2 THE ESSEX FOXHOUNDS. 



through Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester ; the other 

 through Harlow, Bishop Stortford and Cambridge ; and 

 that a branch line runs from Bishop Stortford by Dunmow 

 to Witham, between Chelmsford and Colchester. These 

 lines enclose a large tract of country, into which no railway 

 has penetrated beyond the metropolitan suburbs, except 

 the line from London through Loughton and Epping to 

 Ongar. 



Over a portion of the tract of country enclosed by the 

 two main lines and the Dunmow branch, the Essex Hounds 

 hunt on three days in the week. They devote one day in 

 the week to the country north of Dunmow. 



Through the courtesy of the Great Eastern Railway 

 officials, we are able to give the dates of the opening of 

 the various lines with which we are concerned. This is a 

 matter of interest in tracing the history of hunting in the 

 county of Essex. 



The main lines from London to Chelmsford and to 

 Cambridge have been working for about half a century, 

 the former having been opened in 1843, ^he latter in 1845. 

 The line from London to Loughton was opened in 1856, 

 and was extended through Epping to Ongar in 1865. 

 The Dunmow branch line was opened in 1869. 



The fox-hunting countries which bound the Essex 



