The Tiekham. 241 



THE TICKHAM.* 



The Tiekham occupy Mid Kent — the only packs 

 touching them being respectively the East and West 

 Kent. The sea, or rather the outflow of the Medway, 

 bounds them on the north, while on the deep lowlands 

 on their southern edge no one has for years — if ever 

 — been adventurous enough to keep a pack of fox- 

 hounds. In point of fact, Mr. Stanford, without 

 perpetrating any absolute error, carries the Tiekham 

 Country considerably lower in this direction than 

 hounds are ever taken to draw — though no doubt they 

 are at liberty to dip as far among the currant gardens 

 of the Weald as they may choose. Mr. Hobson's 

 Atlas gives a very just idea of the limits within 

 which the Tiekham look for their foxes. For it has 

 long been recognised that the deep vale by Staple- 

 hurst, Headeorn, &c. — through which runs the South- 

 Eastern Railway to Ashford, and through which 

 winds the stream of the Beult, is unsuitable for the 

 chase. Much of it is grass ; but that grass is more 

 than fetlock-deep in winter. The rest is in a great 

 measure devoted to fruit gardens and like high- 



* Vide "Stanford's Large Scale Map," Sheet 23 ; also, "Hob- 

 son's Foxhunting Atlas." 



