BEWDLEY FOREST 77 



necessary to state that his lordship's estate is well 

 stocked with the requisites for sport of all kinds. In 

 the Cheltenham country the strongest woodlands are 

 the Chedworth, Withington and Star Woods, all of 

 which are close together. The Guiting Woods are like- 

 wise of considerable magnitude. 



Although Shropshire may be fairly denominated a 

 woodland country, it does not contain any woods of 

 great size ; but they are numerous in many parts, and 

 so far prejudicial to first-rate sport, and many of them 

 are very strong — consequently hounds experience great 

 difficulty in driving the foxes through them. In the 

 Albrighton Hunt the Areley Woods are the most 

 considerable and lie on the north-western bank of the 

 Severn. The Ran Dans, which are in Worcestershire 

 and neutral with the two hunts, are as strong as any 

 I ever saw. The latter country in its general character 

 is similar to Shropshire ; but in parts of it there is more 

 grass. There is a large extent of woodland bordering 

 on the two counties, called Bewdley Forest, and though 

 not preserved it is a very favourite resort of foxes. It 

 has not been hunted by any hounds for the last thirty 

 years, although it is admirably adapted for cub-hunt- 

 ing. I once suggested this to a late master of the 

 Worcestershire, who was horrified at the idea, exclaim- 

 ing if he were to take his hounds there he should never 

 expect to see them again. 



