i62 FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



country. He undertook, therefore, to hunt the 

 Albrighton and the Shropshire each four days in 

 alternate fortnights, and hoped this plan would 

 meet the continued support of the Albrighton 

 subscribers. 



The arrangement was not altogether successful, 

 and at the end of the season 1824-5, Sir Belling- 

 ham resigned the Albrighton, and restricted 

 himself entirely to Shropshire. 



He had in 1823 taken a house situated upon 

 the Whitchurch Road, within a mile and a half 

 of Shrewsbury, the property of Mr. Loxdale the 

 Town Clerk, and here in that year the gentlemen 

 of the Shrewsbury side of the county had sub- 

 scribed to build kennels capable of holding a 

 hundred couple of hounds, with stabling for 

 twenty-six hunters and six loose boxes. There 

 was also a temporary kennel at Lee Bridge for 

 the meets on the Frees side, which contained 

 some of the best coverts. 



The country itself was well off for foxes, and 

 would stand four days a week. On the whole, 

 too, it held a fair scent, but it was deficient in 

 gorse coverts generally, and in those days a great 

 part of it was wet and boggy and difficult to 

 stop. As a country to ride over, Shropshire was 

 easy, so far as fencing was concerned ; there was 

 nothing to stop a hard rider fairly well mounted, 



