SPORT WITH LORD PETRK. 289 



ot a covert and boasting' <i fair sprinklin;^ of grass, is the 

 best in the whole country. Coming to the north side, 

 Arnold's and Ingrave Thrift are safe finds, also Rook 

 Wood, near Ingatestone. The Danbury and Woodham 

 coverts are most useful, though in rather a woodland dis- 

 trict. The Warley and Mountnessing coverts on Lord 

 Petre's property are always well stocked with fo.xes. 



We have records of the following fine runs during 

 the last seventy years, amongst many others, which 

 have probably not found their way into print, or been 

 remembered bv the iiresent generation of hunting men : — 

 During Lord Petre's mastership there was an extra- 

 ordinary run from the Woodham coverts. Three hours 

 from find to finish ; a seventeen mile point, and, of 

 course, more as hounds ran, they killing their fox (after 

 running through eighteen parishes) between Chelms- 

 ford and Braintree. Another good run was from 

 ^hillard's Garden (one of the Belhus coverts) over a fine 

 open line of country, and hounds killed their fox at Jury 

 Hills, close to where the old Thorndon Hall formerly stood, 

 and within a mile of the kennels. Hounds met at 10.30 

 in those days, and so ([uick was the find and so fast the run 

 that hountls wire in kennel by twelve o'clock. During Mr. 

 Ward's mastershi[) there was a very fine run from Dan- 



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