John Peel

John Peel is the subject of the song D'you ken John Peel. He was a famous huntsman in the hills of Cumbria. He is buried at Caldbeck in the northern part of the lakes. His headstone shows that he lived for a long time for those days.

His prowess at hunting foxes which they do on foot in Cumbria was legendary. There is no real class issue for the fell packs who hunt the fox. Most are local sheep farmers, almost no-one rides a horse and they climb up the fells on foot. Nothing like the hunting by the aristrocracy and merchant bankers who swan around on horses in other parts of the UK. Maybe they should make these stalwarts of our society chase foxes on foot.