MEET : Hintock View, Chetnole Road, Leigh
Thursday 24th Jan 2019
Leaving the meet around 11.30am the huntsman took the hounds to Spring Copse and this area was thoroughly searched for the trail that one again was clearly not laid ! There were more foot support than riders today with a field of 26 riders and most of the support were parked on Back Drove. After lots and lots of searching the hounds finally picked up and the line took them south west to The Knoll. A foot team went in down Calfhay Lane and observed the hounds heading back to Spring Copse. Clearly the trail layer this morning got confused and ran back and forth rather than in a safe line that the whole hunt could follow !!
A foot team went in by Black Barn and observed the hounds back in cry and heading South. With only one foot team we lost sight and sound on the hounds for a short time as the team headed back to the landy. Once back in the landy we made good speed round to Wriggle River Lane where we caught back up with the hunt. The field were waiting in the road by Cockeram’s Plantation and three of the riders were relieving themselves in a gateway right beside the road not even trying to save their grace ! By now it was after 1.30pm and the huntsman was on foot in a field beside Brookfield Farm trying to help the hounds pick up. Considering this we feel that the fox they picked up on from Spring Copse made it away safely but we cannot be sure of this.
Mark “Lugz” Doggrell eventually gathered his hounds and headed east to Cockeram’s Plantation. After drawing along and in Cockeram’s Plantation they headed south. We picked them up as the hounds were cast through a copse north of great head. A foot sab went to get a better view and a fox slipped across the road in front of her. Tony Smart, a hunt supporter saw the fox and told the hunt. This area was drenched in citronella and the huntsman took the hounds over the road and in the area the fox headed and it was not long until they picked up on the scent of this fox and were in cry. We should point out here how coincidental it is that the trail layer was in the same area and had taken the same route …. in fact we could call that a miracle ??
As the field crosse the road behind the hounds Edward Doggrells friend thought it would be acceptable to steal a hat from a sabs head – this will be reported to the police because it is theft ! Despite this the foot team went in and it wasn’t long before the hounds had lost the scent of this fox and the field gathered at the top of Batcombe Down whilst Lugz cast the hounds through the hillside trying to pick it back up. Not finding the line they retreated and crossed the road and headed north once again drawing the various little corpses west of Church Farm. Not finding the trail here they moved east and went to West Wood. It was around now we bumped into the wonderful monitor we work with and were extremely grateful to see him.
At the beginning of December when they were here they picked up on the line of a fox that took them through hedgerows and across the road in this exact location.
We observed from the road and could see Edward “the rural genius” Doggrell and his thieving friend on point on the southern edge of the wood whilst the field were waiting around on the other corner. A thorough search was made of West Wood and the hunt then headed towards Hilfield. The hounds picked up on a line of a fox and the Landy headed round to Hilfield Hill to head them off. The huntsman appeared with the Whipper In in tow and Edward with no hounds and they headed north west on the bridleway leading to Great Head where the fox was observed earlier. It was clear that the huntsman had lost his hounds and this happened last time he hunted here. I think it is safe to say no one knows what happened because there was no one in control of the hounds for this duration and we had no eyes on the hounds as they rampaged through The Friary and headed up to Hendover Coppice. Hendover Coppice is owned by Dorset Wildlife Trust and they would not approve of the hounds being on there let alone totally out of control ! By now it was about 4pm and the huntsman spent some time gathering his pack before heading home !
Please feel free to let DWT know the BSV were rampaging on their land !
https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/Hendover_Coppice.html
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