• Based at Ashwell Crossroads, Ashwell, the Cottesmore is about 250 years old.

• It meets on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

• Around 500 people go hunting with the Cottesmore every year with about half of them being full-time subscribers. It has its own supporters’ club.

• The annual turnover of the famous Rutland-based Cottesmore is around £300,000.

• The Cottesmore’s kennel buildings at Ashwell Crossroads are more than 100 years old.

By the 1800s, thanks to foxhunting and its associations, pubs had sprung up and The Bell, the George Hotel and the Harboro’ Arms opened.

People also began to open shops in Melton, attracted by its wealthy patrons – and Meltonians were certainly not slow in realising that there was money to be made.

Education in the town began to turn young people towards commercial thoughts rather than the traditional classical teachings.

As the horizons of Meltonians expanded beyond the town

boundary and people began to realise what they were capable of, many began to learn trades useful to their rich hunting clientele.

There were always plenty of jobs in the many stables and scores of saddlers and butchers are recorded as starting at this time.

Clothing was always required and many people quickly became proficient at providing suitable attire for the hunting gentry.

Others went into service, working in the big houses owned by some of the many prominent families in the area.

There were also jobs to be found in some of the other sports which began in Melton as a way of keeping sports- men entertained when they were not hunting such as cockfighting, steeplechasing and racing.

Artists were also inspired by the scenes in and around Melton Mowbray, notably John Ferneley who was born in Thrussington and discovered by the 5th Duke of Rutland who had been impressed by his work.

Another famous work is The Melton Breakfast by Sir Francis Grant which depicts members of the Old Club in the Harboro’ Arms.