THE COUNTRY AND THE HORSE REQUIRED. 241 



is tlie best, and there is generally plenty of fun from Irby 

 Holme or the Hatcliffe and Ravendale Coverts. Croxby 

 Pond, too, usually holds plenty of foxes ; but without 

 doubt the best runs on the wolds in the past have come 

 from Eothwell Gorse, that excellent square covert perched 

 high upon the hills. Though difficult to get a fox away 

 from sometimes, it seldom happens that there is not a 

 good gallop to repay the patience and trouble. This 

 covert is on the west side of the square, other coverts in 

 the neighbourhood being Normanby Dales, the Smithfield 

 Plantations, and the Stainton Plantations ; and the Nettle- 

 ton and Holton Woods, in the midst of a flat, stale, and 

 unprofitable country, sandy and rabbit-holed, below the 

 wolds on the west. Near Rothwell Gorse are Badger 

 Hills, Cuxwold Asholt, and Normanby Dales ; near Croxby 

 Pond, Thorganby Gorse, the Swinhope Plantations, and 

 Black Holt, and on the west side of the square, the Hatcliffe 

 and Ravendale Coverts, Peterhills, Stock Furlong, Beesby 

 Wood, the Wold Newton Valley, the Click 'Em Inn Coverts, 

 and Wyham Gorse. The Wolds is the easiest part of the 

 Brocklesby country to traverse, and a clever cob will 

 show you all there is to be seen unless hounds go too 

 fast ; and when they do go fast up and down the hills it 

 is often a job to see the way they go at all. One of 

 the fastest and best runs the writer can remember was 

 over the slopes of the wolds from Pelham Pillar on 

 March 5th, 1900. 



There is never a good scent on the high wolds when the 

 country is dry, and the more rain, both there and in the 

 marshes, the better hounds run. 



People coming into the country to hunt will find 

 Grimsby as good a centre as any, as they will then get 

 the marshes and the best of the east side of the country 

 within easy reach, and they can box to Habrough, 

 Brocklesby, or Barnetby for the northern part of the 

 country, or down the Great Northern line to Louth if 

 they desire a day with the South Wold. 



Brocklesby is about the centre of the Hunt, the 



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