The other half had a steak salad (I'm not a rabbit so don't buy into that) but she herself said it was lovely and the steak in it beautiful (why not just have a steak love 🤷‍♂️) Visually the countryside has been greatly influenced by the hunt. Woodland has been planted deliberately for foxes to live in. One example is Burley woods. The hunt owns 6 to 8 pieces of woodland and is responsible for maintaining them. In the early 20th century there was widespread resentment towards wealthy Edwardians who were spending a fortune at a time of immense poverty. The people supporting their lifestyles were often working in appalling conditions such as down coal mines. The Lowthers bought Seaton in 1837, then Dearham, Ribton, Distington, Kelton, Arlecdon, Weddicar, St Bees, Hensingham, Frizington, Ennerdale and Rottington. All were acquired because they had mineral reserves beneath them. The Yellow Earl left behind some legendary tales. For his family, his legacy included the crumbling Lowther Castle.

He was chairman of Arsenal Football Club for a brief period in 1936 (having previously been a club director), and later became the club’s Honorary President. On a social level, the Cottesmore does more than hunt, they organise hunt balls, clay pigeon shooting, pony club and the point to point. The hounds themselves are considered one of the best bred around, having been bred entirely for work, and this has been a major factor in the Hunt's long record of excellent sport. In a lifetime of studying the habits and habitats, eccentricities and antics of the British Aristocracy, I have seldom come across any character as amusing, entertaining, eccentric, or as profligate as Hugh Lonsdale.

Lt. Col. Sir Henry Tate

The article also refers to his secret visits to London slums and his concern for their occupants. His solution was for them to leave London for “roomy cottages with good gardens”, to exercise more, and drink “the healthy old beverages of beer and cider” rather than whisky and gin. The article makes much of Hugh’s love of the outdoors: “When he is at Lowther it is a frequent habit with him to saddle a pony soon after midnight and to ride alone into the surrounding hills to see the sun rise.”

I couldn’t claim to be an expert on the Yellow Earl. I’d never heard of him before I started living in Cumbria about six years ago. I grew up in Devon. When I opened this shop, straight away I had people saying ‘Have you got anything about the Yellow Earl?’ Because of the secrecy with which the whole affair was conducted, doubts were later raised as to whether the fight took place at all.

A keen football fan (sadly for Cumbrians his team was Arsenal), he was a club director, chairman - in 1936, and later honorary president. He enjoyed foxhunting and after World War One became more involved with horseracing. His homes included a huge London townhouse near The Mall, and Lowther Castle, five miles south of Penrith. One of the largest houses in England with hundreds of staff, Lowther became renowned for entertaining distinguished guests. Parties and sporting weekends were attended by royalty and heads of state. Thereafter followed William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (1787–1872); Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl (1818–1876) and St George Henry Lowther, 4th Earl 1855–1882). Hugh was a consummate sportsman. He enjoyed foxhunting, serving as Master of The Quorn from 1893 to 1898, and was also a keen football fan. The “West Cumbria with the Beacon Museum” app guides its users on trails around the historic port of Whitehaven and wider West Cumbria. As you go along the trails you are introduced to famous historical characters from Whitehaven’s rich history – they interact with their surroundings and share their fascinating stories about life in the town.