A midwinter Meet with the Morpeth

Testing trails and festive cheer abound for a mid-Northumberland pack that, despite stern challenges, is looking forward not back

- Written by Tessa Waugh • Photography by Verity Johnson

TRAVELLERS heading north from England into Scotland may cruise by mid-Northumberland with very little knowledge of the treasures within.

But those who see Britain as a jigsaw of hunting countries will know that they are passing through the Morpeth country, traditionally one of the foremost packs of the north. The cream of the country is centred near the farm where we meet: a flattish plain of well-fenced, mainly grass enclosures, sprinkled with coverts and alluring patches of gorse, the Simonside hills on the horizon. The town of Morpeth is not far to the east and Newcastle city centre just half an hour away but there is no clue to the urban areas close by. The lanes are quiet and the farmland unfettered by big roads or railways.

Around Christmas the magic of the season adds another dimension of excitement to a day's hunting. For some people it provides a welcome break from the hassles that prevail at this time of year and a rare chance to sit down, albeit on a horse's back. The Meet had been moved last minute to Christmas Eve eve due to bad weather but this did nothing to deter a mounted field of 30 plus. They gathered below the attractive farmhouse at Low Angerton, creating a scene of old England to cheer the heart on a cold and grey December day.