148 THE WAEWICKSHIRE HUNT. :i887 



tlie Oak Fields, turned to the left after crossing the Banbury and Stratford 

 road, and pointed for Pillerton ; turned again to the left, and went by 

 Pillerton Toll Bar, and down to Oxhill Village, where he was killed. The 

 hounds had been running hard from eleven o'clock till three, and for one hour 

 and a ((uarter from the time we left Broom Hill the last time. 



From Sir C. Mordaunt's diary : 



There was a very hard frost from December 17th for five weeks, and a 

 hea^'y fall of snow. The hounds hunted for three days in deep snow at 

 Walton and Bowshot, and on one day they killed tliree foxes. When the 

 snow is deep and suificieutly hard frozen a fox often gets the worst of it, 

 and is more easily caught, because he cannot easily get his pads out of the 

 snow, over which hounds can run very fast. 



Lord Willoughby de Broke's diary : 



January 22nd, 1887, The Kennels. — Found at Oxhill Gorse, got away 

 directly, and ran towards Tysoe, but turned to the right at the back of Kirby, 

 and ran very fast to Hell Brake, and through the other coverts, and do^vn the 

 hill as if for Brailes, turned to the left along the valley, aud went into Spencer's 

 Gorse. Time, forty minutes Avithout a check. Went away with a fresh fox, and 

 ran him into Windertou Village. The riding was very bad ou the hills, so we 

 came down and drew Watt's Gorse. Found, and away at once as if for Radway, 

 crossed the Banbury and Kiueton road, and went by Owlington, aud right along 

 the valley to within one field of Bawcutt's Covert, and thence to Gaydou Inn, 

 where we lost him owing to the second whip not being in his right place, and 

 then interfering and stoj^ping the pack. A very good thirty-five minutes. 



January 2'ith, Gaydon Inn. — Found at Chesterton Wood, got away 

 directly, and ran by Lighthome, and s^vung right round the village, on nearly 

 to Meadow Lane, by the fishpool, over the Glebe Farm, and back to the 

 wood ; out again, and ran nearly to Chesterton Church, through Ewe Field 

 Coppice and Checkley's Brake, back to Chesterton Wood ; out again, over 

 Bransden Hill, and, leaving Oakley Wood to the left, nearly to Highdown, 

 kept turning to the right, and went over Chesterton Windmill Hill, and back 

 into the wood ; out again, and away to within a few hundred yards of Itching- 

 ton Holt, turned to the right here, and ran by Lighthorue to Meadow Lane 

 Coppice, out at the bottom of it, and left Bramsdown Hill on the right, and 

 by Ashorne Hill, lea^dng Oakley Wood on the right, and to Watchbury Hill, 

 where the dog hounds killed their fox, after running for three hours and a half. 



Lady Mordaunt went very well, and was the only lady 

 out of many others that started who got to the end of this 

 severe run, on her favourite horse Marmion, and she was 

 presented with the brush by the master. 



January 25th, Wolfcrrd Village.'^ Foxmd at the wood, ran nearly to 

 Moreton-iu-Marsh, and then along the river side, and across it into Craw- 

 thoras, to ground after a very pretty thirty minutes. Found at Dunsden 

 Coppice, ran over the Vale to the Golden Cross, and from there very well 

 towards Todenham ; then turned along the river side as if for Aston Hales, 

 passed it on the left, and went by Aston Hales up to Rook Hill, and along 

 the wall of Batsford Park nearly to Bourton Wood; turned to the right, sunk 

 the hill, over the railway and river, and on to Paxford Village, where wo 



