THE Quantock Staghounds is celebrating its centenary with a special book charting the group's history.

A History of the Quantock Staghounds will have a special launch event at Crowcombe Village Hall on Saturday, October 8.

Author Jeremy Whitehorn said: "It is no accident of ecology or quirk of the natural order that the wild red deer run hale and free in the west country only where they are hunted, fairly and thoughtfully, by those who know them best.

"And on that beautiful range that extends from Taunton dimly away to the channel, the red deer have been given an honest sanctuary for nearly 100 years by the hunting people of the region.

"This centenary history of the Quantock Staghounds tells of the great people who down the years have devoted their energies to the hunting of the Quantock deer, and who have hunted them through war and peace, through sunshine and shadow."