Season 1895

May 28th Warkworth 8 A.M. “Coquet.” Got onto a drag a few yards below the bridge and took it up as far as a big tree root just above the burn which runs into Pape’s dam, where hounds marked. The Otter soon went off and swam down stream a few yards, then turned and went to ground again in the same holt, but did not go off again for some time. Eventually after being dug out and bolted from some very strong holts the Otter got into a heap of sticks at the head of the pool. After trying for some time as hounds were tired we gave it up about half past five having hunted her for about nine hours. She was tailed once but when the man who had hold of her saw her teeth he let go and she just got into a holt six inches in front of a hound. May 30th Felton 8 A.M. “Coquet.” When about half a mile from Catscleugh Island we hit off a drag and took it up to the island, where hounds marked him under a tree root, but he was soon bolted by “Sandy” and went over the Island and up the other side, down the right hand side again, past the holt and hounds caught him going over the shallow at the foot of the Island. A fine dog Otter nearly 25lbs. Not a very good hunt owing to the river being so low. June 1st Morpeth 6 A.M. “Wansbeck.” Got a drag at the point formed by the junction of the Font with the Wansbeck and tried up the Font for about three quarters of a mile, then came back and took a hot drag up Wansbeck, racing across all the corners over the grass until we came to Meldon Mill race which was full of water and could not be properly let off. Hounds marked at a tree root in the dam but after digging for about three hours we left it. It must have been a very small Otter as we could not get a terrier in anywhere. There was probably a bigger one in the Mill race from the foil and marks. June 10th Newbiggen 8 A.M. “Tweed” Drew up Tweed to Dreeper Island where hounds feathered a bit, but nothing spoke until we got to the top end of the rocks above Milne Graden Cauld where hounds spoke to a stale drag. Then we drew up Till, until we got through the railway bridge and hounds took up a drag in the Nut Wood and ran it well for about three hundred yards up the bank and suddenly stopped, but could not mark anywhere. After trying up to Twizel Mill we came back and drew up Tweed to the head of Greathaugh, but could make nothing of it, so we drew right on up Till and never had a touch until we got to the root above Etal cauld (from which I had put an Otter off with Wasp and parrafined the whole place the day before) where hounds were inclined to mark but soon left it and took a very cold drag up to Ford Forge. About two hundred yards the Cauld, hounds marked at a holt on the Heatherslaw side. We jumped him off twice from the same place but the whole bank was hollow, so after about two hours digging at a hopeless place we left it. June 12th Coupland 8 A.M. “Glen” Hounds took up a drag a little below the Cauld, marked at some weiring at the “Fox Holes” but left it and went down through the bog at the Station (Akeld) and on down the burn running parallel to Glen until a little below Akeld Steads Ford, where they ran up a burn past the bog and came onto the river again at Ewart bridge. The drag improved until we got to Glen mouth where we lost it altogether. After trying down for some way, then up, we went on down Till without a sound as far as the red Scar Wood, here hounds marked a holt below the Burn mouth, but soon left it. Hounds spoke again in the Ford Wood opposite the Anna point, but we tried down to Ford Islands and back as far as Red Scar Wood without Finding. The drag in the morning was very good. June 14th Sprouston. 9.30 A.M. “Tweed.” Trained from Cornhill in morning. Took a drag up the South side of river, crossed over to the backwater at Handyside Hall and took a drag up to a drain which went into the park, put Lil through and then put Vic in and after some time she came out bitten, as if by a cub otter, put her in again but made nothing of it. We drew on down touching now and then a stale drag until we came opposite Carham Hall where hounds took a drag up to a drain, but after digging for a considerable time we had to leave it and drew on down to Cornhill. June 17th Ewart Bridge 7.30 A.M. “Glen” Drew up nearly to Akeld Bridge before getting onto a drag which was not very hot. After trying the Station Bog hounds took to drag up a burn a few yards above it and Trojan marked a drain mouth near the railway. The drain went under the railway and came out on the Yeavering road. Several holes were opened into the drain and after three hours digging two Otters past one of the holes. The bitch otter bolted first and took to land and the hounds caught sight of her and killed her at once. The dog went up the burn and travelled in it until he got opposite the “Fox holes” where he crossed into the river just in front of the hounds. Hounds hunted him in the Burdocks and in the pool below for two hours and then caught him. The dog weighed 19 lbs, the bitch 14 ½ lbs. June 19th Bolton Bridge 8 A.M. “Aln.” Drew down Aln through the Duke’s Park occasionally touching a stale drag. When opposite the Abbey the drag seemed rather warmer, but hounds did not mark. Below the cauld hounds rushed up into some bushes as if they had found and took a hot drag down to the Castle, where we found what we had been hunting, a flock of all sorts of curious ducks, some of which hounds ran like Muscovy ducks. We tried on a little below the Castle and then tried back but did no good. There was an Otter on the water somewhere but hounds could never mark him. June 22nd Melmaby. “Ure.” Started at Norton Conyers and drew up stream past Tanfield and Mickly without a touch. Got onto a drag about a mile below Hack Hall and took it up for about two miles, where it ran out. Drew back below Hack Fall and then on again to Burn foot without finding. June 29th Plawsworth. “Wear” Drew up to Cocken bridge blank. At the bend above Cocken bridge hounds got onto a hot drag and Kit thought he saw an otter bell off from some bushes on the South side but could not be certain, the water being rather stirred by a heavy shower. Hounds then swarm across to the north bank and made a cold mark at a tree root but left it. We tried on up for about a mile above Finchale Abbey till the drag ran out then we went back to the tree root and put him off again but hounds could not swim him so after trying for some time we gave it up, and went on. Hitting off another drag about two miles above Finchale Abbey we took it up to the Rock hole in Kepier Wood which had been stopped, but the otter had got in by a side hole. Vic was put in but could not get far so we left it. July 17th Corbridge 8.40 “Tyne.” Drew down stream for about a mile but finding nothing but a cold drag we went on up stream, the drag getting fresher until we came to the Beaufront Castle drain, (which had been stopped) where hounds took it very hot to the drain mouth. It was then decided that we should draw up to the Hermitage drain and if we did not find to try back below Corbridge. There was no drag above the Beaufront Castle drain, until after we had passed Hexham bridge. A few yards below the Hermitage drain hounds hit off a drag so it was decided not to go back. When we got to the railway bridge below the junction, Gameboy swam off to one of the piers, put an Otter off and swam him down stream but he turned back to the pier. He was put off several times and although we had a boat we could not get him away so eventually we were obliged to leave him, after hunting him for about two hours. We drew on up to Chollerford without finding again.

Otter's mask now owned by Neil Grey. " June 29th 1898 Twizel Station 9 A.M. “Tweed.”... The biggest otter Mr. Wilkinson has ever killed 28 ½ lbs."

Otter Hunting

This hunting diary covers seasons 1895 to 1904. It is written in the same minute book as a fox hunting diary. The writer records a visit to New Zealand in 1898 and a search of passenger lists reveals the Dixon-Johnson family. The writer is likely to be Charles William Dixon Johnson. He lived at Croft House, Croft on Tees and Hethpool, Wooler. He rode with George Grey's hounds and married his daughter, Elfreda (Freddy.) He died in Flanders in WW1.

