THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



77 



over Claydon Hill with North Newingtoa on the right, ^^i'gslfisie^' 



Thus he went on straight until he reached the road to 



Upton which he crossed and turning sharp to the left 

 ran, with Shenington on the right, close to the village of 

 Balscote, which he left to the right. At this point a 

 check of five minutes occurred, after which he ran at a 

 very severe pace with Shutford close on the left, and, 

 just touching the Shutford earths, ran over the hills, 

 with Epwell village to the left and Epwell Gorse to 

 the right, until he reached Compton Wyniates ponds. 

 There a fresh fox went away in view with the hounds 

 after him for three or four fields, when they were 

 whipped off and taken back to the hunted one, but he 

 had found a safe place of refuge for the night. The 

 time from Farnborough to Compton was two hours and 

 forty minutes and from the line the fox took twenty- 

 two miles of country must have been traversed. 



During the season 1833-4, which included the items A good season. 

 given above, the sport was exceptionally good. It was 

 said that Mr. Thornhill's hounds had the best sport of 

 any in England, and that Mr. Drake's stood second. 

 So much for local fox-hunting. 



My next item is also of the " immense " order. It 

 emanated from Lighthorne on the 24th of February, 1835. 

 There were a couple of hundred sportsmen on the Green. 

 Chesterton Wood was drawn and a fox found which 

 was soon killed. Itchington Heath provided a gay 

 and fine old fox which crossed the grounds in noble 

 style as though Ufton Wood was his point. He was, 

 however, headed and circled back to the covert, but, 

 being driven out again, he went at a rattling pace to 

 Chesterton Wood, from which he made bis way to 

 Itchington Heath, and, skirting one corner, passed to 

 Gaydon Spinney and went on to, and up the Burton 

 Hills. Along these he went to Farnborough and 

 from here to Clattercote and then, with a turn 

 towards the right, to Mollington. Great Bourton vil- 

 age was then skirted and Hauwell brook made for, 



An immense run 

 from Itchington 



