The Burton and the Blankney. 43 



opens out in tlie Blankney country into tlie Lincoln 

 Heatli. As a rule tlie lower ground carries a better 

 scent tlian the Cliff. Both countries have also a fair 

 sprinkling of grass^ especially (as we may have to 

 notice by and bye) the Blankney_, where west of the 

 Cliff they border on the Belvoir. 



The map will show you at a glance that the Burton 

 hunt north of Lincoln, the Blankney to the south — 

 the Eiver Witham being more or less the boundary 

 between the two, and the Trent limiting both on the 

 west. The map, however, as at present issued, fails 

 to show that the Wragby woodlands are virtually 

 neutral ground — forming a great stand-by to both 

 Hunts. They always contain a supply of the material, 

 generally carry a hot scent, and their rides, as a rule, 

 are quite as good as big woods can be expected to 

 contain. 



The whole chain of the Wragby woodlands and the 

 country as far west as the river Langworth and as 

 far north as the Lincoln and Homcastle road, is 

 hunted at the present time by both packs (with the 

 exception of Vyner^s Gorse and the few coverts in 

 the neighbourhood of Gautby). There are Southery^ 

 New Park, Austacre, Hatton, Chambers^, Stainfield_, 

 West, Keyes, and Bullingdon Woods, and Newbold 

 Common. The Blankney hunt them one day a week 

 (usually Wednesday), the Burton sometimes two 

 (Mondays and Tuesdays). Keyes A¥ood and West 

 Wood are often deep after rain and when well trodden; 

 but on the whole, every care is taken that riding 

 through these woods should be a feasible and, as much 

 as possible, a pleasant matter — which, as hounds ever 