Season 1896

June 19th Newbiggen. 9.30 “Tweed.” Drew up to Dreeper Island without a sound but at the top end of the Island hounds spoke to a fairly fresh drag and crossed the river and ran down the North bank until they came opposite the bottom end of the Island where they recrossed onto the Island and ran up the north side to Milne Graden Cauld. We drew on up Tweed and Till as far as the Railway Bridge, here hounds hit of the drag again and ran up the bank for a couple of hundred yards when the otter which had been laid up in the nut wood belled off from under a small willow bush. Hounds swam him down for about a hundred yards and lost him. After trying up and down two or three times hounds took a drag up through the Nut Wood nearly to the road opposite the Tillmouth Gates and back again to the river, the otter slipping into the water a few yards in front of them. This time he went straight down Till and into Tweed putting up occasionally. When he got into Tweed he made for the rushes on the North side and lay there for some time with his head up. When the hounds got over he went into the rushes and they never could make any more of him. We drew down to the cauld and back but it was no good. June 22nd Red Scar Bridge. 5.30. Till Hounds hit off a drag at once and ran down to the anna, then they ran across the corner to the Washing pool where they crossed the river and ran down the bank to Flodden Tile sheds but as the drag seemed to be dying out it was decided that we should go back and try above the bridge. Hounds immediately took up the drag above the bridge and ran up stream cutting off the corner at the head of the Red Scar Wood. Then leaving the river they ran up the Ewart Burn until nearly opposite the Thirlings, the drag never being very fresh in the burn. Crossing over again to the river at the Pike Holes, hounds hit off the drag and ran it up the Fenton Burn mouth where they marked at a tree root. He was soon off and I viewed him lying under a willow about thirty years above the holt. He tried to get in again but Gallant and Trojan pulled him out and turned him over, but he got away from them and swam down stream to the next turn where he was viewed again. After swimming between this place and the Burn mouth several times, he made off down stream and he was eventually killed about half a mile below the place where he was found. He proved to be an old dog otter weighing 20 ½ lbs.

June 24th Sprouston 9.30 “Tweed.” Trained from Cornhill. Drew up stream until opposite Handyside Park, then crossed over and tried the drain mouth in the backwater which was stopped. We drew straight on down stream past Bamf Mill without a touch until we got to the Eden mouth, here hounds got onto a hot drag and after trying down for about a hundred yards raced up the Eden and marked at a conduit mouth on the left bank a little above the mill. As the conduit ran through standing corn for over a mile we were unable to dig a hole to put a terrier in at. A terrier was taken to the top end but it was found to be tiled so we had to leave it. After this we walked down the road for about a mile, thus avoiding the stale drag. Then we drew down stream to Carham Wheel before coming upon another drag. Hounds spoke once or twice between this place and the wood opposite Carham Hall where the drag seemed to be stronger but after trying up and down once or twice we left it and went on down stream. There seemed to be a stale drag all the way down until we got below Wark when it seemed to freshen again. When we got to the Lees, hounds crossed the river and marked under a thick clump of willows. An Otter was soon off and was viewed several times making down stream and then totally disappeared. After trying down the mill race and back and up and down the river several times without finding him again we drew on down to Cornhill. June 26th Twizel Bridge. 8 A.M. “Till.” Drew up to the Barley Mill without getting on to a drag. Hounds spoke for the first time to a fresh drag on the weed beds below the Barley Mill cauld then again at the Etal cauld. We tried the tree root above Etal but he was not there. There was not much drag between Etal and Ford Forge caulds except at the bend below Crookham. After passing Ford Forge hounds marked at the holt on the left bank. We tried to jump him off but as that failed Pincher was put in and spades sent for. Pincher was soon at him, but still he did not bolt. When the spades came White and others dug down to Pincher and found he had killed a small cub Otter and was starting to worry the other. They were both taken out and the bitch which was not much bitten was put back, the other a dog was quite dead. Pincher was marked a little on the nose which must have been done by the old bitch as the cubs had only very small teeth. We drew on, without finding, to the head of the Long Haugh on the Milfield water. June 29th Kilham Ford 8 A.M. “Bowmont”. Hounds hit off a drag in the first field below the ford and marked at a tree root a few yards above the mouth of the tunnel, but they soon left the root and ran on down the river. The drag seemed very hot at Reedsford but gradually died away and Below Canno Mill there was no drag. We drew the bog blank, but hounds took a line away from the high side and ran through the oats to Canno Mill, this was probably not an otter but a fox. After this we went back to Kilham Ford to draw up stream. Hounds took up the drag again at once and ran up the burn which comes from Thornington to within a field of the road, then they crossed over to the river and ran up a ditch to the mouth of a drain which runs under the railway. We tried both terriers in but it was blank. Then we went on up stream, the drag getting hotter until we came to a tree root in the Kilham haugh where hounds marked. After poling and jumping for a few minutes an otter was viewed. As the Pool was very small we let him up stream into a larger pool and killed him in less than half an hour, a dog otter nearly 23 lbs weight. After he was broken up we walked down the road to West Newton and drew from there to Lanton where hounds spoke to a drag on some stone weiring. We drew on down without much drag until we came to the Coupland “Fox holes” , here the drag, under the trees was much hotter. Hounds marked at the top end of the pool but soon swam off. After swimming up and down several times and marking at various places Bob viewed him trying to get up the backwater. He was not viewed again for some time and it was not until the overhanging bank had been dug off that we could keep him moving. At last he went up the backwater; but although we lined the mouth of it he got back into the river. After this he began to show up more often and after several unsuccessful attempts to tail him hounds killed him on the shallow at the low end of the post. He was a dog otter weighing 25 lbs. July 22nd Warkworth 8 A.M. “Coquet.” Drew up stream from Warkworth Bridge without hitting off a drag until we came opposite Barnhill where hounds spoke to a cold drag which gradually improved until we reached the top end of a plantation about a mile below the Thirston Burn mouth, here hounds marked at a tree root but did not stop at it. After trying down again for about a mile we drew on up to the Thirston Burn mouth and on up to Felton. There was still a good drag but as it was late in the day and the end of the draw hounds were whipped off. There were a great number of people out. July 24th Felton 8 A.M. “Coquet.” As the fresh prints of an Otter had been seen on the Thirston Burn after a heavy rain over night we went straight to the mill dam above the road between Acklington and Felton. Hounds at once took up a hot drag on the left bank of the dam and ran about half way up, to where the otter had been laid off. He was not belled for about half an hour and very seldom showed up in view during the whole hunt which lasted about three hours. After swimming him up and down a great many times he went up above a place which we were able to line across and so limited his water to about a hundred yards. He was a dog otter weighing 18 ½ lbs. The water stirred up very thick and the banks were well grown over with willows otherwise it could not have been such a good hunt in so small a space. July 25th Felton Park 8 A.M. “Coquet.” Hounds at once hit off a fresh drag and ran down towards the Mill but crossed over and ran upstream to the head of the deep water then crossing over to the left bank again they raced on up towards the Swarland Burn mouth. When within about a hundred yards of the burn Swimmer marked at a root. Hounds were taken off and a terrier put in, and in a short time hounds were brought back to try the holt again but would have nothing to do with it. Then we tried a little higher up to another root where they marked again. This time he was soon viewed off and swum up to a root above the burn but hounds put him off again at once and swam him down stream. They tried all the holding to the bottom of the pool several times without marking him again so it was decided that we should try up as far as Catheugh Island and if we did not find again we would come back and try for the otter we had lost. We tried up to the Island without finding so we walked back to the pool where we had lost the Otter. He was not there so we went down to the next pool where hounds at once marked at some rabbit holes, well up the bank. After Sandy had been in for some time the Otter was viewed. We hunted him from one tree root to another and two or three times when hounds were marking at a certain root he came out of a hole on the bank and dived in the river over their heads. He seldom showed himself until we had been hunting him for about five hours, then he was putting up pretty often, when he was belled to a root he had been easily put off from at least a dozen times but when hounds came they marked for a few minutes and then left it. They tried up and down and then down as far as the head of the pool above the cauld, then up and down again., as far as the cauld but without finding him. August 28th Croxdale. 8.40 A.M. “Wear.” Hounds as soon as they got to the river at Sunderland Bridge took up a fresh drag and ran up stream. The drag seemed very fresh until within about a mile of Page Bank Colliery; after that it became gradually colder and hounds ran it out up the burn on the right bank of the river at Page Bank. We drew up stream touching occasionally a very stale drag, until we reached Sunnybrow where hounds hit off another drag and ran up past Newfield to Binchester Crag. We drew to the top of the island and then tried back to some roots at the foot, at one of these hounds marked and then swam off up stream to about half way up the Island then swam down to the root and marked again. He was soon off again this time going down towards Newfield. As there was not much cover in this pool he soon shewed up and we had a very exciting hunt for about ten minutes. He once tried to get up stream again to the Island but the stream was not deep enough, so he turned back and broke through the line at the bottom of the pool and swam down to the Newfield bridge. Hounds marked at one of the pile work supports of the bridge, but as soon as we got him off from one he went across the river to the other. The water to this one was very deep so a man named Hollis swam out and put him off again. We hunted him down stream for about two hundred yards and lost him. After spending so much time trying up and down for him, we drew on up to Bishop Aukland.

