The Shropshire, 199 



and short growth remain, and the ditches have been 

 allowed to hide themselves in masses of overgrowing 

 briars. Timber is seldom met with except where a 

 stile is put down as an adjunct to a footpath — the 

 latter offering an opportunity of fair sound going that 

 is not to be missed, the stile at the same time 

 proffering a jump that is quite as acceptable as a 

 blind fence and hairy ditch. Water is not frequent ; 

 but the Ercall Brook leads to a lot of diflBculty, for it 

 is seldom jumpable ; and getting through it, though 

 often necessary, is generally an awkward and dirty 

 process. 



Moving south and nearing Shrewsbury, we find a 

 deep and heavily wooded district surrounding Preston- 

 Gubballs, Battlefield, and Sundorne — the latter being 

 the seat of Mr. Corbet, who is also the owner of 

 Battlefield. The two former are the largest woodlands 

 of the country ; and are very deep within and without. 

 But they are good strongholds for foxes, and may lead 

 to a run over some nice ground in the direction of 

 Baschurch. The same level to the eastward brings 

 us to the Wild Moors, a wide extent of wet and 

 swampy land, intersected by wide open ditches and 

 patches of bog — and, indeed, scarcely traversable by 

 a horse, though foxes often take a fancy for crossing 

 it. 



Below the canal, and between it and the river, 

 is a capital piece of ground from Shrewsbury to 

 Wellington, but unfortunately short of coverts. 

 Could a few gorses be set down about Admaston 

 and Rodington (where at present only a withybed or 

 two exist) the choicest corner of the country might 



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