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Sunday 13th November We are staying at The Jockey Club Rooms, in Newmarket, Suffolk, have been at the heart of British horseracing for over 250 years. As a private members club few people have ever had the privilege of stepping inside its ‘hallowed’ walls and seeing the magnificent interiors, which house a unparalleled collection of British sporting art and racing memorabilia. This is of course a private members club still to this day.
Monday 14th November Six Mile Bottom, 200 bird partridge day The renowned shoot of Six Mile Bottom which after WW2 was regarded as the best partridge shoot in Britain. Owned by the Cunningham-Reid family this is really an amazing opportunity and we are privileged to be invited back. Noel and Dewney his wife will host us at this fine shoot, Noel was named 17th in the Field’s best shots in 2009 not a bad accolade for a now Octogenarian. We will meet at their home Underwood hall before setting out into the field for coffee returning for lunch and afternoon tea at the end of the day. Plenty of history here in both the estate, gameshooting and motorcar racing Aston Martins winning the Nurburgring 1000 in 1957.
Tuesday 15th November Free day The next two evenings will be spent at Burnham Market where we will be staying at the Vine House opposite the Hoste arms
Wednesday 16th November Castle Acre, 200 bird partridge day The Wicken is a 4000 acre estate located in the heart of classic Norfolk partridge country with the birds being driven over high hedges www.thewicken.co.uk. I am so pleased to be shooting here again as the estate is under great stewardship of Lord Keith, his Keeper Eddie Hassel is an exceptional and very friendly partridge keeper. The shoot day hospitality is five star.
Thursday 17th November Free Day We have the day free to travel to North Yorkshire where we will be staying at the Black Swan in Helmsley..
Friday 18th November Grouse on Bransdale Moor This will be one of the highlights of the trip shooting the wild Red Grouse. This year has unbelievably surpassed the grouse numbers of last year and thought by many to be the best season in decades. There has been resurgence in the demand for grouse shooting with most estates this year charging 200 pounds a brace on driven days. We will be on Bransdale moor walking up these truly wild and exciting game birds high above the dales.
Saturday 19th November Blackdown, 200 bird pheasant day This shoot is run by Mike Woods who has 3 shoots under his management as well as being a game farmer producing over 2 million pheasants annually for the shoots around Helmsley .Whilst the West Country may have some fabulous pheasant shoots, there can be no county with more high bird destinations. Yorkshire has always been home to some terrific sport and none better than these. In fact these drives are exceptional. Lots of tall woodland shooting in Hanging valleys the birds are very high and fast.
Sunday 20th November Free day allowing you explore the local area.
Monday 21st November Nawton Tower 200 Bird day Nawton Tower is one of the three shoots based on Lady Clarrisa’s estate. The shooting tenant runs this shoot for his private enjoyment with just a handful of let days. The shoot has a very well apportioned shoot lodge from where we will set off to enjoy the very testing drives this shoot has to offer. Hastie Bank the signature drive put the kiwi team firmly in our place last year.
Tuesday 22nd November Free day heading south west to Devon. We will be staying at the renowned sporting hotel the Arundell Arms for the next 3 nights a lovely little family run hotel on the edge of North Dartmoor. www.Arundellarms.com
Wednesday 23rd November We have a less formal day to day with a much lesser bag of 60-100 birds, walked up and mini drives in the deep valleys of North Devon, Our bag will consist of Pheasants, Wild Duck Woodcock and Snipe
Thursday 24th November Driven Snipe These shoots have been organised by the Arundel Arms for many years, and have established a unique reputation in the shooting world. Driven snipe is possibly the most challenging of all forms of shooting, and bags vary according to the experience of the guns (seven to ten cartridges fired to one bird down is the average) and the number of birds shown. Being migratory birds, nothing is certain and individual drives can vary from a handful to several hundred birds being put over the guns.
Friday 25th November Powderham Castle, 150 bird pheasant day Powderham Castle situated just south of Exeter on the river Exe is the seat of the Earl of Devon, steeped in history the estate boasts the original castle within the deer park. The shoot hosted by the Earl is on the edge of the Haldon hills and shows some great birds. After the shoot we will be heading 20 minutes up the road to Ugbrooke House where we will be staying for the remaining two nights of the trip if everyone is agreeable as i believe that staying in the “Big House” with Lord and lady Clifford and their family will just top off the trip leaving long enduring memories on all our minds. Friday night will be a more casual dinner but still dark suit affair with true butler service. Saturday night will be a more formal Dinner usually Black Tie.
Saturday 26th November Ugbrooke Park, 250 bird pheasant and duck day This is the estate we used to contract farm with the Hon Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, in conjunction to our own farms, and the place that I got my passion for shooting. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown and the house designed by Robert Adam. The estate used to encompass 45,000 acres with many village’s due to death duties it is now much smaller at only 4,000 acres. Still home to Lord Clifford and his family the park is a truly wonderful place to shoot.
Sunday 27th November Get up in the morning and after breakfast head off under our own steam to whatever destinations you are heading to before returning to NZ.
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