A thick mist descended upon Red ScreesAs reported by The Westmorland Gazette, April 14, 1900
On Monday the meeting of the Coniston Foxhounds was at Grove farm. Hounds got upon a drag close to the farm and carried it up Martindale Pasture, by Hind Cove, to Troutbeck Hundreds. Here a fox was unkennelled, which went across Woundale Bottoms, crossed the Kirkstone Road, and climbed up Brow End Allotment. Climbing along the top to Woundale Head, he made a sharp turn to the left, and came down behind Kirkstone House. He now crossed the road at the Ullswater side of the Pass, near the Kirk Stones, and scrambled up the sides of Red Screes.
Lancaster, the huntsman, was just in time to hear the last hound go over the top. A thick mist now descended upon the hills and rendered it impossible to see many yards away. Notwithstanding this, Lancaster pushed on to the top of Red Screes, but the pack had passed beyond hearing. After wandering about for some time, he was returning by Scandale Head, when four couples of hounds turned up. Later, three more couples returned to the kennels at Ellrigg, and around the neck of Ruler was a piece of paper tied by a string, upon which someone had written that the hounds had killed fine dog fox in Hartsop.
With thanks to Ron Black in Cumbria for the story
Posted December 27, 2012