80 The Hunting Countries of England, 



Mare lias a rough country round it, but stout straight 

 foxes. Duke^s Woods, by the way, are mainly long 

 straggling covert and dingle, affording ample shelter 

 for foxes, but such shelter as they cannot cling to 

 long when pressed by hounds. Marchwill and Sutton 

 Green are two other good places. Greddington is 

 also in the home circle, and has some long plantations 

 to draw. The only fixture on the Welsh side of the 

 Welshpool and Chester Railway, now in vogue, is 

 Brogyntyn (Lord Harlech's) just under the mountains. 

 Till lately there was a strong covert at Pentrebychan 

 (now grubbed up), from which foxes nearly always 

 ran up the hills. The Shropshire or Baschurch side 

 is nice ground, especially in a wet season — a good 

 deal of plough about it, but a light soil, fences not 

 difficult, and the coverts small woods and plantations. 

 Near Oswestry, however (Oswestry to the Severn 

 being held to constitute the Shropshire side), is a nice 

 gorse known as Aston Gorse, belonging to Colonel 

 Lloyd, who at one time was a hard rider in the Mid- 

 lands. A new gorse was also planted two years ago 

 at Little Ness by Mr. Darby. Baschurch Rednal, 

 Woodhouse, Whittington Petton and Oteley are all 

 well-known meets in this district. 



Wednesday is more frequently for the Cheshire 

 side, which is quite the best of the country. From 

 Broughton to Eaton Hall is known as the Chester 

 Vale j nearly all is beautiful turf ; scent scarcely ever 

 fails ; and foxes are fully plentiful. The River Dee 

 occasionally makes a difficulty ; for, if a fox cross it 

 and no bridge be handy, it is impossible for horsemen 

 to follow ; for the stream is wide and deep, and the 