Season 1897

June 11th Morpeth 7.15 A.M. “Wansbeck.” Drew up the river from the bridge above Morpeth to Meldon and then for a few fields up the burn which runs into to Wansbeck on the right bank but did not find. There had been an otter using the water about a week before and hounds could just speak to the drag now and then under the bushes. River very low. June 12th Sheepwash Bridge. 8 A.M. “Wansbeck.” Hounds got onto a fresh drag in Sheepwash dam and ran smartly up to Bothal where they left the main stream and ran up a burn on the left bank of the river. The drag ran out about a quarter of a mile up the burn so we came back to the river where hounds hit off the drag again and ran up stream the scent improving all the way, until we came to the head of Bothal dam, to a rock hole which had been stopped, above it the drag was not quite so hot and died out altogether a little way above the railway bridge. As we were trying down stream again hounds marked at a tree root on the opposite side of the river from the rock hole, but they soon left it. We drew several times up and down Bothal dam but did not find. June 26th Twizel Bridge 9 A.M. “Till.” Drew down stream, hounds occasionally speaking to a stale drag, until we came to Tweed, which had been too high to allow the rock hole at Milne Graden to be stopped over night and was still rather to high to hunt, so we walked back to Twizel Bridge and drew up Till. When we came to Twizel Mill hounds took a hot drag up the rocks round the end of the cauld and ran up stream on the left bank until they came to the head of the heavy water, and then crossed over and ran up a burn for about half a mile and then turned and ran back through the wood to the river a few hundred yards below the burn mouth. We drew on up with very little drag to Etal islands; after that we drew on without a drag until Ford Bridge. June 28th Mindrum Mill. 8 A.M. “Bowmont.” Drew down stream without a touch until we came to the backwater at Lanton, here hounds took up a strong drag and ran up the ditch to some rabbit holes in the hedge at the side of the road between the ford and the railway crossing. We dug down to a nest which had been recently used but the otter or otters had gone. We afterwards dug down to a large conduit and put a terrier in but could not make anything of it. Then we drew on down having a good drag all the way, at the Coupland Fox holes hounds were inclined to mark but did not stick to it. When we came opposite Akeld Steads bog hounds left the river and ran up a ditch to the bog and then on to the river again at Ewart Bridge. There was no drag below the bridge and after trying back to Akeld bridge we gave it up. June 30th Akeld Bridge. “Glen.” Drew up to the Coupland Fox holes and then came back to the bridge and tried Akeld bog and the ditches about it but although there was a good drag we could not mark an otter. We drew on down Glen into Till and then down Till to Milfield. There was no drag on Till. July 2nd Ilderton Station 7.20 A.M. “Till.” There was a little drag for the first field or two but after that we drew on through the Fowberry water to Weetwood Bridge without a sound. July 5th Twizel Station “Tweed.” Hit off a drag at once on Dreeper Island and ran it up a ditch to a drain which runs under the railway and then comes from a field on the south side of it. Hounds marked at the mouth of the drain and also at an opening on the other side of the line. A terrier was run through the first section which proved blank then spades were brought and several holes were opened in the field but the drain seemed to be stopped somewhere as the terrier could not run it. However while we were busy opening up the drain in another place someone holloed down at the river. The otter had evidently been lying out in some of the nettles and rubbish and had been disturbed by the hounds who had run over it. After a short hunt we killed him, a small otter of 10 or 12 lbs.

Season 1898

June 20th Riffington 9 A.M. “Tweed” and “Till.” Drew up Tweed and then up Till without a sound until we came to Twizel bridge. Hounds spoke just below the bridge and we had a poor drag up to Twizel Mill after that the drag improved until we came to the Etal islands where hounds marked and eventually put him off but only to go into another root. After digging and working the terriers for several hours we left it.

June 23rd Sprouston 9.30 A.M. “Tweed.” Hounds at once hit off a drag on the island and marked at a drain which runs under the road and up through Hendersyde Park to a watering place. Holes were opened in the park and after a considerable time one of the terriers managed to shift the otters past one of the openings and after a considerably longer period and after both terriers had tried one of the otters was induced to bolt. She swam up and down the dam two or three times and then went under the sluice into the river. For some time she was completely lost but at last Willie Stoddart viewed her on the south side of the river. As soon as hounds got over they marked at some cement weiring but she was soon put off and swam down stream nearly to Bamf Mill where she got under a root and hounds got hold of her. A bitch otter 20 lbs. The hunt lasted about 2 ½ hours. After breaking up the bitch we went back to bolt the other. He did not come away for some time and then after swimming twice up and down got into another drain which had been badly stopped. After trying in vain to bolt him down into the dam again the terrier was put in at the inspection chamber in the park and bolted him into a plantation at the high end of the drain where hounds soon killed him. A dog otter 27 lbs.

