40 The Hunting Countries of England. 



horse is sure to find a ditch to hold him sooner or 

 later. 



The country is said to have become much more 

 open of late years — there being nowadays considerably 

 less covert, while the enclosures in many instances 

 have been enlarged and the fences lowered. 



The hunting-days of the Essex and Suffolk are 

 Tuesday and Friday — Tuesday being for the Essex 

 side^ Friday for the Suffolk, with an occasional bye 

 day. A brief sketch of principal meets and coverts 

 may be made to include the few further necessary 

 details. 



Among the Tuesday fixtures, then, is Bentley Hall, 

 which at one time was the first meet of the season. 

 It is the seat of Mr. Woodgate, who has a famous 

 covert in Bentley Hall Wood (a wood of about a 

 hundred acres, in the centre of some of the best 

 of the country). Weeley Street is for Weeley Hall 

 Wood, another very favourite place for foxes, belonging 

 to Mr. E. Weeley. Bradfield Street is an excellent 

 meet, leading to Simpson's Decoy and King's Wood 

 and the good coverts of Stour Wood (on the banks 

 of the Stour) and Copperas. Thorpe Street is fixed 

 to draw Thorpe Park and the Rows — the latter being 

 little more than thick double-hedge-rows, where they 

 often find and run to Bentley. By the way, as an 

 instance of how foxes of the same year will often take 

 exactly the same line, it may be noted that about 

 twenty-five years ago these hounds in one season ran 

 five foxes in succession from Bentley down to Thorpe 

 and killed them all. Had their foxes escaped, the 

 good point would naturally have been laid to the 



