396 The Hunting Countries of England. 



favourite country, and gives full access to tlie Fitz- 

 william and Oakley too. 



Tlie Cambridgesliire take tlie field three days a week 

 — the district for each day having its distinctive shade 

 of variety. Monday is in the south-west, as vide 

 below. Tuesday is their favourite day : for it gives the 

 Huntingdon woodlands and the chance of a run over 

 the choicest of the Fitzwilliam country. This is the 

 north-west corner ; and the woods in it are in some 

 instances of considerable size — e.g., Brampton Wood 

 being fully three or four hundred acres. Good wild 

 foxes are bred here, and seldom hang in covert, but 

 once on foot will move on for many a mile before 

 being hunted down or lost. There are also various 

 woodlands of some extent in other parts of the Hunt — 

 Potton, Hatley Buff, and Haley Woods for instance^ 

 with many of a hundred acres apiece. The above 

 named come in of a Friday,, together with those of 

 Wimpole and Waresley — all large natural coverts. 

 But from all these it is comparatively easy to get 

 away ; and open country lies round their borders. As 

 we get more into the centre of the country — into the 

 shire of Cambridge (for the Hunt is as much in Beds 

 as in the country from which it takes its name), the 

 coverts are much smaller, though still what are termed 

 '' natural " as distinct from coverts planted pui'posely 

 for the fox and the pastime of which he is the leading 

 hero. As a rule, he finds plenty of refuge and due 

 care throughout the greater part of the Cambridge- 

 shire territory. Beyond Waresley is a very sporting 

 district — open^ with small coverts which hold well up 

 to Christmas, when the undergrowth dies down, and 



