Berkeley Hunt

The Berkeley Hunt is a fox hunt in the west of England. Its country lies in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, between Gloucester and Bristol.

History

Hounds have been kept at Berkeley since the 12th century, at first to hunt the stag and the buck, but since the 18th century to hunt the fox, even though fox hunting in its traditional form was made unlawful with effect from 2005.

At one time, there were hounds kennelled at Berkeley, Cheltenham, Nettlebed, Gerrards Cross and Cranford Middlesex. In the late 18th century, much of the land was relinquished by the 5th Earl of Berkeley. The parts around Cheltenham and Broadway became Cotswold, North Cotswold and Cotswold Vale Farmer's Hunt.

The Berkeley family still own the hounds and the kennels.

Country

The "hill country" above Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge is hunted mainly in March and early April, and adjoins the Duke of Beaufort's estate. The "vale country" comprises largely dairy and stock farms with much permanent pasture, although the use of this land for growing crops is increasing.

Lending a name

• The English slang word "berk" is a contraction of "Berkeley Hunt", which in turn refers to the English vulgarity, "cunt". (The usage is dated to the 1930s)^[1] This is an example of Cockney rhyming slang. The "berk" in Berkeley is pronounced to rhyme with "bark", whereas the Cockney pronunciation of the slang term, as with the American English pronunciation, rhymes with "work".
• The Hunt class mine countermeasure vessel HMS Berkeley was named after the hunt.
• Berkeley Square in London is named after the Berkeley family's London home, Berkeley House, now known as Devonshire House.

References

See also

• Burke's Peerage

External links

• berkeleyhunt.co.uk - official website of the Berkeley Hunt
• Berkeley hunt history at berkeleyhunt.co.uk