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Eaglesden
Farm
Hounds met on the 10th March at Eaglesden Farm, Iden Green, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Robb. The meet was on the gas works site, which was extremely exposed to the very strong cold drying wind blowing from the south east. Everyone shivered, but whether that was because of the cold or in anticipation of another big day organised by Master Roger Manning was hard to tell! Hounds
were laid on at the back of the gas works. It became immediately apparent
in the strong wind that the scent had drifted a long way. They circled
the large field with difficulty and came back to the gas works, where
The second hunt started on the opposite side of the stream. Once the hounds were settled, they hunted down parallel with the stream. Crossing into a large field of rape, they passed a pigeon shooter in his hide without hesitation. The poor shooter had been somewhat bemused earlier when the quarry ran past going "coo coo" - a slightly dangerous manoeuvre as the farmer had told the shooters to have a pot if the quarry came near! Here the filed had to jump an interesting ditch, which was very boggy. Chairman James Ramus almost came a cropper here as he very nearly was unseated into the river. Once through the woodland they crossed out into the set aside. Doing a circle down the bottom of Great Nineveh, they crossed the stream and ran through the edge of Paper Mill Wood to take their quarry in the rowing boat in the middle of a pond. This caused some amusement as the hounds tried to tip the boat over in their excitement at finding the quarry. An extremely fast hunt with the horses struggling to keep up. The third
hunt started above Babbes Farm. Hounds hunted across the grass fields
and around the pond before hunting back down the hill, where the field
enjoyed jumping all the hedges. They crossed the road and hunted up
past For the fourth and last hunt hounds were laid on up the hill, where they circled and crossed the road, jumping down onto the bridleway. Here hounds hunted down to the boundary fence and were at fault in the wind. They were pulled back and put right and hunted on into Eaglesden Farm. Meanwhile the field where jumping an interesting post and rail, which had been constructed the day before by Carson, who unfortunately was the first to christened it by falling heavily. He was saved by Roger pulling him out of the way as the huntsman came through. Hounds hunted on down the hill across the river, and took the quarry by the pond just near the gas works. It was a very interesting day, with hounds finding it difficult on the exposed fields but really flying where it was sheltered. Quarry for the day was David, Chris and Robbie. An excellent Angela tea was then served in the shelter of the lorries. |
the
foot followers were entertained by an interesting first jump. The
hounds hunted on down the hill and across the stream, where the quarry
had turned up wind. Here hounds were at fault, but casting themselves
back up wind they picked up the line, circled the ponds and hunted
on down to the water meadows. Here, out of the direct gale, they really
started to fly. They crossed the stream and hunted on hard to the
road at Hinksden Bridge. They entered the wood and were outrunning
the horses here before they put their quarry in the stream at the
bridge on Water Lane. A difficult start for the hounds but once out
of the strong wind there was no stopping them. 
the
reservoir to Great Nineveh. Hounds then crossed the stream, passing
a large group of astonished hikers, before taking the quarry at the
top of the hill. Again
early on in the hunt, on the exposed hill, the scent drifted a long
way, but once down in the valley the hounds really flew.