THE COUNTRY AND THE HORSE REQUIRED. 239 



run fast over this country ; and it is certainly the most 

 sporting little bit we have, as like a series of steeplechase 

 fences, with the regulation open ditch, as possible. Most 

 of this vale is arable, but there are strips of grass along 

 the Laceby Brook, which starts from a spring at Welbeck, 

 and, running through Laceby, eventually becomes the 

 Freshney river. 



Another good hunting country lies between the 

 Grimsby and Ravendale road and the Great Northern 

 Railway, and extends from Scartho to the boundaries of 

 the Hunt at Wyham, the Barton street, which skirts the 

 wolds throughout, being the other boundary. This is very 

 like the Bradley Vale, and there is perhaps more grass. 



The best coverts in the country east of the Barton 

 street are, beginning at the north, the Newsham Coverts, 

 Thomas' Wood, Rough Pastures, and Roxton Wood, all 

 of which may be considered part of the woodlands, to 

 which the foxes generally cling, though occasionally a 

 venturesome beast from the last-named covert will cross 

 the railway into the marshes or make eastward towards 

 Grimsby. Near Keell)y are the Southwells and the 

 Sprothorns, one of which always holds a litter ; then 

 come Hungerhills, Healing Wells, Healing Gorse, and 

 Maud Hole, and the famous covert given by a late master 

 of the Bicester, Drake's Gorse. The valley of the Freshney 

 is fringed with small coverts, mostly osier beds, and 

 always sure finds, and the Grimsby Osiers never fails to 

 hold a fox, the refuse heaps around the fishing town being 

 a great attraction to the vulpine race. All these coverts 

 lie north of the Grimsby and Caistor road. Bradley 

 Wood and Bradley Gears are the only coverts that feed 

 the vale of Bradley, and no Hunt possesses better friends. 

 Mr. R. N. Sutton-Nelthorpe, of Scawby, owns these 

 excellent coverts, though a very small portion belongs to 

 Lord Heneage ; they are always full of foxes, and none 

 show better sport. It is no exaggeration to say that 

 Bradley could provide one day a week through the 

 season ; the foxes are nearly always straight-necked 



