THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON 



by him of the Badminton country as it then was is 

 full of interest as coming from one who hunted over 

 it himself, and shows that whatever feeling there 

 had been had died away. 



" The Badminton hounds commenced their cub 

 hunting in their home country, removed then into 

 Oxfordshire until Christmas, when they returned 

 again for a month or six weeks and finished the 

 season in Oxfordshire. The country now hunted 

 by them comprises a large portion of Gloucester 

 and Wiltshire, extending from Tetbury to Devizes, 

 and includes the large coverts of Rood Ashton, near 

 Trowbridge. Commencing again near Bristol, it 

 reaches to Stanmore and Beckhampton on the Wilt- 

 shire Downs, measuring about thirty miles from 

 west to east, and about the same distance from 

 north to south. Taking the country throughout, it 

 may be considered as one of the first in the pro- 

 vinces, generally holding a good scent, abounding 

 in foxes, and containing some of the finest natural 

 fox coverts in England. Of these I may mention 

 the lower woods in the vale of Sodbury, Hawkes- 

 bury Upton coverts, Silkwood near Tetbury, Stan- 

 ton Park near Grittleton, Greatwood, Christian 

 Malford, and Catcombe Woods, in the Christian 

 Malford or Wiltshire country. 



" . . . This vale extends from Chippenham to 

 Swindon, and from its excellent pastures the far- 

 famed North Wiltshire cheese is made. The land 

 generally is well drained and firm to ride over. 



107 



