Articles

This article taken from our Sports and Pastimes illustrates the huge contribution made to the development of the Harrier by three redoubtable lady masters in the early twentieth century “What is a Harrier ? ” How should that hound be bred? How far should it belong to the foxhound and how far to the old...

AS one of the historic, as well as one of the most liberally main­tained hunts of England, one may well feel some sensation of sur­prise that Peter Beckford of re­vered memory should not have made mention of it. In Beck­ford’s time, it may very well be doubted whether there were a dozen really well-established packs...

In this, the first of two articles the author looks back at some of his favourite huntsmen and whipper-ins. To look back somewhat fondly on the past is natural to a hunting man. There was more leisure in the old days than we have now; there were no railways and, above all, there was no...

In this second article, the author looks at the methods of some of his favourite  late 19th century huntsmen and whipper-ins My research into the history of the huntsmen of the past has led me to the discovery of one class of Sportsmen who are remarkable enough to merit an article to them­selves. This paper,...

The death of Lord Fitzhardinge in  1896 caused the connection between the Berkeley family and hunting to be severed. The livery of the Berkeley Hunt staff is yellow plush, and the old Berkeley wear the same, this colour was the successor of the “tawny” coats in which thirty huntsmen were clothed by Lord Berkeley when...

In this article, Walter Crofton describes the origins of the Beagle and his experiences of Rabbit hunting with a pack. The origin of the Beagle can best be described as lost in an­tiquity. After infinite trouble, most old writers have arrived at the safe conclusion that “the Beagle is descended from the Talbot “the Talbot...

The story of the Border Counties Otterhounds starts with Mr Edmund Buckley’s hounds (see our vintage gallery) He gave up the hounds, which he kennelled at Newtown, Montgomeryshire in 1905. The pack was kept together by both sportsmen and women living in the Welsh-Shropshire border counties when its extinction seemed to be a certainty. To...

In this article, N Welch makes an offer prior to the Hunting Act that we are sure both the true sportsman and the objective newcomer found hard to resist. He also offers some sage advice to those with more experience. Come and have a day with us in the hills where the air is fresh...

In this piece by Irish Writer Stanislaus Lynch he opens up the world of Draghunting In Kerry “There is a black-and-tan dog standing there below at the turn o’ the road, an’ the man had a hundred pounds in his hand for him a score o’ times an’ wouldn’t take it!” “Damn fool he’d be,...

 GB Rooke relates a tale of an incident whilst acting as Whiper-in for a pack in India  Before the war I was whipping-in to a pack of foxhounds in India. Our normal quarry was jackal or Indian fox, but on occasions when we couldn’t find one of these we would hunt most things which came...