1892] RUN FEOM TIMMS' COPPICE. 241 



right, and crossed tlie Stoiir by the ucw hunting bvidgo, and wont nearly to 

 the Gohlen Cross ; turned hift-handed there, and pointed for Bhikemore, but 

 kept tuniing- to tlie h^ft, and crossed the Stour near Aston Magna. Hero 

 nearly all the field were thrown out 1iy the river. The hounds kept straight 

 along the Vale, leaving Aston Hales and Moreton-in-Marsh on the left, and 

 Batsford and Sezingcote on the right, till they got below Longborough ; then 

 they made a left-handed loop, and ran nearly to Crawthornes, turned to the 

 right, and ran over the hill towards Swell. Near there they changed foxes, 

 but the horses were all beat and it could not be helped. Then they took a 

 wide swing by Upper and Lower Swell, and eventually ran their beaten fox 

 into the gardens at Sezingcote. I could hear the garden men running him 

 about as we got near, and booked him for ours, but he managed to crawl into 

 a rabbit hole and beat us. Time two hours and a half. All the horses beat. 

 About 150 started, but only four got to the end. 



Mr. John Wilkes, of St. Dennis, sent an account to 

 the Field of this excellent run : 



Sir, — Learning your correspondent " Rusticus " was not out with the 

 crack pack on Tuesday, and hearing so much about the big run from Timms' 

 Copse, Todenham, 1 send you a short account from my point of view. 



After drawing Duusden Copse blank, a move was made to Timms' Copse, 

 which is within hail of Sir P. Pole's seat, where reynard was found. He went 

 away for Mitford Bridge, with the music of the spotted beauties and a big, 

 well-mounted field after him, at a merry pace. Flying ditch and fence, led 

 ])y the noble master, we raced t(j Mitford Bridge, where the sly one doubled 

 sliort back alongside the l)rook for about a mile, crossing between High Furze 

 and Burmiugton Mill, and away over the hill, pointing for Dichford Gorse, 

 and when, within a field of it, the hounds swung round to the left over the 

 hill for Dichford Friary, where they headed away to the right, crossing the 

 Shipston and Moretou Tramway near Lower Dichford. Here they checked ; 

 but the noble master, giving one of his well-known casts, soon had them on 

 the line again, and they went sailing away for Blakemore Covert, leaving 

 Stretton-on-Foss on the right, then turning short to the right over the 

 Dichford Hill, leaving the farmhouse on the left. Here they were dipping 

 into the Vale, with the Neigh Bridge Brook in front of us, which 1 knew was 

 impassable, or nearly so, so 1 rode for the bridge, where I crossed, followed by 

 tlie Hon. C Verney and about a score others ; and, after riding some three or 

 four fields, the pack crossed to xis, leaving the noble master and the rest two 

 fields from a bridge on the right. As soon as hounds crossed they worked the 

 line to opposite Aston Magna Church, where they laid themselves out in ;i 

 fashion which every follower of them knows means " go," and, with extended 

 heads and straightened sterns, they went merrily away for Aston Hales. Soon 

 sweeping round to the right and crossing the G.W.R., they raced away up 

 the Vale, over a big country, in the direction of Batsford Park. Here their 

 immediate followers dwindled down to Mr. Verney and your humble servant, 

 who kept pegging away after the music of the fleet beauties, over a heavy 

 country and stiff fences, until well on the left of Batsford Park, where 1 

 missed my companion. Sweeping slightly to the right, the long-winded one 

 led his fleet pursuers in a line for Moreton-in-Marsh, but, soon turning 

 slightly again to the right, the} swept past Moreton, leaving it on the left. 

 Vol II. R 



