The Pijtehley. 143 



confines of the North Warwickshire. To ride with 

 hounds to Shuckburgh requires some virtue in both 

 man and horse. The country (all grass) is generally 

 deep^ the fences are big, and the pace often great. 

 At Ashby St. Ledgers there is covert round the 

 Hall, and the chance of a pretty trip into the 

 Warwickshire or North Warwickshire territory. 

 Nearer Northampton are the coverts of Harleston 

 Heath, Nobottle Wood, Harpole Hills and Brampton 

 Gorse, all owned by Lord Spencer, and consequently 

 sure finds. Then there are Dodford Holt, Staverton 

 Wood, Whilton Osier bed (with its most beguiling, 

 and often mirth-giving, brook), Vanderblanks, and 

 Buckby Folly. On the extreme south of the country, 

 Stowe Wood, Everton Stubbs, ManteFs Heath, 

 Preston Wood, &c., neutral with the Duke of 

 Grafton^s. These are more often drawn by the Duke 

 than the Pytchley. Among the best meets on the 

 Weedon side are Althorp, Weedon Barracks, Dodford, 

 Brock Hall, Badby Wood, Long Buckby (famous for 

 its crowds of shoemakers), Brampton and Holdenby. 

 All these are also available from Northampton, and 

 many are within reach from Rugby. By the way, it is 

 not a very uncommon thing, during term time, to meet 

 an undergraduate from Cambridge with the Pytchley 

 on a Monday, and one from Oxford at Badby Wood 

 later in the week. Round Badby, it should be noticed 

 — and especially in the Watford direction — the country 

 is principally grass, a feature that is common to a great 

 deal of the Weedon district. 



The Market Harboro^ side (alternately Friday and 

 Saturday, as above noted) is comprised within the 



