HUNTING TOURS. 22 ^ 



which there is no authority to be found in 

 the diary. That they could not have reached 

 all their places of meeting from Quorn is 

 quite certain, hence the necessity of the out 

 kennels. Their most frequent, places of meet- 

 ing were Bunny, Widmerpool, Rempstone, 

 and Wimeswold ; also Stanford Park, Queni- 

 borough, Costock, Walton Thorns, Swithland, 

 Grooby, Bradgate, and Brooksby, and when 

 they went from home to Bowden Inn they 

 sought their pastime in Stockerston Wood. 

 Billesdon, then as now, was in high i^epute — 

 not omitting Langton Caundle, AUexton, 

 Easton Park, Gumley, and Sheepshorns, near 

 Shankton Holt, Time has not changed the 

 prestige of these coverts — unequivocal testi 

 mony of their superiority. 



The average number of foxes killed an- 

 nually during the last ten years of Mr. 

 Meynell's occupation was thirty-six brace, 

 hunting three and occasionally four days in 

 the week ; sometimes on consecutive days. 



The stud devoted to the service of the 

 men consisted of about twenty-eight houses, 

 though it would appear they were frequently 

 mounted by gentlemen who wished to have 

 the unruly spirits of their steeds subdued. 



