TJie Burton and the Blanliney. 47 



stiff clay except the narrow stretcli of lieatli on tlie 

 Cliff. It is in parts strongly fenced; and^ being a 

 good scenting soil, puts a severe test on a liorse as 

 compared with hounds. Among their Thursday meets 

 are Torksey Station, for Brampton Holt and the Fox 

 Covert ; Thonock and Lea Hall for the Gainsborough 

 Woods. It should be remarked that the drain 

 running from Torksey to Saxilby is here the boundary 

 between the Burton and the Blankney — leaving 

 Kettlethorpe in the latter country, and not as shown 

 in Stanford's map. 



Saturday is generally on the east of the country — 

 Wickenby Station^ Linwood, Torrington, and Panton 

 being frequent meets. When at Wickenby they have 

 the above-mentioned celebrated covert, of that name. 

 When at Linwood, they usually draw the big wood in 

 the morning, falling back on Holton and Torrington 

 Gorse for their afternoon fox. From Panton they have 

 the coverts round the house, the Hatton Plantations, 

 &c. — all certain finds. Hungram Gorse, drawn by both 

 Burton and Blankney, gives a very good instance of 

 the merits of an artificial earth. The latter pack had 

 many runs from it last season. If the gorse was 

 drawn blank, a terrier was put into the earth, and 

 without fail there issued a fox — often two, and some- 

 times three. 



The woods of Linwood, though neutral between 

 the Burton, Brocklesby and South Wold, and fre- 

 quently rattled tbree times in a week, never fail to 

 show foxes and sport. With a wild country all round, 

 hounds huntsmen and foxes have here a fair field, 

 and are pitted on their merits. Saturdays are thus 



