Hunt Country
Following the amalgamation of the two hunts, we now
have a very large country, although unfortunately a lot
of it is not huntable as a result of the inexorable encroachment
of roads and railways and the general urbanisation of
the countryside.
When Jack Champion started hunting hounds in 1947,
there were only four people to warn between South Park
and Four Elms - there are now over seventy for the same
days hunting!
The hunt country runs roughly from the M23 in the
west to Hadlow in the east, and from the Isle of Grain
in the north down to Fletching in the south. This is an
area of approximately 42 miles east to west by 30 miles
north to south.
The landscape ranges from the marshes around St. Mary
Hoo, across the chalk of the North Downs, into the High
Weald of Kent and down onto Ashdown Forest. The going
ranges from free draining sand to the heavy Gault clay,
the scenery from the open heathland of Ashdown to the
conifer plantations of Sheffield Forest and to the
Thames Estuary
Hunt Jumps 
We have built many hundreds of jumps over the years,
varying from full-blown hedges to Tiger traps over
ditches to removable slip gates. Whilst it is a lot of
fun to jump between fields, the main purpose of our
jumps is to help us get about the country quickly when
hounds are running.
We are not a drag hunt with the sole
purpose of jumping fast and furious - indeed we have
several regular followers who never jump, and there is
often a way to get around without leaving the ground if
you don't want to. There are also hunting days where we
do not do a single jump.
Countryside Management
The British countryside as we see it today is the
result of thousands of years of management by man.
Farming practices have shaped the landscape, as has
hunting over the past several hundred years.
A "forest" strictly speaking is not a
wooded area, but an area of land that was set aside for
the purposes of hunting. A very good example in our hunt
country is Ashdown Forest - this is not a heavily wooded
area and was once the hunting ground of kings. Though we
no longer hunt the Fallow deer here we still hunt there
every season.
With the development of foxhunting and growth of
shooting as a sport, woodland and other management has
developed to improve habitats for quarry species. This
has had a positive impact on the local biodiversity,
benefiting both the fauna and flora by positive
management.
Meets
Many meets are Lawn Meets. Lawn meets are given to us
at the start of the day by the landowner, and often
include generous amounts of food and liquid refreshment
of varying degrees of alcoholic strength! Other meets
may be held at supporting Public Houses.
Parking at meets is varied - sometimes everybody can
park at the same place, at other times it is a case of
finding somewhere nearby and hacking. Details
about parking can be had from the Hunt Secretary.
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