322 The Hunting Countries of England. 



Somerset staghoands may be readied, and two days 

 a week spent with the Stars of the West. 



The village of Exford, where the Devon and 

 Somerset Staghounds are kennelled, would be another 

 excellent centre for autumn sport — being on the 

 borders of Exmoor Forest, within reach of all the 

 best meets of the Stars of the West, as well as those 

 of the Dulverton and Mr. LuttrelFs. Minehead, 

 about six hours from London by the Great Western 

 Eailway, is the railway terminus for Exford, Porlock, 

 and Lynton — the two latter being reached by coach, 

 along the picturesque cliff route. South Molton has a 

 station of its own, on the Barnstable line. Besides 

 hunting in every shape, all the places named possess 

 to the full the extraneous attractions of scenery and 

 trout-fishing, on the spot or in close neighbourhood. 



The Manor House, Oare, is where Mr. Nicholas 

 Snow lives and has his Kennels. As a place of resi- 

 dence, it is, perhaps, more than all others actually in 

 Exmoor Forest — excepting possibly Mr. Knight's, at 

 Simonsbath. For there is no oasis in the heart of the 

 great Moor. Its barren length is still unbroken by 

 haunt of man, though its width has been narrowed by 

 encroachment wherever tillage seemed possible. A 

 stag may still run from Yard Down to Porlock, some 

 thirteen miles ; passing never a dwelling, and being 

 seen by no one but a possible stray shepherd. Oare, 

 with its manor house, its labourers' cottages, its 

 church, and the sparkling trout-stream, lies a mile or 

 so off the main road between Lynton and Porlock, 

 about midway between the two. The Master's deer- 

 park runs into the Moor in the background — while the 



