M4^ The Hunting Countries of England. 



and moorland to tlie south. The Tynedale territory, 

 as a matter of fact, reaches in this direction much 

 farther than is credited in the maps referred to. 



For a visit to the Tynedale you would probably go 

 to Newcastle^ whence you may find yourself at Stam- 

 fordham, or may avail yourself of the Newcastle-and- 

 Carlisle Railway and be dropped at Corbridge or 

 other stations along the line. 



The Tynedale hunt Mondays, Wednesdays, and 

 Fridays, with a frequent byeday on Saturday. No 

 particular district is told off for any one day of the 

 week — the requirements of the hounds being chiefly 

 studied in the selection of locality. The chief meets 

 along Tyneside are Horsley Wood, Whittle Dean, 

 By well Hall (the residence of the Master), Sty ford, 

 Aydon Dean, Beaufront, and Brunton backs — all 

 of which are for the nice woods along the Tyne. It 

 is a maxim in the country that no fox ever hangs 

 in covert north of the Tyne. 



Among the fixtures in the east of the Country are 

 Dissington (the nearest meet to the town of New- 

 castle), Stamfordham (for Stamfordham-Heugh, a 

 famous covert). Belsay (near which is the good 

 Bitchfield Gorse, the property of Sir Arthur Middle- 

 ton), Shafto (Lord Decies), Matfen (Sir Edward 

 Blackett's), and Capheaton (Sir John Swinburne^ s) 

 Plantations form the chief covert in this — the most 

 open — part of the country. 



In the west there are more gorses; and the best- 

 known meets are as follows — Stagshaw Kennels (with 

 a whin covert on the common close by), Swinburn, 

 Bavington, Chipchase, Countess Park (quite on the 



