The Cottesmore. 95 



what we liave denominated tlieir Melton country, 

 "being tlie westernmost strip, running down from 

 Melton and Stapleford till it joins Mr. Tailby^s at 

 Skeffington and AUexton. (Curiously enough, tlie 

 river Eye marks for a short distance this northern 

 "boundary, while the Eye Brook marks the southern, 

 from Allexton to the Welland.) 



On Thursdays, too, they are often attainable from 

 Melton in their middle country, from Market Overton 

 southwards. 



In treating of the geography of the country, we 

 will take the meets and coverts in order, more in 

 regard to their distance from Melton and Oakham, 

 than in connection with the day of the week to which 

 they belong. For Tuesdays and Saturdays often 

 point to a similar district, while the Saturdays 

 alternate between the extreme south and north of 

 this Melton country — the Cottesmore and the Belvoir 

 taking it in turn to hold their Saturday close to the 

 metropolis. 



It has to be noted, too, that Mr. Stanford's topo- 

 grapher painted his boundaries previous to the re- 

 claiming by the Cottesmore of their loan to Mr. 

 Tailby, whose country may now be described as 

 coming no further north than Skeffington, Allexton 

 and Stockerston. 



The nearest meets, and almost always chosen for 

 this last-named day, are Wyld's Lodge, Stapleford 

 Bedehouses, and Leesthorpe. Wyld's Lodge has the 

 little covert of Berry Gorse close at hand, with Mr. 

 Hartopp's plantations to follow, and Stapleford Park 

 as ih.Q jpiece de resistance; and Stapleford Bedehouses 



