November !st

November starts for us with the hunt coming across our land. The hounds are very keen and make quite a sight. It is a glorious day, clear and sunny. While we watch the horses the buzzards are calling high above.

The history of the Meynell & South Staffordshire Hunt can be traced back to 1793 and the Vernon family from Sudbury, in Derbyshire. Lord Vernon died in 1813 and the Meynell family took over the hounds, changing the name from Sudbury Hunt to Hoar Cross Hunt. In 1872 the present kennels were built at Sudbury and it became a subscription pack called the Meynell Hunt. It wasn't until 1970 that the name changed again, when the Meynell amalgamated with the South Staffordshire.

I was amazed to see that the first slide in the history of the hunt (use the link above) shows them in front of Rolleston Hall.