June 25th Weetwood Bridge 7.45 “Till” We drew down to Glen mouth without a touch but there hounds spoke to what seemed to be a fresh drag and it was decided that if it did not improve we should go back and draw up Glen. However the drag got hotter and hotter until we came to the Red Scar wood and then hounds fairly raced across the corners. It was very good too in the Ford Woods but when we came to the Tile sheds it came on to rain very heavily and after the drag was not so good. We drew on down to the deep water below Ford Bridge and then went home. June 27th Carham 9.20 “Tweed.” Hit off a drag at once and tried up stream for about a mile and then came down and gradually ran the drag out. Below Coldstream hounds spoke to another drag but after trying down Tweed and up to Twizel Bridge we went home without finding. June 29th Twizel Station 9 A.M. “Tweed.” Drew round Dreeper Island and up past Milne Graden rocks without hitting off a drag, but about a hundred yards above the rocks hounds made a rush up the bank to a tree root overgrown with weeds and almost immediately swam off shewing that they had put an otter off. They swam down stream and in a few minutes the otter put up and was viewed. He swam up again once and then went down and stayed about the cauld for some time putting up every now and then. Once he tried to land on a ledge on the south side but one of the hounds got hold of him and pulled him back into the water but he could not hold him. He then went through the gap in the cauld on the South side into the pool below but he soon found out his mistake and tried to get back but was headed off again. Then he tried the slap but he could not get up and after swimming in the rough water below the cauld for some time he slipped down stream and landed on Dreeper island where hounds killed him. The biggest otter Mr. Wilkinson has ever killed 28 ½ lbs. July 5th Winston Bridge. 8 A.M. “Tees.” About half a mile above the bridge hounds got onto what appeared to be a drag and ran up the left bank of the river at a screaming pace leaving everyone far behind. They cut off the bend opposite Wycliffe Mill and leaving the river a few hundred yards below Walton Bridge ran up a burn and stopped at the road behind Walton Village. After trying up the burn for another field we went back to the river and drew up nearly to the Greta without a touch. Then thinking that hounds must have over run their otter we drew down over the water where they ran so fast but barring a bit of very stale drag there was nothing that shewed that the run earlier on must have been some sort of riot. We then cut across country to the Greta and drew upstream for about four or five miles but although we had what seemed to be a fresh drag we did not find, but the banks of the Greta are so rough and overgrown with trees and weeds that we might very easily have passed over an otter. July 27th Ripon 8 A.M. “Ure.” Drew upstream for about 1 ½ miles and then walked back and put in below the town. About half way between Ripon and Hewick Bridge hounds hit off a drag under some willows. A little way below the bridge it was particularly good and some time was spent in draw(ing) the banks which were covered with willows, carefully. However he was not there so we went on until we came to Newby Hall where the drag was still good but as all the water below is navigable it was no use going on. On the way back to Ripon we tried the beck which runs into the river opposite to Newby Hall but without success. These hounds have killed 4 otters on this river this year in five days. August 27th Alnmouth Station 8.30 A.M. “Aln.” Got into a drag almost immediately which improved as we went on until we came to the park where on account of not having got leave to hunt we had to stop hounds. The otter was most probably somewhere in the park water. Aug 29th Warkworth 6 A.M. “Coquet.” Started below the Castle instead of as usual in the tide way below the bridge. About the head of Pape’s dam Duster marked for some time at a root but eventually left it. None of the others would have anything to do with it. A little further up we saw the fresh marks of an otter on a sand bed but hounds could not own the drag. There was no doubt about the marks being fresh as we rubbed out all the old marks the day before. There was practically no drag until we came to Morrick but there we had a good drag over the cauld. Between Morrick and Guyzance hounds hardly spoke. Above Guyzance dam opposite Chapel Haugh they took a drag off the water for a hundred yards or so on the south bank but made nothing of it. Below Acklington dam the drag was fairly good and also up the burn above the dam. We drew on to the head of the dam and then tried down again and drew up the burn for a mile or more but although there was a good drag up the burn we did not find. Then we drew straight on up to the Thirston Burn mouth and stopped. We evidently left an otter somewhere on the draw. Very cold. Aug 31st Felton 7 A.M. “Coquet.” Drew up through the park past Elyhaugh, Catheugh, Weldon Bridge without a sound. There was a stale drag on the rocks opposite Brinkburn where it is shaded. There was no more drag until we came nearly to Pauper Haugh when a few hounds spoke among some willows and then crossed the river and put off a bitch and two cubs, one of which was killed before hound could be stopped. It was a dog of about 3 or 4 lbs. We drew up the Crag End without finding and without a drag. September 21st Downholme Bridge 9.30 A.M. “Swale.” There was a drag, but only a very poor one, up from the bridge to within about a mile of Reeth, at times it seemed almost fresh but it was only in shaded places. As there is no cover for some way we stopped hounds about a mile below Reeth and carted them down to the bridge again and then hunted down stream to Pearson’s paper mill without finding. There was very little drag below the bridge but hounds marked at a root at the head of the dam. The terriers were tried but it turned out to be a bed which had been used a night or two before. There were prints on some sand at the mill which had been covered as recently as midnight on Sunday (today being Wednesday)

In June 1898 the otter hounds were at Milfield and on Thursday June 23rd George Grey and his sons Neil and Eric and Mr. Johnstone (all of Milfield) are mentioned as participating in the hunt.

