THE NORTH DURHAM COUNTRY. 9 



very notable hunts in recent years. In one of these Mr. 

 Rogerson's hounds made their longest point on record, going 

 right across the Braes of Derwent country into that of the 

 Ilaydon, and finishing five-and-twenty miles from the kennels 

 at Mount Oswald. No doubt there was at least one change of 

 foxes, but it was a singularly fine hunt, and after leaving 

 Muggleswick (in the Braes of Derwent country) hounds never 

 touched a covert until they reached Espershields, quite near 

 the town of Blanchland. They probably changed foxes at 

 Muggleswick, where the earths were open; but there was no 

 stop, and, as a matter of fact, they entered the covert near 

 Combe Bridges, went close to the earths, and came into the 

 open near the Vicarage; then, going up the grass valley of 

 the Derwent toi Edmondbyers, and thence on to Espershields, 

 and Bog Hall, in the Ilaydon country, where they were 

 stopped. The other big hunt from the Oak Gill was faster 

 and not so long. It began with hounds going westwards to 

 Castleside, where they turned abruptly, and were lost tem- 

 porarily by most of the field. They ran, however, down the 

 Knitsley Valley to Woodla.nds, thence to Browney Ba.nk, and 

 Bromshields, skirted Tow Law, and turning right-handed 

 came back to Broadwood, where the fox was killed in the open. 

 The time was one hour and ten minutes, twelve miles were 

 covered, and there was a seven-mile point in it, while there was 

 only one slight check at Browney Bank, and hounds recovered 

 the line without being cast. 



When hounds meet at Rowley station, which is the furthest 

 meet from the kennels, they draw the Whitehall Plantation, 

 and then Lord Bute's, and these are the most northerly coverts 

 of the hunt, and fairly well foxed, though the raw material 

 is not so much in evidence as it once was, owing to the fact 

 that stone quarrying on a considerable scale is being carried 

 on in the North Plantation — one of three plantations which 

 form a chain of woods. For many years hounds used to meet 

 at the comer of the North Plantation, nearly two miles from 

 the present meeting place, and with great consistency foxes 

 used to break over Eliza Farm and go down into the best 

 country. Even now they prefer this line, but the quarrying 

 has altered their habits, and they cannot be relied upon as 

 they once could. At one time foxes used to run to Lord 



