MR. HARVEY COMBE 8i 



Park, which they draw upon sufferance from Lord 

 Craven and Mr. Warde. Here was almost the largest 

 field I ever saw in my life in any country but 

 Leicestershire — amounting to at least three hundred 

 horsemen. This was partly to be accounted for by 

 a wish to see what may be described as a new pack 

 of hounds; and partly owing to the fixture being 

 within reach of Mr. Warde's and Sir John Cope's 

 hunts, as also of the Oxford sportsmen. 



Ashdown Park being so justly celebrated in the 

 annals of coursing requires little notice from me. 

 There is a curious old mansion house, situated in the 

 midst of a wood, which though built by the famous 

 Inigo Jones, bears ample testimony to the bad taste 

 of an age long since passed by. It is said to have 

 been a sort of hiding place for the family in times 

 of difficulty and trouble. 



We found our fox immediately, and he afforded us 

 a capital run. After taking a turn or two in what is 

 called the Kennel Wood, he broke at the upper end 

 of it, over the downs, pointing for Aldbourn Chase 

 Woods ; being headed, which caused a trifling check, 

 he turned to the left by Baydon village along the 

 edge of the woodlands to Ringwood, across the 

 enclosures to Membury Banks, over the earths by 

 Membury House, for White hill ; and was killed at 

 Solely Farm, in the parish of Chilton about three 

 miles from Hungerford, and twelve from the place 

 where he was found. 



The hounds having slipped away over the downs 

 with their fox when they first found him, several of 

 the horses were over-matched in their pace to catch 

 them, which accounted for the many falls I saw as 

 soon as we entered the enclosures, although the 

 fences were quite easy. The finish also was ex- 

 tremely pretty, having run from scent to view, and 



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