156 RECORDS OF THE CHASE 



Mr. Morrel. This is what is called the Old Berkshire 

 country. Some misunderstanding as to the limits took 

 place during the period Lord Gifford hunted the Vale 

 of White Horse, which, being settled, it is unnecessary 

 to explain. The present boundaries may be thus 

 described. Aids worth is the extreme northern point 

 of meeting, where the Heythrop country joins, bearing 

 off in an easterly direction. The River Cole forms the 

 line of demarcation on the extreme east from the Old 

 Berkshire ; Wroughton and Burdrope Park are the 

 furthermost fixtures on the south, about five miles 

 from which is Albourne Chase, in the Craven Hunt. 

 Charlton Park, Crudwell, and Jackaments Bottom join 

 on the south-west and west with the Duke of Beaufort's 

 country; when, bearing from west to north-west, comes 

 Earl Fitzhardinge's Cheltenham district. Foss Cross 

 is the usual place of meeting, when the Vale of White 

 Horse hounds draw his lordship's Chedworth and 

 Withington Woods. 



There are several places of meeting which may be 

 readily reached from London by the Great W^estern 

 Railway, especially those which are near to Swindon, 

 Purton, and Minety stations, the principal of which are 

 Wroughton, Stratton, Lydiard Park, Cold Harbour, 

 Red Lodge, Minety Pound, Eastcourt, Crudwell, and 

 Charlton Turnpike. Any London sportsman w^ho has 

 not visited this countr>^ will be amply repaid for a 

 trifling additional expense and exertion in reaching it. 



Lord Gifford, who had the year previously 

 established a pack of hounds to hunt the Ludlow 

 country, removed them into the Vale of White Horse in 

 1842, and occupied the same kennels, stables, and 

 premises which Lord Ducie had used. No country 

 could be better adapted for Lord Gifford than this, 

 neither could any one be better adapted for the country 

 than his lordship, who of course hunted the hounds 

 himself and was whipped-in to by John Grant, who had 

 been in Lord Ducie 's service many years previously to 

 his being entered as a whipper-in. The most severe day 



