Our history.

The Warwickshire Hunt's history can be traced back to its formation in 1791 when a Mr Corbet, at his own expense, hunted the country 40 miles long and 20 miles wide.

Today, the country is some 21 miles North to South and about 24 miles East to West.

The Warwickshire Hunt was founded in 1791 by John Corbet of Sundorne, near Shrewsbury. John Corbet established the Hunt Club at the White Lion Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon, where once a fortnight the club’s members would meet for a dinner, during the dinner the first toast was always to "the King" and the second to "the blood of the Trojans", Trojan being a favourite hound from which most of the hunt’s hounds descended.

During this time, John Corbet hunted almost the entire county of Warwickshire with the hunt. John Corbet kenneled the pack at the White Lion during the hunting season, whilst he would return it to his seat at Sundorne Castle during the summer months. Originally the pack comprised about 70 couples of hounds (140 hounds) and were hunted in two packs, a bitch pack and a dog pack, the bitch pack being preferred by many huntsmen for their quickness of scent, and activity.

In 1811, the pack was purchased by Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton for 1200 guineas and he became master of the hunt. Lord Middleton disbanded the Hunt Club at the White Lion and divided the hunt's country with other hunts. During this period, the pack was temporarily kennelled at Kenilworth prior to Lord Middleton building a large range of stables and kennels for the pack in Stratford-upon-Avon.

In 1821 Evelyn Shirley of Ettington Hall succeeded Lord Middleton as master of the hunt after Lord Middleton suffered a nasty fall from a horse. At this time the hunt started accepting subscriptions and Mr Shirley, who was assisted by the famous huntsman Jack Wood, built a new kennel for the hunt in Butlers Marston.

The current Grade II listed kennels in Little Kineton were built in 1839. Between World War I and World War II the Warwickshire Hunt was considered one of the leading hunts in the midland shires, with a succession of famous huntsmen including Bob Champion, Ted Cox and George Gillson.

From 1853 - 1985, the north part of the country was hunted by the North Warwickshire Hunt.  Encroaching urbanisation forced this hunt to disband in 1985 whereupon some of the country was returned to the Warwickshire with the remainder being dispersed between the Worcestershire and the Croome & West Warwickshire Hunts.