INTRODUCTION 



Sir H. Mainwaring, which J have permission to 

 pubhsh : 



"WiTHiNGTON Hall, 

 ' "January lotk, 1865. 



" Dear Sir Harry, — In the early days of the 

 Nantwich Country, from 1805 onwards, there was 

 great sport from Ravensmoor to the Hills. Leech 

 was constantly on them, and we hardly ever failed in 

 finding in the Admiral's cover, and going direct as 

 a line over that fine country. I don't ever recollect 

 to have seen finer sport constantly than at that time 

 and over that country. The hounds then hunted 

 the Woore Country, and had a wonderful run from 

 Buerton Gorse, went thro' Oakley Park (Sir J. 

 Chetwood's), crossed the Drayton Road below the 

 Loggerheads, just skirted the Burnt Woods, left the 

 Bishop's Woods on the left. Hales on the left, right 

 on thro' the small woods at Knighton, and kill'd 

 at Batchacre Park (Mr. Whitworth's in Shropshire), 

 18 miles as the crow flies, in an hour and forty-five 

 minutes. It was an extraordinary fine run, and to 

 within these few years that fox's pad was on the 

 stable door here. About the same time the hounds 

 had a run of about the same distance from Old Baddiley 

 thro' Cholmondeley, Dods-Edge, to the Shocklach 

 meadows and over the Dee, but Reynard got safe 

 into Wales, and it was too late at night to follow 

 him any further. 



" So much for the Nantwich Country ! But in 

 Will Head's time we had as good a run as I ever 

 wish'd to see. We found at the Long Lane, in 

 Holford, hunted slowly thro' Winnington Wood, the 



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