IMPY was a wonderfully wicked dog,’ declares Lady Rebecca Wharton, fondly recalling the lurcher once owned by her parents, Hugh Courtenay, the late 18th Earl of Devon, and Diana, Countess of Devon, at the family’s ancestral seat, Powderham Castle near Exeter. ‘On one occasion, she appeared in the middle of a wedding hosted in the grounds carrying a deer’s head that was weeks old, which she’d found on her run. She dragged it straight through the middle of the guests and trotted into the house. She was so naughty; she got away with everything.’
Impy’s infamous escapades did little to dampen the family’s love of lurchers—Lady Rebecca has had them ever since and currently has two. ‘I was out galloping one of my horses recently on a lovely bit of marsh with the dogs running alongside—it was just wonderful,’ she rhapsodies. ‘Lurchers have a classic, understated elegance. There’s something regal about them.’
Such a graceful portrait may seem at odds with this humble cross-breed’s long-standing association with poachers, but therein lies the lurcher’s appeal—this is a sighthound with an edge. Thanks to their hybrid ancestry, lurchers boast the quickness and kindness of the sighthound, plus the qualities of whatever else is thrown into the mix—the intelli- gence of a collie, the stamina of a terrier. They’re healthy, good family pets and, with their long legs, streamlined silhouette and bright eyes, they’re endearingly handsome. They have their flaws: obedience can be touch and go and recall is a weakness, especially if chasing at full throttle—but boy, can they run. At once sporting and serene, delicate yet ruthless, this versatile dog is suited to any manner of country home.
Denne historien er fra July 26, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra July 26, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tales as old as time
By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth
Do the active farmer test
Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts
SOS: save our wild salmon
Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish
Into the deep
Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel
It's alive!
Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters
There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning
