3-096-265 - Ware in the World/Heritage Images

Hunt of Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, c1955. The stirrup cup is the traditional drink (usually port or sherry) served at the meet, prior to a traditional foxhunt. The Oakley Hunt was formed at Woburn Abbey by the 4th Duke of Bedford in 1793. At its prime, in the 19th century, the Oakley Hunt was a predominately fox and hare hunt, which had access to land not only in Oakley but also Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Following a 2005 ban on fox hunting, mounted hound hunts across the United Kingdom - including those in Bedfordshire - operate as trail hunts or drag hunts, where hounds follow an artificial scent rather than live foxes.