14 HISTORY OF THE YORK AND AINSTY HUNT. 



It now remains to describe the Saturday country, 

 which may be said to consist of three parts, namely, the 

 extreme north of the country, that part of it which lays to 

 the east of the Ouse, and the extreme south-eastern 

 part, some of which, as is the case with some of the 

 country in the extreme north, is loaned to the York and 

 Ainsty. To begin, then, with the northern part, all of which 

 is beyond a reasonable riding distance of York. Raskelf, 

 Sessay station, Brafferton, Pilmoor, Thirkleby and Helperby 

 Hall are the principal fixtures in this district, which abounds 

 in woods of considerable size. Nevertheless, foxes are of 

 an enterprising disposition, and from all the places named 

 good runs are frequent. There are several nice coverts 

 within reach of Raskelf, most famous amongst which is 

 Peep of Day, a gorse which has been well looked after 

 by Mr. Frank Green of late years. Sessay Wood is a 

 covert that will live in hunting history, for long before the 

 York and Ainsty hunt was established, Sir Mark 

 Masterman Sykes's hounds had a great run from it, an 

 account of which will appear in its proper place, and for 

 many a year the first Duke of Cleveland roused the 

 echoes of Brafferton Spring. In this district, too, are 

 the strong coverts of Newbrough, which are really in 

 Lord Middleton's country, or at least the bulk of them 

 are, and which are hunted by the York and Ainsty by 

 permission. It should be added that in this northern 

 part of the Saturday country is the Sun Beck, so that 

 here a water-jumper is as much required as in any 

 portion of the hunt. The line from the Sessay coverts 

 to the famous Hambleton Hills is a fine one, and 

 frequently of late hounds have run to Hambleton and 

 Wass as they were wont to do in the days of Sir Mark 

 Masterman Sykes and Colonel Thornton. 



The second division of the Saturday country is in the 



