The Ennerdale Eskdale Hunt - Est. 1785

Key Historical Points

1. Origins & early activity

   • Tommy Dobson is said to have begun hunting at his own expense in the 1850s, apparently killing his first fox in Eskdale in 1857. lakelandhuntingmemories.com +2 lakelandhuntingmemories.com+2 

   • The Fell-packs, including Eskdale & Ennerdale, evolved from local valley hunts in the Cumbrian mountains, often on foot over the rugged fells rather than mounted hunting. bhsa.org.uk+1

   • One source says “The Eskdale & Ennerdale … have worked over the fells in the vicinity of England’s western Lake District since 1857.” Full Cry: A Hound Blog+1

2. Organisation & terrain

   • It is one of the “Lakeland Fell Packs” represented in the organisational body Central Committee of Fell Packs, which notes that the fell-packs were formed from the early 1800s. bhsa.org.uk

   • The terrain hunted is rugged: steep fells, rocky ground and bracken in the Lake District. These conditions shaped the style and stamina of the hounds. For example:

     “Packs like … the Eskdale & Ennerdale … by their very names give an idea of the country hunted over.” davidhancockondogs.com

   • Because of the terrain, the hounds and huntsmen had to be particularly fit and adapted to fell-work rather than lowland hunting. Country Life+1

3. Notable personalities

   • Tommy Dobson: early huntsman/master in the mid-19th century for the pack. lakelandhuntingmemories.com +1

   • Willie Porter: huntsman in 1906, and then Master from 1910 for Eskdale & Ennerdale. Facebook

   • Other long-serving huntsmen and masters of the Lakeland fell-packs are noted in sources for their endurance over extreme terrain. Country Life

4. The Hunt in the 20th century

   • The pack continued through the 20th century; one account notes that during WWI the Master from 1910 (W. C. Porter) hunted two days a week with about 15 couple of hounds. lakelandhuntingmemories.com

   • The Lake District fell-packs (including Eskdale & Ennerdale) have been subject to modern legal and social scrutiny (for example via the Hunt Saboteurs Association) because of their hunting of foxes in challenging terrain. huntsabs.org.uk+1

5. Modern context

   • After the passage of the Hunting Act 2004 (in England and Wales) the fell-packs have had to adapt to new rules and to preserve their traditions. The Central Committee of Fell Packs notes increased importance of collective voice among the packs. bhsa.org.uk

   • The unique character of the fell-pack style (on foot, over rugged terrain) remains a distinctive feature of Eskdale & Ennerdale. Full Cry: A Hound Blog+1

Summary of Significance

• The Eskdale & Ennerdale Foxhounds represent a traditional fell-pack form of hunting in the Lake District — distinct from lowland mounted fox hunts — going back to at least the mid-19th century.

• The terrain of the valleys of Eskdale and Ennerdale in Cumbria demanded specially conditioned hounds and huntsmen.

• The pack has a continuity of tradition, with noted huntsmen and annual meetings, and remains one of the core fell-packs represented in regional hunting governance (via the CCFP).

• They face the modern challenges of hunting-legislation and changing attitudes, but their heritage and style are emphasised in rural sporting literature.

British Hunts and Huntsmen ...: Containing a Short History of Each Fox and ... - Google Books