THE Hampshire Hunt attracted hundreds of spectators and foot followers to the annual Boxing Day meet on Tuesday.

Held on The Butts in Alton in clear winter sunshine, the meet provided a traditional Boxing Day tableau against the backdrop of The French Horn and the Butts Bridge with hounds and horses mingling with the crowd before the field set off along Butts Road and under the Victorian railway bridge across which Mid Hants Railway steam trains rattled to create a scene for which Alton is famous.

It was a poignant reminder of a piece of Alton’s heritage which is about to be lost for ever as plans progress to remove the historic bridge and replace it with a modern version, opening up the road to allow vehicles to pass more swiftly across of the top of The Butts, as part of the major town development dubbed the South Alton Plan.