The Meynell 179 



artificial coverts of very limited size, light fences, 

 and plenty of foxes, being conditions that apply to 

 the whole of hunting Derbyshire. On a Tuesday, 

 then, they are on the east of the county, towards 

 Ashbourne and Uttoxeter, both of which places are on 

 the border line between the fox hunting flat and the 

 harrier hills. And it is close to this boundary line 

 that we meet with the only exception to the above 

 description of the Derbyshire ground — for between 

 Ashbourne and Cubley we find a rough, undrained, 

 often sedgy country, with scrambly, untrimmed fences, 

 frequently intersected with broken watercourses; while 

 just below Norbury is a strip of flat water meadows — 

 pleasant enough when foxes will run over them, but they 

 generally prefer to turn upwards towards Snelston. 



It may be noted here that water is not a large 

 ingredient in the fencing of Derbyshire. Indeed^ 

 beyond four or five small tributaries o£ the Dove, few 

 opportunities of testing the powers of a water jumper 

 are to be met with : though, as is the case in most 

 countries where brooks are seldom encountered, there 

 is often a disproportionate amount of difficulty and 

 disaster whenever the real occasion oS'ers. These few 

 streams drain the country by running southward, at 

 right angles, into the Dove — the Somershall brook 

 taking the westernmost valley, the Saperton Brook 

 (running from Cubley to Foston) the next. After 

 these we meet with the Longford, or Sutton Brook 

 (emptyiug itself by Egginton) with another from 

 Eadborn and Dalbury joining the main stream at 

 about the same spot. These, with the stream drain- 

 ing the Kedlaston district into the Derwent by 