Season 1899

May 30th Askrigg 9 A.M. “Ure” Drew up to Semmer water lake but did not find, then drew down stream to Aysgarth also without finding and with practically no drag. June 17th Coupland 7 A.M. “Glen” Tried up from the Mill to the cauld but finding no drag we went down. At the “fox holes” hounds took a fairly fresh drag into the docks but could not mark. There was a little drag between Coupland and Glen foot but not fresh. After joining Till the drag gradually improved until we came to the “washing pool” in the Milfield “Long Haugh” where hounds marked at the root on the Ford side. One of the Sandy’s was put in and soon had an otter off which was viewed heading down stream. We hunted it down to the stream at the low end of the haugh where hounds again marked. After digging and jumping for some time the otter was again put off and again headed down stream, to the weir work in the “Moor band square” where it was viewed. We hunted in the pool below the long haugh for about two hours during which the otter or rather otters for there were evidently cubs with the old bitch hardly ever shewed, but finding the cubs very small it was decided to leave them alone. June 19th Newbiggen 9 A.M. “Tweed” Got a drag at the top end of Dreeper Island and hounds marked at the root below the cauld but did not lay long at it. Then drew on to the top of the Milne Graden pool and found in the usual place at the tree above the rocks. He swam up to the rushes a few yards further up but was soon put off and swam down touching on the South side in several places until he came to the cauld where he stopped for a short time and then went down the slap. He did not go many yards down before he turned up again through the slap and made straight for the rock hole but finding it stopped he swam across to the rushes on the South side below the quarry and hung about there for some time until “Gameboy” nipped him and he sank. He was found a week after and weighed 26 lb. We then drew up Till. There was a good drag at Stotford Head and continued with varied strength until we reached the Etal Islands at the bottom one of which hounds marked. After trying both the Sandys for some time and as we were on the point of leaving it, the otter came away and was mobbed by the hounds which had just come forward to the hole. She was an eighteen pound bitch. June 22nd Sprouston. 9.30 A.M. “Tweed” Drew up to the Island on the South side and then crossed over at the head of the island, where there was a good drag, and tried the Hendersyde drain. At first hounds were very quiet but eventually marked, so we opened a hole in the drain in the park and later on several other holes but could not get the otter away, but having got him down to the last thirty yards a sweeps brush was brought from the house and the otter and Sandy were forcibly ejected. There was another left in the drain as both terriers were at otters in different sections at the same time. As soon as the bolted otter was clear of the drain he was headed back by the crowd but was soon shifted again by the brush. After swimming up and down the dam two or three times he went out into Tweed at the top end and swam down outside the Island until he came to the cement weiring where he put up but was soon off down stream again putting up in mid stream continually until he came to the plantation above Bamf Mill, here he got in under a root but was soon poled out. He was however very loath to leave the plantation and swam several times down to the cauld and back but eventually went down and got in behind some cement work and was lost for some time. At last Pearson viewed him and hounds immediately had him off. He then swam down and back again a number of times shewing continually. Once when he was at the low end of the pool Matt Wilkinson tailed him and carried him onto the bank but two or three hounds got him away and he freed himself and got into the river again. About an hour afterwards he crawled out onto the island at the mill and was killed, a 28 lb dog. It was then too late to go back to the drain for the other otter. He was put off at 12.30 and killed about 5.45. June 24th Langholme Bridge 8 A.M. “Bowmont” Drew up for a quarter of a mile above the bridge but getting no drag we turned and drew down. There was no drag until we came to the pool above the tunnell at Reedsford where hounds marked very keenly. They did not lay at one place long but shifted down the bank. Sandy was tried but could do no good the bank being hollow for forty or fifty yards so we started to dig pieces off and kept on moving the otter wherever hounds marked, but he never shewed for three hours until we had dug the over hanging bank off in half a dozen places, then he was viewed a the low end of the pool and shortly afterwards went down over the shallow and continued to go down stopping a short time in each pool until he got to the long pool opposite Reedsford where he was tailed and killed after an exciting hunt of about three hours from the time he left the place where he was found. He was a 24 lb dog. June 26th Carham 9.20 A.M. “Tweed.” Drew the whole way down Tweed and up Till to the Etal Islands without finding. There was a good drag in places and hounds were inclined to mark at several places but did not lay long. The best mark was at the top Etal Island where an otter had evidently been laid quite recently and probably gone up to Etal water. July 1st Ronaldkirk 8 A.M. “Tees” Started at Eggleston Bridge and after casting up stream for a few hundred yards we drew down over very rough ground until we got below the old mill at Cotherstone without any drag, from there we had a little drag which gradually improved until we were about two or three hundred yards above the railway bridge at Barnard Castle where hounds marked in some rocks on the left bank. Crow bars were brought and a good deal of stone was moved but we could not make out definitely where the otter was laid so we gave it up. July 20th Wark 7.30 A.M. “Tyne” Drew up the North Tyne to Robson’s drain opposite Reedsmouth practically without any drag. The drain which had been holding up to a week ago was blank. We then drew up Reed for about a mile but not getting onto a drag we crossed over onto Tyne again and drew up past Bellingham to the Hesleyside drain which was also blank. August 11th Winston Bridge 7.45 A.M. “Tees.” Drew down to Grand beck but as there was no drag we came back and drew up to Greta foot hounds speaking only occasionally to a stale drag. It improved very much on the Greta and apparently was fresh below the rocks at Rokeby but everything was so dry that hounds could not mark at any of the rock holes. Having tried up above Greta Bridge and back to the rocks without success we chucked it and went on by road to Barnard Castle. August 15th Dinsdale Bridge 7 A.M. “Tees.” Got onto a stale drag which hounds owned only in shaded places until we got up as far as Neasham Hall where it improved. At Newbus hounds were taken off the river to cut off the bend at Hurworth and were taken across to Rokecliff Scar where they immediately took up the drag again which appeared to be fresh but we drew up past the bats and on up past Clow Beck foot and eventually found at Stapleton but after hunting him for an hour he disappeared.

Season 1900

June 11 Twizell Bridge (Bucks Otter Hounds) about 9 A.M. Got onto a drag at once and ran it down to Tweed. Hounds were put across to the trees above the Milne Graden rocks and although they were keen did not really mark nor did they swim as if an otter was off when hunted down the pool. We tried down to the holt below the cauld but without finding then on down the inside of the island where they marked at a root; a terrier was put in and bolted a fox. We then went back to the trees above the rocks where they were as keen as ever. After they had been over a couple of minutes Willie Stodart viewed an otter put up 30 yards below. We hunted him down to the cauld and back a short way and as someone thought they saw him go over we tried round the island and then came back into the pool where hounds marked at a rock hole on the English side which was supposed to be dangerous for a terrier so we were obliged to leave it. June 13 Akleld Bridge. 7.15 A.M. “Glen” Drew up Glen without any drag to the Coupland fox holes, here hounds hit off a fresh drag in the backwater but as it had been rained on it was not very good. We ran it up to the slap at Coupland Mill where hounds marked. A terrier was put in and after some time bolted an otter which was headed back by one of the whips who was hunting hounds Mr. Gerald Uthwatt being laid off with gout, he was soon bolted again and we hunted him for 3 ½ hours or rather her as she turned out to be a bitch about 17 lbs (not weighed.) There must have been more that one otter off as two were viewed simultaneously at opposite ends of the pool. June 15 Red Scar Bridge 9.30 A.M. “Till.” Drew down the Milfield water and on down to the root above Etal cauld with hardly a sound. Hounds were inclined to mark at the root but left it. The drag below Etal improved considerably until we came to the islands. Hounds were again inclined to mark at the top island but it turned out to be nothing. When drawing the lower island we found a dead dog otter 25 lbs which had been dead several days. There were no marks of shot about him and the conclusion we came to was that he was Mondays Milne Graden otter which hounds certainly nipped. We drew down to Heaton Castle without finding. June 18th Sprouston 9.45 A.M. “Tweed.” There was a hot drag up to the Henderside Park drain but when run by the terrier it turned out to be blank. Then after trying up a quarter of a mile we drew down. Hounds marked in the plantation above Bamf Mill and we tried a terrier in but he was not there. The drag was fairly good all the way down to the Eden Mouth, there it improved considerable but we ran it out about a mile up. There was drag more or less down to Carham Wheel where we stopped. June 30th Glanton Station 7.30 A.M. “Aln.” We put in at Bolton bridge where there was a hot drag which took hounds up to Ld Ravensworth’s boundary where they were stopped as we had no leave from him. We then drew down through Alnwick Park to Alnwick without finding although the drag was good in places.

