10 THE WARWICKSHIEE HUNT. [1877 



ou a monster, but when lauded he turued out to he a fish of ouly 241b. 

 hooked throug-h the tail fin. This will be my last visit to this delightful 

 country, after liaviug been there during seventeen summers. 



From Lord Willougliby de Broke 's diary : 



December 17th, Long Itchington. — A fox got out of a hedge close to 

 Deljdale as we were going to draw it, and went into the covert ; the hounds 

 got up to him in the covert, and got away in view of him. He pointed first 

 for Birdingbury Hall, but soon turued to the left and crossed the road, and 

 ran over the railway by Martou Station, across the front of Eathorpe House, 

 through Waverley and Cubbiugton Woods to Chantrey Heath, where the first 

 check occurred ; forty-five minutes without a check i;p to there ; ran from 

 there slowly, and marked him to ground under a large oak tree in Stoneleigh 

 Deer Park. Fifty minutes altogether. Came home, as we were a long way 

 off and miles out of our country. Rode Dynamite and Ziugaro. 



December 20th, Idlicote House. — Foimdat Hell Brake, went away dii-ectly, 

 ran very fast towards Spencer's Gorse, turued to the left at the road, and ran 

 by "Whatcote, leaving Halford to the left, to Ettington, and on to Knaven Hill, 

 the first twenty minutes very pretty. A fox from Spencer's Gorse slipped 

 away l^efore we got there, and we ran at a good hunting pace to Compton 

 Wyniates, turned back from Broomliill Gorse, left Wiuderton to the right, 

 and ran to Brailes Hill and on towards Weston House with a fresh fox, and 

 stopped the x^ack at dark, after running more than an hour and a half in the 

 open. Rode Bounder and Bluelight. 



December 21st, Wroxton FiZZa^e.— Chopped a fox in the gardens. Foimd 

 at Chamberlain's, and ran at a rare jiace along the brook side, by Angel's 

 Piece, nearly to Molliugton, turned to the left, over the l)rook, and up to the 

 corner of White's Bushes ; here the fox turned again to the left, recrossed 

 the road, sank the liill, recrossed the brook, and went to ground in the 

 midiUe of a large grass field aboiit half-way between Angel's Piece and 

 Chamberlain's Gorse, after a very fast run of fifty mimites without a check 

 or touching a covert. Away from Page's, the fox set his head straight for 

 Idlicote, a ten-mile point, which hounds did in fifty minutes, again without 

 the slightest check or touching a covert. They went by White's Bushes, 

 across the Yale by Upton, and sunk the hill above Tysoe, went close to 

 Tysoe Village, and at a racing pace over the fine grass Yale to Idlicote, 

 where we had to stop the pack owing to darkness. This made the finest 

 day's sport I ever witnessed in this or any other hunt. Rode Bacchus and 

 Charlier. Lady Willoughby rode Bendigo. 



The following account, written by the Hon. E. C. 

 Leigh, of the day's sport of December .21st was published 

 in Bell's Life : 



The meet was at Wroxton Abl)ey, and turned out to be a day long 

 to be remembered. A large field were there, and all were pleased to see 

 Mr. North (ex-master of both the Warwickshire and the Bicester) out 

 again in his old country. The coverts at Wroxton soon afforded a fox ; but 

 foxes are apt to be headed at Christmas time by too eager pedestrians in the 

 Banbury neighbourhood, so he was soon killed in the garden at Wroxton 

 Abbey. Chamberlain's Gorse was in tlie next draw, called after that famous 



