PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS 



lost. It was, therefore, a pity the hounds did not get hold of 

 the fox, as they richly deserved him. This run must have 

 been quite nine miles from point to point, and they went a 

 very fair pace the greater part of the time. We also used to 

 have many fast gallops on Croxton Heath, but of late years 

 this part of the Belvoir country has produced very little 

 sport. It is possible that the belts of fir trees, etc., which 

 were planted some twenty-five years ago for partridge driving, 

 have rather spoilt that country for hunting purposes, and the 

 number of hares has certainly increased. This may in some 

 way account for the lack of sport in that district. 



The next event of importance which I have to record was 

 the visit to Belvoir of T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of 

 Wales in February, 1866. Unfortunately, the weather was 

 very wet, and the country terribly deep. The Prince attended 

 a huge meet of the hounds at Piper Hole, and in order to 

 shake off the crowd of footpeople, who would have spoilt 

 the sport, the order was given to draw Hose Gorse in the 

 Vale of Belvoir. A fox was soon found there, and he 

 gave a very fair twisting kind of run, eventually being 

 killed after about thirty-five minutes in the road not 

 far from Clawson Thorns, the brush being presented to 

 the Prince of Wales. Harby Covert was afterwards 

 drawn, and produced another good fox, which went in 

 the direction of Plungar, over a very deep and somewhat 

 stiff line of country. The Prince of Wales rode both 

 runs very well indeed ; in fact, saw as much as anybody, 

 and strange to say, notwithstanding the rain, it was a 

 wonderfully good scenting day. This run took place on a 

 Wednesday. The next meet the Prince of Wales attended 

 was at Weaver's Lodge, about five miles to the east of the 

 town of Grantham. This meet was also very largely attended. 

 The first fox was found at Sapperton Wood, and gave a fair 

 run, but the hailstorms which came on at intervals spoilt the 

 scent, and he was soon lost. 



The Duke of Rutland had a fall in this run just in front of 

 me, but not being hurt, soon remounted. After a short 

 interval, in which the Prince of Wales and others had their 



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