291 The Hunting Countries of England. 



1840, after he had hunted the two former portions, 

 besides a great part of the present North Stafford- 

 shire, at his own expense for four seasons. The centre 

 of what is now the Albrighton was but little hunted in 

 the early part of the century ; and it is said that Mr. 

 John Mytton, of " Nimrod celebrity/^ having Kennels 

 at Ivetsey Bank, near Penkridge, used to ride from 

 Halston beyond Shrewsbury and meet his hounds, 

 and back more than thirty miles again after hunting. 

 The present Sir Thomas Boughey succeeded Mr. 

 Orlando Stubbs in the Mastership in 1866. 



The Wolverhampton neighbourhood produces the 

 largest fields of the week ; and, generally speaking, 

 the attendance, though comfortably below that of 

 Cheshire, is anything but small. A goodly number 

 of county men are fond of hunting; all the farmers 

 hunt who can ; and the wealth of the towns finds one 

 of its outlets at the covertside. Wolverhampton holds 

 a commanding position with regard to the Albrighton 

 country ; and Stafford is on the border between it 

 and the North Staffordshire \ but either Albrighton 

 or Shifnal would be quieter, and equally convenient, 

 hunting quarters for the country in question — and 

 each of these places is between three and four hours 

 from London (Paddington). 



On the whole, the country presents a more than 

 ordinarily flat surface. PatshuU stands on a slight 

 eminence, and gentle rises stretch away to the south 

 of it; but there is nothing to merit the name of a 

 severe hill from one end to the other. 



Some few further details may be jotted down in 

 glancing at the different districts in detail. The area 



