246 The Hunting Countries of England. 



THE SOUTH STAPPOEDSHIEE.* 



A LOAN from the Meynell and anotlier from tlie Ather- 

 stone make up tlie little country which, the present 

 Marquis o£ Anglesey originally formed, and Major 

 Browne has carried on, as The South Staffordshire. 

 Lichfield is its central-point ; and its area is from 

 Birmingham northwards to the river Trent, from 

 Tamworth and the river Tame westward to Walsall 

 and its coalpits. The Albrighton and the North 

 Warwickshire bound it (or where railways and iron- 

 works obliterate hunting, approach it) on the west 

 and south. The northern half of the country is lent 

 by the Meynell; the other half, south of Lichfield, 

 by the Atherstone. The former includes the wild 

 slopes of Cannock Chase, and the deep flat of Black 

 Slough (between Lichfield and the Trent, and rightly 

 so named) ; the latter takes in Sutton Coldfield, its 

 great common-park (best known in connection with 

 the new Four Oaks Club and Kacecourse adjoining), 

 and several fine sporting estates, belonging to resident 

 gentlemen who throw their best interests into the 

 support of foxhunting. South Staffordshire is, indeed, 



Vide Stanford's "Hunting Map," Sheets 8 and 9, and 

 Hobson's Foxhunting Atlas. 



