THE YORK AND AINSTY COUNTRY. 15 



more immediate neighbourhood of York, and indeed comes 

 quite close to the city. It extends from Heslington on the 

 north to Osgodby on the south. The extreme eastern 

 point of this district is Elvington, and roughly it may be 

 said that it is bounded by the river Derwent. There is a 

 greater proportion of plough in this part of the country 

 than in others, and it is a very deep country to cross. In 

 wet weather the fields by the side of the Derwent are 

 frequently under water, and of most of the land in the 

 district it may be said that it is wet. There are also 

 considerable woods at Moreby, Escrick and Wheldrake, 

 woods from which foxes at times take a great deal of 

 driving. The Holly Carrs, at Escrick, is a favourite place 

 for foxes, and they will run round and round the big 

 woods with a persistence which is tiresome to an eager 

 field. It is, however, a famous place for cub hunting, and 

 I have seen more than one good run from Escrick. 

 Nearer to the Ouse, the Naburn, Moreby and Stillingfleet 

 woods are the chief coverts in the neighbourhood of these 

 places, and good woods they are. Unless the ground is 

 very wet, the country round about here does not carry 

 a very good scent, and the river is rather a drawback, 

 as foxes have a way of hanging a good deal to it, and 

 crossing it, when they are just about beaten. Kelfield, 

 farther south, is a oood covert and is in the best of this 

 district. Skipwith, Riccall, and Osgodby are the other 

 principal fixtures in this division. Skipwith Common is 

 about seven hundred acres in extent, a dead level, and 

 rather rough travelling. It is not particularly boggy, but 

 there are lots of holes about, which are well calculated 

 to upset a horse. About Osgodby and North DufiField, 

 when off the common there is some very fair country, 

 with a fair proportion of grass. The district which has 

 just been described has its big water jumps, like all the 



