North Northumberland Hunt Supporters Club

Chairman:

Mrs Fiona Jell, Coupland Castle, Milfield, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6TQ

Secretary:

Mrs Angela Hallam-Baker, Branxton Villa, Branxton, Cornhill-onTweed, Northumberland TD12 4SW

Treasurer:

Mrs Sue Reyniers, 4 The Row, Duddo, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland TD15 2PS

College Valley Hunt Supporters Club

Chairman:

Mrs Jane Jeffreys, Kimmerston Cottage, Milfield, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6JH

Secretary:

Mrs Christine Betts, Barmoor Mill Farm, Lowick, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland TD15 2TR

Treasurer:

Mrs Rosanna Smalley, Garden House, Ewart, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6HH

The Hunt came into existence in 1982, when The College Valley Hunt amalgamated with the North Northumberland. The Country hunted is in Northumberland and extends from the Kale Water in the north-west taking in the Cheviot Hills to the Harthope Burn and Glendale Valley and on to the coastal strip by Holy Island and then north to Berwick-Upon-Tweed and the Scottish Border.

The College Valley Hunt was founded in 1924 by Sir Alfred Goodson. These hounds soon established a tremendous reputation and were sought after the world over. Sir Alfred was a successful breeder of livestock, particularly Aberdeen Angus cattle and Cheviot sheep and he soon applied his breeding skills to foxhounds developing a wonderful cry with speed, accuracy and intelligence using mainly fell lines. More recently Martin Letts has bred the hounds for some forty years using similar principles but since the amalgamation of the North Northumberland Hunt an infusion of the modern studbook foxhound has been incorporated to enable the pack to operate successfully in the lowland country.

The North Northumberland Hounds were the property of the Joicey family of Ford & Etal and were run and managed as a private pack until the merger. The Hunt was formerly known as the Glendale and enjoyed a series of successful masterships until the outbreak of war in 1914 when the Hon Freddie Lambton then came forward at the age of 61 to keep the Hunt going as acting master, secretary and amateur huntsman. It was in 1920 when Lt Col the Hon H E Joicey DSO began his first mastership of the North Northumberland.

Presently there are 40.5 couples of hounds kennelled at Langham Toll, Mindrum. The kennels have recently been gifted to the Country by the Goodson family in memory of the late Sir Alfred Goodson. The hounds are looked after by the kennel huntsman, Andrew Proe, who has been employed by the hunt since 1984.

Country

The Country is varied, contrasting from white grass and hills, rising to over 2,000 feet in the Cheviots to upland pasture, moorland and blocks of forestry that descend to the arable plain and the River Tweed banks towards Berwick and the Scottish border. The College Valley Estate is farmed in a sensitive manner to help maintain a habitat for all wildlife species thus creating the most wonderful theatre in which hounds can operate. Much of our hill country is farmed in a similar manner, in particular the Bowmont Valley and the Kale Water, most of which is within the boundary of the National Park. These hills gently give way to upland pasture and mixed farming practices with fenced enclosures, descending to the forestry, moorland and the arable plain.

Due to the diversity of the terrain and the magnitude of the landscape one can only imagine how well all country sports are catered for in this special part of the world.