Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt
Encyclopedia
The Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt is a United Kingdom
fox hunt
, with hunting country covering around 42 miles East to West and 30 miles North to South, within the counties of Surrey
, Sussex
and Kent
.
The first recorded pack on the Surrey country was in 1735 at Lovells Grove, Croydon, where the Earl of Onslow
lived, and by 1800 a merchant pack was hunting the country. In 1808, the first evidence of the Old Surrey pack exits, based from Godstone
, and retaining the merchant membership.
The Burstow pack dates from around 1866, having previously been a harrier pack. Having been originally based at Poundhill, the pack moved to Felbridge in 1909.
In 1915, the Old Surrey and Burstow hunts amalgamated, and took the Felbridge base of the Burstow as their home.
The West Kent hunt dates back to 1776, and did not join with the Old Surrey and Burstow until 1999.
at the west to Hadlow
in the East, and from the Isle of Grain
at the North to Fletching
in the south.
The hunt's best centres are Edenbridge
, Horsted Keynes
, Penshurst
and Mereworth
.
including an Old Surrey and Burstow Branch.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
fox hunt
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
, with hunting country covering around 42 miles East to West and 30 miles North to South, within the counties of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
History
The hunt has been formed from the merger of three separate foxhound packs, the 'Old Surrey', the 'Burstow' and the 'West Kent'.The first recorded pack on the Surrey country was in 1735 at Lovells Grove, Croydon, where the Earl of Onslow
Earl of Onslow
Earl of Onslow, of Onslow in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1801 for George Onslow, 4th Baron Onslow. The Onslow family descends from Arthur Onslow, who represented Bramber, Sussex and Guildford in the House of Commons...
lived, and by 1800 a merchant pack was hunting the country. In 1808, the first evidence of the Old Surrey pack exits, based from Godstone
Godstone
Godstone is a village in the county of Surrey, England. It is located approximately six miles east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 major roads, and near the M25 motorway.-History:...
, and retaining the merchant membership.
The Burstow pack dates from around 1866, having previously been a harrier pack. Having been originally based at Poundhill, the pack moved to Felbridge in 1909.
In 1915, the Old Surrey and Burstow hunts amalgamated, and took the Felbridge base of the Burstow as their home.
The West Kent hunt dates back to 1776, and did not join with the Old Surrey and Burstow until 1999.
Hunt Country
The hunt covers country three territories, which is a result of the merger of the three former hunts and gives the hunt a large country, although a large portion is not huntable due to urbanisation, and crossing by road and rail. The country runs from the M23 motorwayM23 motorway
The M23 motorway is a motorway in England. The motorway runs from south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23. The northern end of the motorway starts at junction 7 on what is effectively a spur north from...
at the west to Hadlow
Hadlow
Hadlow is a village in the Medway valley, near Tonbridge, Kent; it is in the Tonbridge and Malling district. The Saxon name for the settlement was Haeselholte...
in the East, and from the Isle of Grain
Isle of Grain
The Isle of Grain, in the north of Kent, England, is the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula. No longer an island, the Isle is almost all marshland and the Grain Marshes are an important habitat for birdlife...
at the North to Fletching
Fletching, East Sussex
Fletching is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is located three miles to the north-west of Uckfield, near one of the entrances to Sheffield Park. The A272 road crosses the parish. The settlement of Piltdown is part of the parish...
in the south.
The hunt's best centres are Edenbridge
Edenbridge
Edenbridge may mean:*Edenbridge , a symphonic metal band from Austria*Edenbridge, Kent, a town in England*Edenbridge, Saskatchewan, a former Jewish settlement in Canada...
, Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The village is located about eight kilometres north east of Haywards Heath, in the Weald...
, Penshurst
Penshurst
Penshurst is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The parish is located on the northern slopes of the Weald, west of Tonbridge. Within the parish boundaries are the two villages of Penshurst and Fordcombe, with a combined population of some 1,479 persons. The...
and Mereworth
Mereworth
Mereworth is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows through the village and powered a watermill, the site of which now lies within the grounds of Mereworth Castle.-History:...
.
Pony Club
The hunt is linked to branches of The Pony ClubThe Pony Club
The Pony Club is a voluntary organisation founded in England in 1929. It has now expanded internationally and Pony Club branches can be found worldwide...
including an Old Surrey and Burstow Branch.