The Fitzwilliam. 61 



and Stamford Eacecourse are two of tlieir most 

 northerly meets ; wliile^ moving on to the woods^ we 

 have Thornhaugh, Wansford^ Nassington^ and Cotter- 

 stock Hall (the hunting residence of the Marquis of 

 Huntly). If the supply of foxes appears to admit of 

 it^ Friday generally supplies a second day in the 

 woods. 



To the widest meets of Wednesday and Saturday 

 hounds have to be carried by rail — no slight yearly 

 addition to the expenditure of the master. With a 

 railway^ however, running southward on either side 

 of the country — to Higham Ferrars and Huntingdon, 

 the inconvenience of the journey is minimised as 

 much as possible ; and, under the system of always 

 drawing in the direction of the kennels, hounds 

 always return on foot. 



Wednesday is in what is decidedly the best of the 

 Fitzwilliam territory — their Thrapston country, as 

 applied to include their south-west border, touching 

 upon the Pytchley and the Oakley. As neither the 

 last-named pack nor the Cambridgeshire are out on a 

 Wednesday, large contingents gladly lend their 

 strength to the Fitzwilliam. Accordingly the train 

 brings numbers from Cambridge, and even New- 

 market, when hounds are advertised for Lilford, 

 Clapton, Thrapston Bridge, Bythorne Tollbar, or 

 Catworth Guide Post. From Lord Lilford-'s park, 

 they invariably get a strong good fox and a run, 

 either over the grass along the riverside, or far over 

 the wild open country by Barnwell and Weston — ■ 

 sometimes even down to Kimbolton. For the other 

 meets mentioned above there are Barnwell Wold, a 



