114 The Hunting Countries of England. 



THE OLD BERKELEY.* 



Another country of old tradition and honoured name, 

 existing close to London, is the Old Berkeley. As its 

 title almost implies, it was at one time part of the 

 original Berkeley country, and to this day its hunt 

 servants wear the Fitzhardinge livery of yellow plush. 

 In the days we allude to the then Lord Berkeley 

 hunted a vast territory stretching from Berkeley 

 Castle to London, bringing his hounds into what is 

 now the Old Berkeley country for the spring and 

 autumn, and remaining at home for the winter 

 months. 



The fact that the Old Berkeley no longer advertise 

 their meets would point to a desire on their part to 

 exclude strangers. If such were absolutely the case, 

 it would render our task of facilitating acquaintance 

 with their hounds and country a somewhat delicate — 

 or even ungracious — one. But this apparent objec- 

 tion to intrusion by no means points to the hunting 

 man proper, though he, too, often finds himself 



* Stanford's map, sheet 16, will illustrate, more or less satis- 

 factorily, the geography of the O. B. H. ; though it will be 

 noticed that it fails to colour the neutral territory. 



