90 THE WAEWICKSHIRE HUNT. :i828-i82!^ 



and afterwards through Sandford Park, and killed the fox 

 at Kiddington Village, which lies on the left of the 

 Ditchley Woods. The run lasted an hour and fifty 

 minutes, the distance being eleven miles as the crow flies, 

 and about fifteen miles as the hounds ran. Lord Clonmell, 

 Mr. Shirley, Mr. Hugo Campbell, and Mr. John Luc}' and 

 Jack Wood had good places in the run, and towards the 

 latter end of it the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Dillon, and 

 some other gentlemen joined the field. The pack returned 

 to the kennels on the same evening, a distance of thirty 

 miles, without a hound missing. It is remarkable that 

 two such runs from the same meet, and with a find at the 

 same place, and over a good deal of the same country, and 

 so nearly the same as regards distance and duration of 

 time, should have taken place within one month. 



" Venator " describes a slow hunting run, with a cold 

 scent, as having taken place from Wolford Wood on Jan. 

 8th. He says that the hounds ran by Adlestrop Hill, and 

 then near Stow-on-the-Wold, and by Heyford to Aston 

 Park Wood, where the fox was viewed ; and after again 

 going away from there, was killed near Cheltenham, a 

 distance of sixteen miles straight, and the run occupied two 

 hours. Making allowance for the probable extent of 

 country traversed, it must have taken much longer, and 

 the hounds must have run not less than twenty-two miles. 

 Lord Clonmell, Mr. Pole, of Todenham, Mr. Fellowes, and 

 some other gentlemen and the huntsman were up at the 

 death. 



During- the time Sir Rieluu'd Pulestoii limited the Shropshire .side of his 

 country, a notable affair in the hunting world occurred. The Woore, belonging 

 to Mr. Wicksted, of Betley ; the Shropshire, under the management of 

 Sir Edward Smythe, Mr. E. M. Smj-the. and Mr. William Lloyd, of Astou ; 

 and the Chesliire, under Sir Harry Mainwaring, sent seven couples of hounds 

 each to a meet at Shavington, tlien the seat of Earl Kilmorey, on the 7th 

 April, 1829. It was a trial of speed between the three packs. Will Head, 

 of the Cheshire, as the senior pack, was ajipointed huntsman ; while Will 

 Staples, of the Shropshire ; and Wells, of the Staffordshire, were in attendance. 

 It was a brilliant sight, for not less than two thousand horsemen made their 

 appearance, of whom seven hundred were in scarlet, and there were carriages 

 full of ladies without number. At eleven o'clock the hounds were thrown 

 into the great wood at Shavington, found a fox iinmediatelv, had a fast 



