Beaufort Hunt territory lies in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire stretching from
Bath in the South to Malmesbury in the East to just short of Cirencester in the
North and to Nailsworth and Chipping Sodbury in the West. The north is typical
of the Cotswolds - light land and stone walls with heavier pasture in the West
and mixed arable and pasture in the South much of which is Vale country with
fly fences. The whole comprises some 760 square miles but due to urbanisation
and the M4 about 260 square miles have been lost. The Beaufort is still a four
day a week country with weather permitting hounds being out on approximately
125 days per annum. Hunting days in the main season are Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Saturday and for the majority of the period of Autumn hunting
Tuesdays are included. The M4 is fenced with mesh over the whole of its hunted
length as is the main part of the Great Western railway line where it runs
through the Saturday country. This fencing is obviously considerably more
substantial than the existing Motorway/Railway fencing and is fox and hound
proof and obviously benefits other wildlife and farm stock.
The present Duke of Beaufort joined his cousin
the 10th Duke in the mastership in 1974 and was joined by Capt. Farquhar who
hunts the hounds in 1985. The Beaufort Hunt comprises a main committee with a
chairman and some 25 landowners, farmers and subscribers. Sub committees are
formed to organise the other main proceedings: the point to point and the hunt
club for instance. The Hon Secretary deals in the main with membership
administration and accounts and the Field Masters control the mounted followers
on their given days and help to liase with the farmers in their prescribed
areas. The overall membership of the Beaufort is as large as any hunt in the
country with around 250 mounted subscribers and over 100 mounted farmers or
members of their families. Mounted fields on a Saturday can top the 200 mark
and an estimated 800 horses are kept in the country for the purpose of hunting.Owing to large numbers only those that have made prior arrangements with the hunt
secretary are allowed to hunt on a horse.