The Old Surrey. 153 



indeed a very favourite resort witli men who set a 

 proper appreciation on the Surrey Vale. Keeping 

 their horses stabled here, or at Nutfield close by, they 

 can run down — not only to the best of the Old Surrey, 

 but to the pick of the Burstow, or to share a gallop 

 with Mr. Nickalls and the Surrey Staghounds. The 

 latter (whose Master is a fine sportsman) are kennelled 

 at Nutfield ; and a stag, with his head set for the vale, 

 must show excellent sport before he regains his cart. 

 The Vale consists chiefly of small inclosures — many 

 of which are grass; the soil is deep, and the fences 

 strong. The latter are by no means of any one 

 particular type. The greater number, perhaps, are 

 built upon banks, and are ditched on either side. 

 Some are of hazel, and many are built up with strong 

 wattle. Some have to be crept ; while others, again, 

 have to be flown. It will be gathered, then, that a 

 horse must know his work to be a safe conveyance. 

 He need not be exactly of Leicestershire class, but he 

 must be a ^^knowledgeable hunter^' with a leg at all 

 times to spare. He must be sturdy and strong, both 

 for the Vale and on the hills : and he will seldom be 

 called upon to race — though if his lungs are not 

 perfect, it is certain that he will soon be crying 

 enough, either in the deep ground below, or up 

 the steep hillsides above. For the Vale is apt to get 

 very deep in mid-winter; and then carries a better 

 scent than ever. The fields with the Old Surrey are 

 seldom large, except on Saturdays, when, if the meet 

 is near Croydon, a field of a hundred or a hundred 

 and fifty is occasionally seen. As may be seen from 

 the above, this is not altogether a favourite scene for 



