452 The Hunting Countries of England. 



will have to be brought overniglit, or by train — in the 

 latter case probably to Beal station. The principal 

 meets on Lord Percy^s side have hitherto been Hag- 

 gerston (Capt. Leyland's) — drawing on to Bowsden 

 Whin (Mr. Gregson^s) and Berrington Dean (the 

 property of Lord Grey). Woodend Wood (Mr. Sit- 

 well^s) lies in the centre of this neutral ground — and 

 is full of foxes. Round Berrington Dean is a great 

 deal of nice grass. Longridge and Cheswick are the 

 points marking a good district which may be drawn 

 from either. 



Good and long runs as so often take place in 

 Northumberland,, it seldom happens bnt that a single 

 horse will do the day^s work. In fact^ second horses 

 have never been made an institution of the north. A 

 sturdy well-bred one is the horse of the country ; and 

 it is expected of him that he should be equal to as 

 many hours in the field as a foxhound. In most of 

 the county of Northumberland he travels on the top 

 of the ground — though that ground may often be hilly, 

 and at times even rocky. It is probably his native 

 soil; for horse breeding is much in vogue on the 

 border^ whether with a view to profit or to pastime. 

 The fences, though intricate, fail to puzzle or distress 

 him ; while they seldom possess breadth or height 

 enough to call for great effort. Thus, if his shoulders 

 be good and his back strong, he is likely to reach home 

 again at night without undue exhaustion of frame or 

 limb — though his stature may not approach the 

 standard that the same burden he had been carrying- 

 all day would demand in a heavier country. 



I am told — as a peculiarity of North Northumber- 



