TWO GOOD DAYS IN 1889 65 



jumped it with the greatest ease. Hounds, 

 huntsman, and a good riding field went away 

 in hot pursuit for Irnham Park Wood, and 

 in tuneful chorus hunted their fox through 

 Osgodby Coppice, getting out the far side with a 

 glorious open grass country before them, looking 

 up the valley to Lenton. Nothing could have been 

 more inspiriting. The present Earl of Ancaster looked 

 pleased at the prospect of a ride across his own 

 property ; and his eldest son, Lord Willoughby de 

 Eresby, at that time an undergraduate at Trinity 

 College, Cambridge, was riding along on a steeple- 

 chase mare, Mai d-of-all- Work. 



The two foremost ladies were Lady Margaret 

 Willoughby and Miss Finch, the latter riding a 

 marvellously clever pony. Another who went well 

 on this occasion was Mr. T. Robarts, riding a silver- 

 tailed horse. The brook was jumped below Osgodby, 

 and then came a stretch of grass country straight 

 away to Lenton, men being at work on the steeple- 

 chase course, making up the fences. The ubiquitous 

 spire of Lenton Church stands out boldly on the 

 sky-line, a striking landmark for the country-side ; 

 and we are reminded of a story in connection with 

 this spire, which was restored by the late Rev. 

 Thomas Heathcote, a sporting cleric and a hard 

 rider with the Belvoir. When making the restora- 

 tion in 1875, Mr. Heathcote asked the Duke of 

 Rutland for a subscription. " Why should I sub- 

 scribe to a church that is not on my property ? " 

 asked the noble master of Belvoir. " Because it is 

 such a good landmark when your hounds run ! " 

 replied the fox-hunting vicar ; and the Duke 

 promptly sent £5 towards the restoration of the 

 spire. When Mr. Heathcote died in 1883, the Earl 

 of Ancaster, patron of the living of Lenton, pre- 



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