106 The Hunting Countries of England. 



stranger may learn where lie will be going, wliat lie 

 will ride over, and what he should ride upon. The 

 Grove, then, is in the main a plough country, 

 occupying the north of Nottinghamshire and the 

 south-east corner of Yorkshire. It is divided from 

 the Lincolnshire countries (Burton and Brocklesby) by 

 the river Trent; is separated by the Don from the 

 Badsworth ; lends a feasible strip on the north and 

 north-west to Lord Fitzwilliam^s almost impracticable 

 territory; and has the Rufford on its southern, or 

 Nottinghamshire, border. Doncaster and Retford, 

 the one at the top, the other nearly at the bottom of 

 the country (besides Worksop on the M. S. & L. 

 Railway) are its chief towns (each about three hours 

 from King's Cross, London) ; and it does honour to 

 the yearly festival at the former place by rousing the 

 cubs in its neighbourhood on the mornings of the 

 race meeting. It has hght limestone and sand over 

 three parts of its extent ; and deep clay on the 

 fourth, where it adjoins the Burton. It has collieries 

 and hills on its south-west corner, and runs to the 

 flattest fen on the opposite one ; and, strong a con- 

 trast as these two districts offer in most ways, they 

 share the privilege of possessing nearly all the grass 

 in the Hunt. A leading feature, again, in the Grove 

 country is found in the Dukeries, which it shares 

 about equally with the Rufford, and which provide 

 charming spring and autumn hunting for both packs. 

 The Dukeries as a whole have been already described 

 under the head of The Rufford. That part of them 

 within the Grove boundaries includes Welbeck Abbey 

 (the seat of the Duke of Portland), the greater part of 



