More about the English Lakes
| More about the English Lakes |
Whatever the ethics or politics of the matter there had been a long tradition
of foxhunting in the Lakes. But unlike the southern gentry style of hunting
the Lakeland packs are not an upper crust social event. The packs hunted on
foot and many of the participants are local fell farmers
who resent what they see as the depradation of their spring lambs by foxes.
One Wasdale farmer lost 50 lambs and although some losses would have been sickly
examples, the farmers are quick to get the fell packs out to trace the scent
of any offending foxes.
In 2002 the UK Parliament led by Tony Blair banned foxhuting...but the difficulty
of enforcing the ban is shown by the case in September 2009 when Gerald Chalk,
sitting in Penrith Magistrates Court, threw out the case against John Harrison,
48 of Grassthwaite Howe, Glenridding, because he felt there was no evidence
of there being a fox involved in either incident. Mr Harrison had denied the
charge.The prosecution had claimed that on two occasions terrier men involved
in the hunt had dug foxes out of holes in the ground and that Mr Harrison had
a pack of hounds waiting to pursue them. But Mr Chalk said that the prosecution
had not established there had been any foxes present.
The most famous huntsman of course being John Peel from Caldbeck. The
song D'ye Ken John Peel is almost the Cumbrian national anthem. Peel
was born in 1776 at Caldbeck and typical of the day he was one of 13 children.
He eloped to marry his true love at Gretna Green. He became somewhat obsessed
with hunting, forming his own pack He became so famous for the number of kills
and the success of his pack that 3,000 turned out for his funeral. The song
became the adopted anthem of the Border Regiment.
The Cumbrian packs are:
Blencathra (Threlkeld) Tel. 01768779219 / Coniston / Eskdale and Ennerdale Tel.
01946 723295 / Melbreak Tel. 01900 85233 / Ullswater Tel. 01768 482230.
Also hunting the southern fells are the Lunesdale foxhounds, kennelled in Sedbergh,
Cumbria and are Full members of the CCFP .
A UK ban on hunting of foxes and other wildlife with dogs went onto statute
book in January 2005. Ironically government whips were not used on the free
vote (House of Commons whips originates from huntings whippers-in)' The legislation
moved closer in March 2002 when the Commonds voted In the end MPs voted by 386
to 175 for a ban - a majority of 211.
The bill to abolish fox hunting in Scotland was signed by the Queen in March
2002.
Earlier in December 2000 as the House of Commons overwhelmingly approved the
first reading of a bill offering three options, ranging from voluntary regulation
to an outright ban. MPs voted by 373 to 158 to send the hunting Bill for a second
reading, after an impassioned debate lasting until nearly midnight. The hunting
issue rouses huge emotion in Britain, pitching a traditionalist countryside
lobby against principally urban animal rights campaigners. The bill, on which
MPs will not be required to vote along party lines, offers a choice between
voluntary regulation, statutory regulation, and an almost total ban.
The Commons then fully approved the bill for a complete ban, but the House of
Lords then halted the bill, pending the new Parliament.... Showing his disapproval
of the whole trend towards a ban in January Prince Charles on a visit to Cumbria,
went out hunting with the Blencathra pack. They caught a fox and the Prince
was no doubt happy to signal his indifference to what the Commons had voted.
In October 2003 the House of Lords kicked the Hunting Bill into the long grass,
but the Commons may push the legislation through under the Parliament Act in
2004.
LINDA Porter, from the Eskdale pack organised an appeal that raised more than
£33,000 to help Cumbrian foxhound packs survives the ravages of foot and
mouth.
Linda, joint master of the Eskdale and Ennerdale Foxhounds, started the appeal
exactly a year ago. Linda is secretary of the fell packs central committee.
An SOS went out countrywide and donations flooded in from all over the UK. There
were also some from Kenya, the United States, Germany, Ireland and Canada. More
than 320 individuals and groups made donations. One person gave £6,000
in instalments and a similar amount was raised by the Warwickshire Hunt.
The nine packs of fell foxhounds hunting in and around the fringes of Cumbria
will benefit from the £33,000 proceeds.
The Countryside Alliamce campaigns for the return of Foxhunting.
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