THE BRAES OF DERWENT COUNTRY. 109 



This Chopwell is Crown property, and isi doubtless the 

 original of " Pinch Me Near " Forest. It is about 1200 acres 

 in exteait, but much of it is very bare, and through the greater 

 part, of it hounds travel as fast, as they do in t.he open country. 

 Time was, not many years ago, when the shooting was in the 

 hands of the Master's family, and when Mr Priestmaa first 

 took the hounds much of the covert was far thicker than it 

 now isi, and there would be three separate colonies of foxes in 

 different quarters. Now there^ is a colliery railroad through 

 the north side, a large and comparatively new colliery village 

 at the north- west, comer of the wood, and much of the acreage 

 has beien given over to the forestry department, of the 

 Armst.rong College at Newcastle-on-Tyne. There are many 

 wide rides, all good going everywhere, but since the new 

 element was introduced it is not unusual to find a square of 

 the forest freshly wired round, and, in fact, the place has 

 become much more difficult to hunt and awkward to get about 

 in. But still there are three portions of the wood much liked 

 of foxes, namely, the steep banks of the river near Lintz 

 Ford, a small, young plantation in the centre, and the 

 extreme north- eaisterly corner of the covert. — beyond which 

 there is an open whin covert, known as Bone Hill. From this 

 whin there came five seasons ago a. re.marka.bly fine hunt. 

 Whether the fox was found in the covert or the whin beyond 

 I hardly know, but hounds had a line out of the covert, and 

 intO' the whin, and the fox was then viewed a quarter of a 

 mile beyond the whin. It was after two o'clock, in the short 

 days, but all the field were there, and hounds ran so- fast 

 over Horsegate and Broo.mfield farms that there was soon a. big 

 tail of riders. Going parallel with the Lead road — which 

 hereaboutg is on the ridge of the hill — they reached Airy Hill, 

 and here they checked in a field full of sheep and cattle, where 

 were also. two. men throwing turnips from a oart.. Just, as 

 hounds checked the fox was viewed again, now t.wo fields in 

 front. But hounds hit it off themselves, and, leaving 

 Hedley Hill on their right, ran to. the Duke's Rush, thence to 

 Kipper Linn and Watch Hill. Here a. fresh fox took away 

 two or three couples; but. the body of the pack never 

 hesitated, and went on through Fotherly Gill, over the great 

 pastures of Broomley, and stopped for a moment at. some 



