150 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



where he got to ground; and the other by Aydon, Halton, 

 Rose's Bower, and then left-handed to Errington Hill Head, 

 where he turned and came to the Beaufront coverts. Erring- 

 ton Hill Head was his furthest point from the Styford Square 

 Wood. Very occasionally, but not very often, a fox from the 

 Styford coverts will cross the Tyne into the Braes of Derwent 

 country, and there is a ford of sorts at Styford ; but as a 

 rule it is very deep in winter, and the custom is for the hunt 

 servants to stop hounds and bring them back as soon as pos- 

 sible. If the river is in flood the bridge at Corbridge, more 

 than a mile away, has to be requisitioned. For the country 

 which has just been memtioned, Bywell, Styford, and Toll Bar 

 are the usual meets. 



To those who do not know the distriot it may be explained 

 that a, mile or two west of Hexham the North Tyne and South 

 Tyne become united. The former stream has reached the 

 junction from the north-west, and the South Tyne from almost 

 due west. With the last-named branch of the river we are 

 not concerned at the moment ; but the lower part of the North 

 Tyne on both banksi, and a considerable parti of the stream on 

 the left bank further north, axe in the Tynedale country, and 

 the coverts in all this district form part of the Wednesday 

 country of the pack. I have mentioned the Styford 

 coverts, which are on the Tyne proper, and west of 

 them lies the considerable village of Corbridge, the nearest 

 coverts to which are those at Aydon Dene, and some small 

 spinneys near Stagshow House. These, however, seem to 

 belong to the Monday countr}', and, still dealing with the river- 

 side, the Beaufront and Sandhoe coverts come necxt, these 

 being immediately to the east of the junction of the North 

 and South Tyne. The spinneys at Beaufront always hold 

 foxeg, as does a larger covert, a, mile beyond, which belongs to 

 The Riding, and the local name of which I forget. The Beau- 

 front coverts and the bigger plantation I have just mentioned 

 lie on the slopes of a hill, and are midway between the river 

 and the plateau of the best Tynedale countiry to which I have 

 so often referred. Higher up the hill are strong coverts at 

 Fawoett Hill, Fern Hill, Butler's Whin, and Stanley Wood, 

 and these with the coverts at Beaufront and The Riding form 

 the draw of cert.ain Wednesdays, and are amongst them likely 



