Hunt History
The Old Surrey Burstow and West
Kent Hunt was formed on 1st May 1999 with the
amalgamation of the Old Surrey & Burstow foxhounds
with the West Kent foxhounds.
The Old Surrey & Burstow
The Burstow date as a foxhound pack from 1866, having
previously existed as a harrier pack. Having been
kenneled at Poundhill from 1904 until 1909, the pack
moved to Felbridge in 1909.
The Old Surrey & Burstow was itself formed in
1915 by the amalgamation of the Old Surrey foxhounds and
the Burstow foxhounds, the kennels remaining at
Felbridge, where the hounds have been ever since. click here for Jack Champion's obituary
The West Kent
The West Kent hounds date back to 1776 when John
Warde hunted hounds from Squerries on the edge of
Westerham. More recently the West Kent hounds were
kenneled at Walters Green near Penshurst when Tim Lyle
took the Mastership in 1980. Hounds remained here close
to the Point to Point course until the amalgamation in
1999.
For a more detailed history of both packs, books have
been written detailing their histories:
- Hunting in West Kent
1617-1999, An Anthology - by Peter Webb
- A Portrait of Jorrocks
Country - by John Robson
On the first ever visit by West Kent hounds to
the Peterborough Hound Show, the bitch West Kent
"Payment" became the Champion Hound, also
being the first ever champion from a two day a week
pack. More recently the hounds won the two couple class
at Ardingly in 2003 and hopefully in the years to come
more will follow! click here for Stan Luckhurst's obituary
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