264 Tke Hunting Countries of England, 



himself the whole cost of a hunt establishment^ which 

 has no superior in the three kingdoms — the members 

 of the Hunt being called upon for no expense beyond 

 maintaining their own poultry and earthstopping fund. 

 The insignia of membership of the Badminton Hunt 

 are a blue coat (or habit) and buflp facing ; the right 

 to wear which is only acquired by the Duke^s invi- 

 tation. It is breaking no new ground to write what 

 is a fact of common admission^ viz.^ that the best 

 turned-out field of the present day is that of the Duke 

 of Beaufort. The country is rich in young blood ; 

 has its full share of wealthy and more than its share of 

 good class and good fellowship. About a hundred 

 and fifty county people wear the blue, of whom some 

 twenty are ladies. Over the stone walls of Gloucester- 

 shire the fair sex is by no means always the weaker 

 one; for an unusual number of ladies ride hard and 

 hunt frequently. The largest fields, as a rule, are on 

 the Tetbury side, when not only does all the Hunt 

 assemble, but the Y.W.H. and the Berkeley come in 

 force from over the border ; and a large contingent 

 arrives by train from Cheltenham and the Cotswold. 



The Vale of White Horse cuts right into the 

 Badminton Country about this point, running in a 

 sharp angle up to the town of Malmesbury. Indeed, 

 this corner of the V.W.H. was at one period ofiered 

 to the grandfather of the present Duke. Had he 

 accepted it, the outline of his country would have 

 become much more complete and even, though the 

 additional territory was anything but needed. On the 

 other side, however, the increasing suburbs of Bristo], 

 and the growing chain of coalpits in its neighbourhood 



