302 Hunting Countries of England. 



Ladbroke, when they are not reserved for the after- 



^"^Friday is on what may be termed the Banbury, 

 or the Edgehill side— a sporting country, where the 

 coverts are small and the scent good. A bad 

 Friday was unknown last season. The field is mostly 

 made up of farmers, every one of whom consider it 

 their duty to hunt and to preserve foxes. A fox-killer 

 showing his face in Banbury Market would most 

 assuredly be lynched. Above the Edgehills we meet 

 with light plough that is never hard nor heavy, inter- 

 sected with grass vales, each holding its little brook 

 The chief meets are Swalcliflfe, for the large gorse ot 

 Wi^ginton Heath; Wroxton Abbey, for Wroxton 

 Coverts and Claydon Hill; and Wroxton New Inn, 

 for Chamberlayne's Gorse. Farnborough, Upton 

 House, Eadway Grange, Tyroe Village and Broughton 

 Castle are all good for foxhunting. 



Saturday takes in the north-west corner, above the 

 Avon; where large woods and plough predommate, 

 but a very fair scent usually prevails, and ii^ ^ost 

 years foxes are plentiful enough. Charlecote Village, 

 Snitterfield, Red Hill, Billesley Hall, Coughton Court, 

 and Ragley Hall are the leading places— headed, 

 however, by Pebworth, for Pebworth Spring Well, 

 where Mr. Thos. Shekel has a stock of foxes m 

 a square blackthorn covert lying wide apart by 

 itself. To most of these meets hounds have to be 



vanned. ^ . , ^ 



A few meets come in for any day of the week as 



may be found convenient-e.^., Pillerton, generally 



Monday or Thursday, seldom Tuesday, with a tine 



