| ABOUT OUR HUNT.... .... |
The Vale of Aylesbury with Garth & South Berks Hunt
| The country covers parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire and extends approximately 65 miles north to south and 40 miles east to west. It is bounded by Oxford, Aylesbury and Luton to the north; Luton, Watford, High Wycombe, Wokingham and Basingstoke to the east; Basingstoke and Newbury to the south; Newbury and Oxford to the west. The terrain is varied - woodland, heath, grass and plough, with jumpable hedges, ditches and post and rail fences. The Hunt was formed in 2002 by the amalgamation of the Vale of Aylesbury with the Garth and South Berks. The kennels are at Kimblewick, near Aylesbury and visitors are always welcome. |
| The kennels are run by the huntsman, Gerald Sumner who is assisted by Edward Shere (Whipper-in) and David Berry (Countryman). Kate Robertson (Stud Groom ) and Jennifer Dewhurst (Groom) are responsible for the horses. We start autumn hunting in early September when new hounds are entered, since the ban, they are introduced to the fox based scent that is used on our "duster" which is used to lay the trail. Hounds meet 3 times a week the whole way through the season which ends in March. We continue to follow the traditional hunting season, despite the fact that we are no longer hunting foxes, because this fits in with the farming year. We are dependent on our farmers, landowners and gamekeepers for allowing us to hunt over their land and we offer a fox culling service within the law to all those who need it. |
| Adjacent Hunts are the Bicester with Whaddon Chase and Oakley to the north; Puckeridge to the east; Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace to the north-east and east, Berkshire to the west and the Heythrop to the north-west. Hunt staff wear the mustard livery of the Old Berkley when trail hunting in the former Vale of Aylesbury country and wear red coats when trail hunting in the old Garth & South Berks Country. There are a number of hunt supporters clubs:
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We are always pleased to see visitors and newcomers - please see the newcomers corner. If you are a visitor or a newcomer, please telephone one of the joint secretaries before coming to check that we will have enough room for you on the particular day you would like to come. If you haven't been before we can also arrange for someone to look after you for the day. The hunt has a thriving "brat pack" - a large number of children hunt regularly and children are especially welcome. |
| VAGSBH History The Hunt is an amalgamation of five former hunts, The Garth, The Hertfordshire, The Old Berkeley, The South Berks and the South Oxfordshire. The Garth and the Hertfordshire both date from around 1770 and the Old Berkeley from earlier than then. The South Oxfordshire dates from 1822 and the South Berks was formed as a separation from the Garth in 1843. The Hertfordshire Hounds were originated in about 1775 by the Marchioness of Salisbury with the assistance of the famous Mr Meynell and during that time were known as the Hatfield or Salisbury hounds. It had a large hunt country. The Old Berkeley, from whom the famous yellow coats and collars worn by Hunt staff and members originate, was hunted by successive Earls of Berkeley who were famously said to have a hunt country from Hyde Park Corner to Berkeley Castle. The Old Berkeley periodically split into East and West hunts and re-formed as one pack three times. The South Oxfordshire had its origin in 1822 and owed its early fortunes to the Earl of Macclesfield. The Mann family have been associated with the hunt for many years. The South Oxfordshire country remains largely unchanged except for the M40. Owing to increasing growth of urbanisation and roads the three hunts were amalgamated in May 1970 based at the former Old Berkeley kennels at Kimblewick, near Aylesbury, Bucks. Large sections of the Hertfordshire hunt were lent to the Enfield Chace and Cambridgeshire hunts north of the newly opened M1 motorway and hunting ceased in a large part of the Old Berkeley between Watford, formerly one of their main centres and London. Scratchwood (now the M1 service station) was one of the main coverts. The Vale of Aylesbury took the northern part of Ot Moor on loan from the Bicester hunt in 1992. The Garth dates from about 1770, and when Sir John Cope became master in 1817 he hunted a much larger country than the present one and in 1843 he handed over the western side to George Mortimer Thoys together with twenty couple of hounds to start the South Berks Hunt. The Garth took its name from T C Garth who was Master from 1852 to 1902. This was a famous hunt country. The hunts re-amalgamated in 1962 because of the increases in built up areas and new roads, principally around Bracknell in Berkshire where the Garth hounds were kennelled. The continued urban growth and the opening of the M4 and traffic build up, especially on the southern roads led to further reductions in hunt country. The Benyon family from the Englefield Estate have played a major role in the hunt. The Stratfield Saye estate, home of the Duke of Wellington, is also in that hunt country. The Master of Foxhounds Association oversaw an amalgamation of the Vale of Aylesbury hunt with the Garth and South Berks hunt into the Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Berks Hunt in 2002, with the combined pack kennelled at Kimblewick. The country was re-organised to provide hunting over one of the largest hunt countries in England and continues in that form today. |
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