Pytchley Hunt

The Pytchley with Woodland Hunt is an organisation formerly based near the Northamptonshire village of Pytchley, but since 1966 has had kennels close to Brixworth. The Pytchley country used to include areas of the Rockingham Forest but was split to form the Woodland Pytchley Hunt. Today, it covers an area of western and central Northamptonshire characterised by rolling hills, hedgerows and small areas of woodland.

History
1635 – a pack at Althorp was well established.

1750 – the Pytchley Club was formed.

1790 – A set of eight hunting prints depicting the great Pytchley hunt, published by the engraver Francis Jukes after Charles Loraine Smith. This set is the only visual record of the hunt led by the celebrated huntsmen Dick Knight. At that time there existed a great rivalry between the Quornites and the Pytchley followers. The prints follow the various mishaps and eventual triumph of Dick Knight. Knight used three horses during the course of the run in order to achieve his victory.

1819–1873 – the Althorp and Pytchley countries were hunted by one pack with a second pack established at Brigstock and until 1920 the master of the Pytchley was in charge. Early 1900s – The Padua scarlet was officially adopted by hunt staff and masters under Lord Annaly (1857–1922), Master 1902–1914.

1931 – Lord Spencer, Colonel J. Lowther, Mr Samuel Lloyd and Captain Stopford-Sackville drew up an agreement to separate the Woodland Pytchley from the Pytchley.

1966 – The kennels moved from the heart of Brixworth village to the present site. The former kennels in the centre of Brixworth were located on kennel Terrace.

2005 – Traditional fox hunting is prohibited by the Hunting Act 2004.

After the Hunting Act
Although "hunting wild mammals with a dog" was made unlawful in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004, which came into effect in 2005, a number of exemptions stated in Schedule 1 of the 2004 Act permit some previously unusual forms of hunting wild mammals with dogs to continue, such as "hunting... for the purpose of enabling a bird of prey to hunt the wild mammal".