Season 1901

June 12th Chollerford 10.30 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Tyne.” Drew up from Chollerford bridge to Wark without finding and without a drag. June 30th Croft Bridge 9.30 A.M. (Mr. Buckley’s Otter Hounds) “Tees” Drew up stream nearly to Stapleton but got no drag. Then drew down from the bridge hounds speaking occasionally to a stale drag which was rather better at the Bats but they could not mark at any of the holding. They spoke again at some large stones under the Scar. After that there was no drag practically until we passed Neasham Hall. We found below the high ford at Sockburn and killed him a 19 lb dog after a hunt of about twenty minutes. Rode “Monica”. July 3rd Akeld Bridge 9.45 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Glen.” After trying the Akeld drain which was blank we drew up Glen past the Coupland Fox holes up to the mill. Hounds ran a drag round the cut from the Fox holes and marked at the cauld. The terriers were put in and after two or three false starts first one and then another otter slipped off into the mill drain. The first one a bitch 11 ½ lbs was killed in a few minutes and the other which had meanwhile had gone off the water into the rubbish on the banks of the dam was killed within the hour. He was a dog of 19 lb. We drew on up to Kilham with finding again and without a drag. July 5th Twizel Bridge 10.30 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Till.” Found a brace laid off in the wood on the right bank above the railway bridge one of which a bitch 16 lb was chopped before getting to the water. The other a dog of about 20 lb slipped away down about a hundred yards and then crossed over into a short drain running under the road on the opposite side. Wyley not knowing the drain put in a terrier before hounds were taken away from the mouth, the otter bolted immediately and was chopped. We drew the remainder of Till and down Tweed past the Milne Graden rocks and round Dreeper Island and back up above Till mouth for some way without finding, although it looked almost as if hounds had put an otter off at the top end of Milne Graden rocks. Before stopping we made Till good up to Twizel Mill. July 8th Red Scar Bridge 10.30 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Till.” Drew down the Milfield water after making good two or three hundred yards above the bridge but there was no drag until hounds got down to the Flodden boundary pool, they feathered a little here and then marked at the weiring, in a few minutes an otter was off and after swimming a short time in the pool Arthur viewed him over the shallow into the long pool extending to the Tile sheds. There was more than one otter supposed to be off but they shewed very little during the hunt which lasted from 12 o’clock till until 4 in the afternoon when hounds got hold of a 14 lb bitch at the top end of the pool. We did not draw again. July 10th Sprouston 9.30 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Tweed.” Hounds took a drag up to the Henderside drain and marked. The terriers were tried for about two hours but could not bolt an otter, the drain apparently being broken down under the road. Drew on down to Coldstream without finding and practically no drag. July 12th Milfield 10.30 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Till.” Drew down from Flodden Tile sheds to Twizel without getting an otter off although hounds marked at the holding below Ford bridge and again below Ford Forge and again at the tree root at Etal. July 13th Red Scar Bridge 10.30 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Till.” Drew up Till from the bridge to Glen foot, then up Glen to Coupland without a touch, then back to Till and on up the river to Doddington bridge. July 15th Whittingham Station 7.50 A.M. (Culmstock Otter Hounds) “Aln.” Got onto a good drag below Ld Ravensworth’s water and hounds ran well for about a mile cutting most of the bends but a few hundred yards above Bolton bridge Wyley marked the print of a fresh otter having gone up stream proving what we had suspected that it was an up stream drag and as we could not get leave for Ld Ravensworth’s water we could not go back. The drag gradually died out by the time we reached Bolton Mill. As soon as we got through the Alnwick Park wall hounds hit off a fresh drag and a hundred yards below put an otter off. She swam up the pool, then down then up again and into a large drain at the top. The terriers were put in at the bottom end and she came out at the top and went away across country to the river where it comes through the wall. Then after hunting her for a few times up and down a long muddy pool she got into a drain again, this time she had to be dug off and then went straight up stream for about a mile until she came to a shallow which was lined. Another rather shallow place below was also lined and we hunted her in a long muddy pool with rushes on either side until hounds got hold of her after a four hours hunt from the find. She was a 23 lb bitch.

Season 1902

June 30th Twizel Station. 10.25 (Dumfriesshire Otter Hounds) “Tweed.” Hounds hit off a drag at once on being put across to the ivy covered tree on the Milne Graden side and ran it up the bank to Till mouth. Then Davidson tried down to the foot of Dreeper Island but as the drag was getting no better he came back to try up Till. At the mouth of the river hounds took a drag up Tweed for a hundred yards but were stopped. There was a good drag up Till and it improved up to Twizel mill but after that there was practically no drag until we came to the Etal islands where hounds marked and eventually put a big otter off. He crossed over the end of the bottom island and got in again somewhere and although he appeared to be shifting about as hounds marked at different places they never managed to get him off again and were obliged to leave him. July 2nd Akeld Bridge 9.45 (Dumfriesshire Otter Hounds) “Glen.” Drew up Glen past Copeland and then up Bowmont past Canno Mill and Redesford without any drag. At the large conduit above Redesford hounds got onto a drag and ran up the conduit fairly screaming, from it at the top end several hound went up a smaller conduit and without being able to get right through themselves bolted an otter out of the top end. She ran down the ditch along the hedge side to the river. After hunting her up and down in the pool at the mouth of the conduit and digging a good deal of the over hanging bank away she again took off up the conduit. This time she was not so easily bolted out of the small conduit and after looking out once at the top end she lay up for about half an hour the terriers not being able to get right through but eventually she bolted into the large conduit and hounds killed her, a bitch about 14 or 15 lbs (not weighed). The hunt lasted about 5 hours. July 4th Sprouston 11.22 (Dumfriesshire Otter Hounds) “Tweed.” Drew up to Kelso Bridge and then down to Wark without finding. The drain at Henderside Park had no drag about it, nor was it likely to have as an otter had been trapped there about 10 days ago. There was a little drag about the drain mouth opposite to the saw mill at Henderside but no more until we came to Bamf Mill where it appeared to be pretty fresh on the island. There was none up Eden and a very little at Carham. July 7th Akeld Bridge 9.45 (Dumfriesshire Otter Hounds) “Glen.” Drew down Glen to Till without a touch and on down Till with a little drag at the Pike Holes and again at the Anna point in the Milfield water until we reached the moorband square field where an otter was put off out of the weiring. We hunted him up and down between the weiring and the Ford boundary for 4 or 5 hours but hounds could not keep him moving although there was no strong holding consequently they were beat before their otter and had to leave him. July 9th Coldstream Bridge. (Dumfriesshire Otter Hounds) “Tweed.” Drew down from the bridge to Tillmouth occasionally touching a stale drag which improved considerably after going under the railway bridge over Till. A few hundred yards above Twizel Bridge hounds marked at a root a terrier was put in and she soon bolted and went up the cauld into the pool above but as there was no cover on the pool and a stream at the head of it she came down again and after trying to get into the root again headed steadily down the river. She was viewed once just above the bridge and then was lost for a couple of hours. After trying up and down on both sides several times hounds marked in a small piece of weiring below the cauld below the bridge. After pulling a good deal of the weiring away, the otter again bolted and swam up and down for a time and then came out to get into a rabbit hole and was killed. She was not weighed but was 21 to 22 lbs. July 11th Chatton Bridge (Dumfriesshire Otter Hounds) “Till Got onto a drag at the wooden bridge on the Chillingham road which improved until we got to the plantation a few hundred yards above the bridge at Chillingham where hounds put an otter off out of a tree root. After hunting her for about 2 ½ hours they killed her in a piece of open water about a hundred yards down. There was no really strong holding and hounds managed to keep her going most of the time. A bitch 15 lbs. We drew on upstream to Berwick bridge without finding again. July 12th Whittingham Station. 9 A.M. (Courtney Traceys O.H.) “Aln” Drew down the burn which crosses the road near the station to the Aln. As soon as we got to the river hounds hit off a good drag but as usual it was an upstream drag into Ld Ravensworth’s water where we could not hunt. We drew on down stream to the heavy water below Alnwick without finding, and, after we had run out the heel way drag about Bolton Mill practically without a hound speaking. July 22nd Picton Station 7.45 (Buckley’s Otter Hounds) “Leven” Started at Red Hall where there was a good drag and ran it down stream to Leven Bridge but as it did not improve at all they turned back and tried up from Red Hall. The drag was not very good up stream until we got to within a field of Wiery Bridge where it became very strong and hounds worked as though an otter was off but after trying up and down for nearly an hour we could not make anything of it so drew on up stream. We drew on without any drag for about a mile above Crathorne and then turned back and went home. July 24th Hurworth 7.45 (Buckley’s Otter Hounds) “Tees.” Got onto a drag above the village and ran it round the scar to a drain a few yards below the jetty in Dalton Wood. The hounds marked for a time at the drain and then left it. On the Durham side of the main river opposite the Island one of the crowd holload an otter and hounds marked at another drain close to but this they also soon left. They marked again at a root on the inside of the island and after a time an otter came off and crossed over into the weiring. It took about an hour and a half to get him off and after going to ground in another root further down he eventually got into the river. He crossed over and landed on the far side and ran down the bank among the burdocks to the jetty before taking to the river again. He must have gone straight away down stream, as after trying a few times up and down the pool at the jetty, Jenkins cast away down and found him at the low end of the Scar. He was tailed almost at once going over the stream and weighed 22 lbs. July 26th Dinsdale Bridge 8.15 A.M. (Buckley’s O.H.) “Tees.” At the bridge there were prints of a bitch and cubs having gone down. We drew upstream to Hurworth bridge without a smell of any kind and then went home.

