40 HUNTING TOURS. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE OLD BERKSHIRE HOUNDS AND COUNTRY. 



This and the Vale of White Horse country 

 were for many years hunted by one pack of 

 hounds, and it appears somewhat singular 

 that the White Horse, the object from which 

 the denomination was originally derived, is 

 situated nearly at the furthermost extremity 

 of the Old Berkshire Hunt. The configura- 

 tion is near Uffington, no great distance from 

 Wantage, the birthplace of Alfred, with whose 

 achievements antiquarians assign a connection, 

 considering it to be a memorial of the bravery 

 and patriotism which he displayed even before 

 he came to the throne. In the reign of his 

 brother, Ethereld the First, the Danes, who 

 had invaded Berkshire, were routed with 

 great slaughter, in a battle known as that 

 of iEscesdun (Ash-tree Hill). It was con- 

 tended by Dr. Wise, a learned Antiquary of 

 the last century, that the ridge of chalk hills 



