ettington and AVellesbourne Coverts, including 

 Alveston Pastures and Fir Grove, are perhaps not so much 

 liked, though Wellesbourne Wood, which adjoins Sir 

 Charles Mordaunt's coverts at Smatchley and Oakham 

 Coppice, is always most carefully preserved by the Oranville 

 family. It was from Wellesbourne that the great run 

 started from when Mr. Bernard (Iranville was master, 

 which we hope to describe later. A good run has often 

 commenced from Eoug-h Hill, Knaven Hill, or Ettino-ton 

 drove, while Mr. Mills' good little coverts, Moll's Grave 

 and Brickkiln Gorse, are close by the Fosse Eoad, and 

 edge the delicious Oxhill A^ale. We shall have occasion 

 later to refer to the late Henry Spencer Lucy, both as an 

 all-round sj)ortsman and master of hounds. Fir Tree Hill, 

 above men^^ioned, is on the Charlecote property, and, cross- 

 ing the Avon by the bridge built by the Eev. John Lucy, 

 we come to Hampton AVood and Hampton Gorse. Snitter- 

 field Bushes, once the property of that good supporter of 

 foxhunting, the late Mr. Mark Phillips, and afterwards of 

 his brother, Mr. Robert Phillips, and now belonging to 

 Lady Trevelyan, is a good nursery for foxes, surrounded by 

 a rough but sporting plough country ; while Austy AVood, 

 beyond that again, is a neutral covert with the North 

 Warwickshire. We must not omit one word in favour of 

 Lighthorne Rough, where a fox made his lair for several 

 seasons up an old oak tree at the west end ; or Bishop's 

 Gorse, where they found on seventeen separate occasions in 

 one season, both the property of Lord AVilloughby de 

 Broke ; or AVhitnash Bushes and Chesterton Millpool, 