Season 1903

May 26th Picton Station (9.48 A.M.) “Leven” (N.C.O.H.) Started at Red Hall and drew up stream without getting onto a drag until we had gone about a mile and a half when hounds began to speak occasionally. At White Hall they marked at a root and within a couple of minutes the otter was off. They swam up and down the pool a few times and then took a blazing hot drag off the water to some rabbit holes where they marked again. Terriers and spades were used and eventually in about an hour the otter bolted and got into the river again and was killed after about two hours hunting. A bitch 13 ½ lbs. Drew on up to Weary bank without finding again. June 20th Whittingham Station (9. A.M.) “Aln.” Drew down to Alnwick without finding. There was a fairly good drag down from Bolton Bridge to the mill and again there was a drag in Alnwick Park but not so fresh. June 23rd Akeld Station (7.30 A.M.) “Glen” Drew up from Akeld Bridge to Coupland Mill and as there was a slight drag at the Fox holes and again near the Mill Barnett tried down again to the bridge but did not find. Then we drew up to the conduit at Kilholm where an otter was bolted and after hunting him for an hour and a half he landed among some weeds and as he was going back into the river Malcolm Whiteford felled him with his pole. Dog otter 21 ½ lbs. June 25th West Newbiggen (8.30 A.M.) “Tweed” Drew up the Milne Graden cauld on an improving drag. Hounds marked at a root a few yards below the cauld and after about two hours digging during which time he was headed in again several times the terriers bolted him. He swam up over the cauld and made for the rock hole and on up towards Till mouth. Then for some time he was lost but eventually hounds put him off out of the thicket above the rocks and he shewed a few times in the middle of the river but hounds could never really keep him moving and after a long hunt we were obliged to leave him. June 27th Weetwood Bridge (8.00 A.M.) “Till.” There were fresh prints of a big otter under the bridge and about half a mile down hounds put off a cub which they killed in about an hour. Dog otter 12 lb. There was a good drag up the Wooler Water and prints of a large otter having gone up but after drawing up nearly to Wooler Barnett came back and drew down Till. He drew up Glen as far as Akeld Steads bog but there was no drag so he came back to Till and drew down to the Red Scar Bridge. There was a drag at the head of the Scar Wood but as it was late we stopped at the bridge. June 30th Red Scar Bridge (8.15 A.M.) “Till.” Hounds immediately spoke to a strong drag and ran it up for a couple of hundred yards and then put an otter off on the Red Scar wood side. He hung about above the bridge and in the pool below for a short time and then swam straight down nearly to the Washing pool where they killed him. Dog otter 21 lbs. Another otter was viewed when hounds were swimming the one which was killed below the bridge. At the Flodden tile sheds hounds got onto a fresh drag and hunted down the river to Ford Bridge and then cut off the bend and ran through the corn to the holt above Ford Forge. They marked at a place where the bank overhangs but could not get him off. They marked again at the tree root above the Etal cauld and an otter was bolted but hounds were tired and could not keep him moving in such a strong place. There were probably two otters here also as two were holloed at the same time. July 2nd Sprouston (8.15 A.M.) “Tweed” There was a good drag at the Henderside Island but the drain had been stopped by the Kelso people so we did not find. After trying up to Kelso bridge we drew down to Bamf Mill. There was a strong drag on the island and hounds marked at a hole under the mill. After a lot of terrier work the floor of the mill was pulled up and an otter bolted. He swam across to the cauld and then turned down stream and hounds swam straight down for nearly half a mile. Thinking it might only be wash Bennett drew up again and tried the willows etc. below the cauld but could not find him. He then tried down again with the same result. Drew down to Carham without finding again. July 4th New Etal (8 A.M.) “Till.” Found at least a brace at Parker’s Islands and eventually one bolted and swam up stream. Hounds were a long way down when the otter went off and he got a good start. When they got onto his drag they swam very fast up to the Etal wire bridge and then hunted slowly up to Etal cauld occasionally speaking. They tried down again and put off an otter probably the second one a few yards above the top island. They hunted up and down all the afternoon but could not make anything of them. July 6th Chatton Bridge (7 A.M.) “Till.” Drew up to Bewick bridge without finding. There were the prints of a large otter having gone down stream at Chatton and the prints of a smaller one at Chillingham bridge. There was not much drag on account of the pouring rain except under the trees at East Lilburn where it was pretty good. July 18th Chollerford (7.14 A.M.) “North Tyne.” Owing to the river being in flood the meet was altered to Chollerton and we drew up the Erring burn and then crossed over by the Hallington reservoirs and down the Swin burn as far as the hatchery at Barrasford. There was a very stale drag at the low end of the Swin burn otherwise there was no signs of an otter. July 21st Reedsmouth (7.45 A.M.) “North Tyne.” Hounds got onto a drag at once and marked at Tom Robson’s drain. A terrier was put in but soon came back. Then Barnett tried up the Reed nearly to the railway bridge but as there was no drag he went back up Tyne. The drag improved until we got to an island below Hezleyside where hounds marked, an otter was soon jumped off and went down into the pool below. We hunted her there for about three quarters of an hour and then she went into some wreck at the top end of the gravel bed and hounds killed her. A bitch 12 lbs. Hounds again marked on the island and after a little terrier work and jumping another otter came off and went down into the same pool and after hunting him for about two hours he was killed on the shallow at the low end. A dog 24 lbs. There was no scent on the water and both otters were practically killed by the field. August 1st Plawsworth Station. (7 A.M.) “Wear” Hounds spoke as soon as they reached the river and after trying down for a mile they drew up stream and had a drag all the way to between Brasside pit and the railway bridge where they put an otter off. He apparently came off almost at once and then went to ground again in a root a few yards higher up. Hounds at first swam the wash down stream for some distance but eventually settled down to mark at the root. A spade was got and a good deal of digging done but it was too strong so we had to leave it. There were several sized prints on the river and possibly we may have put off an otter before but the river was very dirty and slightly in flood. August 6th Dinsdale Bridge (8.15 A.M.) “Tees” Hounds hit off a drag a couple of hundred yards above the bridge and hunted it around Sockburn as far as Pettle’s, then Tom Robson, who was hunting hounds, drew back round the bottom of Beverley Wood and down as far as Girsby Bridge in case he had drawn over an otter. We then walked across and drew up from Pettle’s to Neasham still without finding although there was a fresh drag at Neasham Hall. August 8th Hurworth (7 A.M.) “Tees” Drew down stream as far as Newbus on a drag which ran out. Then turned and drew up on a good drag all the way past the bats to the railway bridge where the drag stopped. Hounds marked at a drain at the top of the bats but the terrier ran straight through it. There was practically no drag above the railway bridge and hounds never spoke again until they came to the willows at the head of Stapleton Wood where they put an otter off at once which we killed after about an hour and a half’s hunt. Bitch 14 ½ lbs. August 11th Gainford (7.20 A.M.) “Tees.” Drew up from Gainford to Barnard Castle and up Greta to Greta Bridge without finding and without a drag. August 13th Ronaldkirk (7.45 A.M.) “Tees.” Drew up from Egglestone Bridge to Lune foot and then walked hounds back along the road to Egglestone Bridge and drew down to Barnard Castle without finding and without a drag. Hounds feathered a little at times at stones on which there was old foil.

