A HISTORY OF SURREY 



deal of timber to be jumped and stiff banks, 

 generally with a ditch on one side, in the 

 more open portions of the hunt ; but on the 

 moorland side there is little jumping, and 

 hereabouts a sure-footed horse is the greatest 

 essential to comfort. The big woods are 

 pretty evenly distributed all over the hunt, 

 but those in the north are much more hilly 

 than those in the south of the country ; the 

 latter, being on stronger soil, have the repu- 

 tation of holding a better scent. 



The kennels are at Hyde Style, near Mil- 

 ford, two or three miles south of Godalming, 

 and hounds hunt on Wednesday and Saturday, 

 the fields never being very large. In fact the 

 Chiddingfold is the most ' local ' of all the 

 Surrey hunts, as the country does not tempt 

 strangers, and the sport is left to those who 

 dwell within the district. It is an old saying 

 that the prettier the country the poorer the 

 hunting therein, and that the duller and 

 flatter a country, so much more likely is the 

 sport to be good. The first half of this 

 saying applies to the Chiddingfold, for the 

 country is lovely throughout, and some of its 

 scenery is not to be surpassed in England. It 

 is the home of the artist and the man of 

 letters. 



STAGHOUNDS 



Besides its four packs of foxhounds Surrey 

 has three packs of staghounds, all hunting the 

 carted stag. These are the Surrey, the West 

 Surrey, and the Warnham ; and the first 

 named is the biggest establishment, hunting 

 three days a week, while the other packs hunt 

 two days. The kennels of the Surrey are 

 at Horleylands, near Horley, close to the 

 Burstow kennels. The hunt is an old one, 

 having been established in the early part of 

 the nineteenth century by the then Lord 

 Derby, whose huntsman for many years was 

 the celebrated Jonathan Griffin. The country 

 hunted lies in Surrey, Kent, and Sussex, and 

 includes the entire country hunted by the 

 Old Surrey, and by the Burstow foxhounds. 

 The hunt is exceedingly popular, and fields 

 are large, especially on Saturdays, but as the 

 subscription is high the number of members is 

 kept fiiiirly within boimds. Captain McTaggart 

 of Lingfield is the present master. 



The West Surrey, known until the year 

 1 896 as the Surrey Farmers' Staghounds, have 

 their kennels and paddocks at Chessington 

 midway between Kingston and Leatherhead. 

 They hunt on Wednesday and Saturday, and 

 broadly speaking their operations extend over 

 the country hunted by the Surrey Union 

 Foxhounds. There is much hard riding 

 among the Epsom division, which includes 



all the trainers and jockeys of that district. 

 Mr. Ernest Robinson succeeded Mr. A. J. 

 Curnick as master in 1903. 



The Warnham, as the name suggests, have 

 their country round about Warnham, which 

 is situated midway between Dorking and 

 Horsham. They hunt on Monday and Fri- 

 day, and their territory, a good deal of which 

 lies in Sussex, is partly Surrey Union, partly 

 Burstow, partly Chiddingfold, and a good 

 deal — on the Sussex side — Crawley and Hor- 

 sham country. Holmwood is their most 

 northern, Henfield their most southerly, Ifield 

 (near Crawley) their most easterly, and 

 Pulborough their most westerly meet. Mr. 

 LeeSteere has been the master since 1890. 



HARRIERS AND BEAGLES 



So much of the county of Surrey is covered 

 by wood that it is not an ideal country for 

 harriers, and at present there are only two 

 harrier packs, the Ripley and Knaphili, 

 whose country lies between Chertsey and 

 Guildford, and on either side of the Ports- 

 mouth road between Cobham and Guildford, 

 and the Milford, Godalming and District, 

 whose name indicates the scope of their 

 operations. Much of the Ripley and Knap- 

 hill territory is open moorland, and the rest 

 fairly equal parts of plough and grass. The 

 big woodlands to the north of the district are 

 of course avoided, and pretty sport is afforded, 

 much of this country being very suitable for 

 harriers, though too limited in extent for fox- 

 hounds. It lies partly in the Garth and 

 partly in the Surrey Union hunts, and the 

 kennels are at Worplesdon, between Woking 

 and Guildford. The hunt was carried on 

 by the Onslow family for about seventy years, 

 but during the last thirty years various mas- 

 ters have held office, and the establishment is 

 quite one of the most important of its kind 

 in the south of England. The present mas- 

 ter is Mr. J. Hutchinson Driver, who has J. 

 Enever as huntsman. 



The Milford, Godalming and District 

 Harriers were established at some time prior 

 to 1897. Colonel Francis is the master. 



In the same district as the Ripley Harriers 

 is a pack of foot beagles known as the 

 HoRSELL, and nearer London are two very 

 famous packs of these little hounds, the 

 Worcester Park and the Surbiton. 

 Horses are not allowed with these packs, 

 whose meets are never advertised, but each 

 has an ardent band of followers and admirers. 

 The Worcester Park, whose kennels are 

 situated at Worcester Park, hunt one full day 

 in the middle of the week, and on Saturday 

 afternoons. For this full day the downs 



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