A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



1877 the pack has been kennelled at West THE BURSTOW HUNT 



The country hunted by these hounds lies 



The Crawley and Horsham is a big country, . . ,. } [ . c 



j- r /-k 1 1 e lu partly in this county. Their Sussex territory 



extending from Ockley in Surrey to the sea at f ,. a f , J *"/ 



Worthing a distance of nearly twenty-five miles. ? mis chlefly of the rough moorlands of Ash- 



From eas to west, from East Pulborough to dow " Forest 4 ' runnm S U P to St. Leonard's Forest 



'. on the west. 4 

 Haywards Heath, it measures some twenty 



miles. Northward it is bounded by the Chid- THE EASTBOURNE HUNT 

 dingfold and Surrey Union, eastward by the 



South Down, and on the west by Lord Lecon- For man 7 7 ears prior to 1891, when this 



field's country. The sea forms the southern limit. P ack was instituted, the country in the neigh- 



Until the year 1872 the southern part of the bourhood of Eastbourne had been hunted by 



country, about Worthing and Findon, was harriers. In 1891 it was decided to start a pack 



hunted by Lord Leconfield. In that year his of foxhounds, and the South Down and East 



lordship, having more country than he could Sussex Hunts each handed over a portion of 



well manage, relinquished this portion to the their territory to the new hunt. Mr. F. Free- 



Crawley and Horsham, who have hunted it man Thomas, of Ratton, grandson of the first 



ever since. The country includes a large pro- master of the South Down, was elected master, 



portion of plough and a considerable area of an ^ kennels 

 woodland. There is, however, more grass than 



, 



kennels were built near the old town, East- 

 bourne, in an excellent situation under the 



R. Kingsland. 



THE ERIDGE HUNT 



wooan. ere s, owever, more grass an , er e 



there used to be. During the hunting season downs. Mr. Freeman Thomas showed ex- 

 much of the wire is now removed. The pack cellent sport until 1895, when he resigned, and 

 is maintained by subscription, 15 1 5*. qualifying Colonel W. A. Cardwell, who remains at the 

 for membership of the hunt. The huntsman is bead of affairs to the present time (1907), was 



elected master. Colonel Cardwell has a very 

 smart pack of foxhounds, all bitches, numbering 

 twenty-four couples. HishuntsmanisE.Brooker, 

 grandson of an early huntsman of the South 



Between 1870 and 1879 the country now Down pack. The southern part of the East- 

 hunted by the Eridge was known as the West bourne country consists of open downs, on which 



e . xist excellent gorse coverts; to the eastward 

 ' Ies t ^ le mar sh country of Pevensey Levels. 

 There is a good vale country, having as obstacles 

 banks, ditches, and timber. To the north, in 

 the neighbourhood of Horeham Road and Heath- 

 ^ e '^' heavy woodlands are hunted. On the 

 whole, foxes are fairly plentiful in the Eastbourne 

 country, but a few years since the down coverts 

 were visited by a severe epidemic of mange, and 



Kent Woodland; it had before 1870 been part 

 of the West Kent country. The first master in 

 1880 was Lord George Nevill, who carried 

 on the hounds with much success until the year 

 1887. The Marquis of Abergavenny has 

 always been the chief supporter of the hunt, and 

 the pack, at present consisting of thirty couples 

 of hounds, is kennelled at his seat, Eridge Park, 

 The Eridge country lies in North Sussex, ex- 



, - 

 tending from the neighbourhood of Tunbridge the foxes are on '7 ju* 1 recovering in that neigh- 



Wells nearly as far south as the River Rother. bourhood. The country is somewhat limited in 

 Eastward it borders close upon Cranbrook in area > but very fair sport is shown. One of th 



Kent, while in the west it extends to Ashdown 

 Forest. In the north its neighbours are the 

 West Kent ; to the east the country is unhunted 

 by foxhounds ; while in the west and south it 

 marches with the countries of the Burstow 

 South Down, Eastbourne, and East Sussex. In 



best mns recorded with this pack took place in 

 J anual 7> I 97> when hounds ran a fox from 

 Abbots Wood, near Hailsham, to within half a 

 m '' e or " the town of Newhaven, a distance of 

 a bout eleven miles, without touching a covert. 

 The subscription is 10 ids. per horse, and the 



, , ex. n . , 



the vale there is a fair amount of grass, which ma ster is guaranteed a sum of j6oo annually. 



carries a good scent; other portions comprise ^ 'cap' of los. 6d. is taken from strangers. 



plough, moorland, and a considerable extent of The country is bounded west, north, and east 



, , 



woodland. The Eridge is a subscription pack, by the South Down and East Sussex territories, 



the hunt guaranteeing the master a sum of 750. tne sea forming the southern limit. 

 The minimum subscription is 10 iox. Cap- 

 ping is not at present in vogue, but strangers are 



expected to contribute to the damage fund. On STAG HUNTING 



Lord George Nevill's resignation in 1887 Mr. c . 



F. V. Williams accepted the mastership and , e Wlld deer disa PP ear ed from Sussex this 



carried on the hunt until 1893, when he was Sp rt has had little vo ue in the 



, 



succeeded by Lord Henry Nevill, who remains 

 at the head of aflairs. His huntsman is Fred 



Bounty. In J 7S8 a pack of hounds existed at 

 Bn g hton to hunt ca ed deer, and in the Lewes 



448 



4 See V.C.H. Surrey, ii, 487. 