Season 1904

June 21st Sprouston (9.30) “Tweed” Drew the Henderside Island and drain blank. Hounds got onto a drag about a mile above Bamf Mill and marked an otter under a root at the side of the dub about ¼ mile above the cauld. The otter was soon put off and swam down stream, over the cauld and landed on the island opposite the mill. She went to ground in a shallow root and was bolted by hounds marking and killed. A bitch 20 lbs. After trying the mill house hounds drew down to Wark but did not find again. June 23rd Kilham Ford (8.0) “Beaumont” Drew down “Beaumont” and Glen as far as Ewart Bridge without finding. There was a little drag about Coupland Cauld. June 28th Red Scar Bridge (8.15) “Till” Hit off a drag at the bridge and ran up stream to a root above the Fenton burn mouth where hounds marked. He was soon off and swam up and down the pool several times before he was viewed. After hunting him for about an hour and a half he swam down stream to the Fenton burn mouth and was killed. A big dog otter about 26 lbs but not weighed. Drew on down stream through the Milfield water without finding. Hounds marked at the overhanging bank at Heatherslaw and after hunting him for about an hour the “Otter” saw him go down stream over the cauld. Hounds were taken down and although there was a good drag and they marked several times below the Forge Bridge the otter was never viewed again. June 30th Newbiggen (8.30) “Tweed.” Got onto a drag almost immediately and ran it to a root at the foot of Dreeper Island on the South side. He was soon put off and swam up and down for about two hours and after trying to land sank. He was fished out in a salmon net after three draws and weighed 22 lbs. Drew on up to Cornhill without finding again. July 2nd Twizel Bridge (8.0) “Till.” Tried down to the railway bridge on a drag but as it ran out at the bridge hounds turned and drew up on a good drag to Heaton where a small otter was put off but as it was only a cub it was decided to leave it. Then we drew on up stream past the islands to the deep water above Etal Cauld but did not find. Barnett then went back to try to find the old otter at Heaton and killed the cub instead. A dog about 8 lbs. July 4th Chatton Bridge (8.0) “Till” Drew down on an improving drag as far as the Fowberry water where hounds had to be stopped. There was no drag up stream until hounds reached Chillingham bridge where they marked at a root. Spades were got and the bank dug off but the otter had gone there being nothing but a fresh bed. Drew on up to Harehope without finding. There were several fresh drags and fresh foil about but hounds could not mark an otter anywhere. July 6th Bridge of Aln (8.0) “Aln” Drew down to Bolton Bridge without a smell. Hounds spoke to a drag just below the bridge and ran it indifferently down to Abberwick Mill where it improved very much and hounds marked at a root in the Mill dam. The otter was soon off and although we hunted him for three hours he was never viewed and eventually we had to give him up. Drew on down to Alnwick but did nothing. August 10th Dinsdale Bridge (7.30) “Tees” Drew up stream from the Bowl Hole and found an otter a few yards above the boat house at Low Moor about nine o’clock and after hunting it until six o’clock, it got into a drain below Benson’s house on the Durham side. A terrier was put in and the drain was opened at various points and eventually at 8 o’clock the otter bolted was killed. A bitch between 15 and 16 lbs. August 12th Hurworth (7) Tees Hounds got onto a drag above the village and ran it along the south side of the river to Rockliffe Scar, then across county to Eryholme Scar. They were brought back and drew up past the Bats and Croft to the foot of the Stapleton wood but as there was very little drag above Rockcliffe Scar they were taken back to draw down from Hurworth. An otter was put off at Newbus and killed on a shallow in about three minutes. He was a dog weighing 22 lbs and had a blind eye. Hounds then drew on down to Neasham Hall where another otter was put off about 12 o’clock. He was hunted up and down the pool at Shot Bank sometimes on the bank and sometimes in the water until 6 o’clock when we left him as hounds were getting tired and he had found some roots from which it was difficult to move him. August 15th Winston Bridge (7.30) Tees Drew up from Winston Bridge to Rokeby, hounds speaking occasionally to a stale drag. On getting to Rokeby the river came down in flood so we drew up the Greta which also came down when we got to Brignal Mill. August 19th Aycliffe (8.10) “Sherne” Drew down stream and got a good drag between Aycliffe and Coatham Mundeville which lasted all the way to Houghton but hounds never could mark an otter. August 20th Croft (10.30) “Clow Beck” Drew up to Clow Beck mill without finding. Hounds ran a drag across from Monk End bridge to Stapleton Wood end and there was a very fair drag up stream to about half way between Croft and Jolly when it seemed to dye out. There was a good drag at Jolly Mill but not much above. August 26th Catterick Bridge (8 A.M.) “Swale” Hounds were put in on a drag below the bridge and drew up stream. At Sheeby beck mouth the drag was very good and hounds made a burst up past the mill for a couple of hundred yards but the drag ran out so they were taken back to Swale. About a quarter of a mile above Sheeby beck an otter was put off and after a slow hunt of about three hours was killed at Brompton village. A bitch 15 ½ lbs. The water was very cold and the scent bad. Drew on up to Richmond without finding again