140 The Hunting Countries of England, 



often leads into the Forest of Savemake. From 

 Woodhay House they draw over common and through 

 wild, rough, scattered covert — often amid bogs whose 

 peaty surface bends and shakes under the footfall like 

 Irish snipe-ground. Sometimes when the south of 

 the country has been worked hard, Wickham Five 

 Bells may be named as a Monday meet. From here 

 they get Norbyns Wood, Winding Wood, and 

 Heathanger, or else have Benham and its coverts. 



Wednesday is always for the Sidmonton side — to 

 avoid clashing with Newbury market, which is on a 

 Thursday, when hounds accordingly go far away to 

 the west. Sidmonton Brick-kiln is for the coverts 

 neutral with the Vine, as above-mentioned ; while 

 working homewards, there are Adbury, Sandleford, 

 &c., to be drawn. Blind Man's Gate is a fixture 

 close to Pen Wood, which belongs to Lord Carnarvon. 

 Three Legged Cross is for the same draw ; the result 

 of which, if a find, may lead over the hill into Vine 

 or Tedworth territory. The meet named directly for 

 the Sandleford district is usually Greenham. 



Thursday being more often for the west of the 

 country towards the outskirts of Savemake Forest — 

 there is the meet of Eamsbury, with Blake's Wood 

 and Aldbourn Chase (where covert follows covert), 

 just on the verge of the Marlborough, or Ogbourne, 

 Downs. When Aldbourn is advertised, the gorse is 

 drawn, and the Chace comes after. Mildenhall is for 

 the Mildenhall Borders (a number of timber and 

 connected belts), with Rabley Wood to follow. East- 

 bury Park has a nice wood ; and Preston Gate has the 

 same in Marriage Hill. Nearer home are AVelford 



