Bluecap Memorial

Bluecap (or Blue Cap) was a foxhound owned by John Smith-Barry, son of the 4th Earl of Barrymore, and was a member of the first pack of foxhounds to be founded in Cheshire. The pack was housed in Forest Kennels, Speedwell Hill. In 1763 Smith-Barry was challenged to a bet by Hugo Meynell of the Quorn Hunt, one of the most influential men in the development of fox-hunting, to a race between two of each other's hounds. The race was held over a four-mile course at Newmarket. Meynell's hounds were favourites at odds of 7–4, but Bluecap won easily, and Bluecap's daughter, Wanton, came second. Bluecap became a legend in northwest England, outstripping the rest of the pack, and died at the age of…

The memorial is constructed in buff and pink sandstone, and stands 200 cm high. It is surrounded by a low wall and railings. The memorial has square base, and consists of a square pier with a moulded plinth and cornice, which is surmounted by an obelisk. On the north face of the pier is a brass plate inscribed with details of the foxhound and its owner, followed by a poem, all in copperplate script. The inscription reads as follows: