The Monday Country

[The article below was taken from ‘The Essex Foxhounds 1895 – 1926’, written by Brig. Gen. C. D Bruce, CBE, in 1926. ]

The section entitled ‘The Monday Country’ is included as it features people and places associated with the High Country. It should be taken in it historical context and is not intended in anyway as supporting fox hunting.
Editor]

The country hunted on Mondays extends south and south-east from the Epping and southward from the Epping –Ongar- Chelmsford road. A considerable portion of the area round Epping is grassland. As seen from a distance it is ideal hunting country. Anyone who recalls the view from the ridge near Bell Common along which the London Road runs, must have been struck by the fine hunting panorama, marred though it may have appeared to be by too much woodland.

Epping Forest, like the town itself, has for long been associated with hunting. The main earths hold foxes still, but in the Forest it is almost impossible to keep with hounds, nor can even the Hunt servants always know what hounds are doing. In very early days hounds were kennelled in the neighbourhood of the town. Nearly one hundred years ago Epping was described as “the grand depot where most of the gentlemen who live at a distance keep their horses.” The automobile has changed all that.

Copt Hall, a famous country-house in the annals of “the Essex” Hounds, stands - or rather stood, for the house was completely burnt out in 1914 - some two miles south-west of Epping. Now the property of Mr. E. J. Wythes, C.B.E., Copt was in 1818 the residence of Mr. John Conyers, perhaps the most famous master “the Essex” ever had. He died in 1853, up to which time hounds were kennelled at Copt Hall. Originally purchased by the great-grandfather of Mr. John Conyers about 1720, the old house was already famous as a hunting-box in the time of James II. This ill-fated King, the last of the Stuarts who threw away a throne, used to honour the then owner of Copt Hall by inviting himself to supper after stag-hunting in the Rodings. Not, it need hardly be said, quite the same style of stag-hunting as that pursued under the mastership of the late Mr. Henry Petre, Mr. Sheffield-Neave and other modern Masters of Staghounds.

When bought by the great-grandfather of Mr. John Conyers the old house at Copt Hall was past repair; it was demolished, and the present structure since destroyed by fire erected.

Within less than two miles of the town of Epping lie the most useful coverts the Hunt possesses, belonging to Major G. Capel Cure. A short but sweet hunt from Parndon Woods or Latton Park to Ongar Park is sometimes the piece de resistance of a good Wednesday.

Close to Ongar Park are Gaynes Park and Rough Tallies, both the property of Mr. Chisenhale Marsh, himself a consistent supporter of fox-hunting and in his day no mean polo player. In days now past, to the generous owner of Gaynes Park, the long defunct West Essex Polo Club owned one of the prettiest private grounds any countycould desire.

Next to the Blackmore High Woods, Ongar Park and Gaynes Park are the largest coverts drawn by the Essex Hunt. In addition to these large woodlands the Monday country is well provided with coverts of less extent, though the ever-encroaching urban conditions have brought about what is practically a new boundary in the south-west corner of the country. This boundary runs from Waltham Abbey eastward to the Wake Arms; thence to Theydon Bois Railway Station. At the station the boundary makes an abrupt turn south towards Abridge and thence on to Lambourne End and Collier Row
to the outskirts of Romford town. South and west of this imaginary line the Essex hounds no longer hunt.

Near Theydon Mount are the Hill Hall coverts belonging to the Trustees of Sir William Bowyer Smyth, which include Beachetts, Barbers and Shalesmore. In close proximity to Passingford Bridge – a good meet – Sir Drummond Cunliffe Smith’s coverts are most carefully preserved.

Across the River Roding from Suttons lies the Curtis Mill Green Covert to which curious rights of ownership are attached. The covert itself does not belong to Sir Drummond Cunliffe-Smith but the timber rights do. This covert was within the old Royal Forest boundary, as recorded in the ‘Perambulation’ of the year 1301. The Essex Field Club have re-erected the former boundary stones upon the east side of the Forest. The most northern ‘Richards stone’ stands at the north corner of Curtis Mill Green covert.