THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 55 



CHAPTER VIII. 



The famous Ditchley run — a few words upon 

 SCENTING WINDS— SOME ** Warwickshire Lads" 



—A DAT FROM UfTON WoOD— RETIREMENT AND 



DEATH OF Lord Middleton. 

 A notable run was that which " the Warwickshire" The Ditchley run 

 had during the year 1816 from Idlicote. A little pre- 

 liminary business was transacted, with a kill towards 

 Compton Wyniates, and at the second find, in which origi- 

 nated a good day's sport, about one hundred and fifty 

 were present, among them a sprinkling of Meltonians. 

 Gilk's Brake was the spot at which, after several blanks, 

 Reynard was found at home, and from here he went 

 straight away for Sibbard. He then turned to the right 

 for Eathorpe, passed over the Thurlaston Hills,* and 

 made for Ditchley, where he earthed, twelve miles from 

 Oxford. Everybody got a fair start, but Mr. John 

 Lucy, whose name will ever be remembered in con- 

 nection with "the Warwickshire," was the only one 

 who went with the hounds to the end and was up when 

 they lost their fox. Lord Molyneux and Mr. Hugo 



* In introducing this run into this history as it appeared week 

 by week in the Banbury Guardian, I inadvertently transcribed 

 some topographical errors, which I now correct. "Eathorpe" 

 should be Heythrop, and the hills are not the Thurlaston Hills, 

 which, as my readers doubtless know very well, are situated in the 

 Dunchurch district, but the Oxfordshire; hills upon part of 

 which Chipping Norton is situated. They are so described in 

 another account of this run I have seen. This will make an other- 

 wise inexpUcable piece of work an intelligible run. Running first 

 to Sibford (pronounced locally " Sibbard ") he turned to the right 

 for Heythrop and cressing the line of hills sank down to Ditchley 

 Park, near Spilsbury, on their south side.— Castor. 



