Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i The Field

Colin Brazier Colin Brazier was once given a special rosette (and a much-needed bottle of wine) for chaperoning all six of his children through a Pony Club tetrathlon. After three decades and a slew of awards, including an Emmy, he recently gave up broadcasting to study farming at the Royal Agricultural University. He continues to write for GBNews.com and The Spectator, and is assistant editor of The Salisbury Review: the conservative quarterly founded by Sir Roger Scruton. What does December hold? “Shooting on the moors above Ilkley. It’s not the biggest bag but the company’s excellent. Most of the guns are part of a syndicate. We review the day’s sport afterwards with the help of a few pints of Timothy Taylor’s, brewed just up the road in Keighley.” Rupert Uloth…

Almost 4,000 people have signed up to be part of a lawsuit against major poultry producers and a water company over allegations of ‘extensive and widespread pollution’ in the Wye, Lugg and Usk. The claim, which has been filed at the High Court, is the biggest ever brought in the UK over environmental pollution. The claimants are seeking substantial damages, arguing that the state of the rivers is severely affecting businesses, property values and local residents’ enjoyment of the area. A combination of sewage spills and chicken manure is blamed for damaging water quality and harming fish populations. It is estimated that as many as 23 million chickens are raised in the Wye’s catchment area. The firms being sued deny the claims. Wildlife filmmaker Justine Evans is acting as the…

WHEN EQUESTRIAN magazine and The Field sister title Horse & Hound was first published on 29 March 1884 the front cover carried the strapline ‘I freely admit that the best of my fun I owe it to horse and hound’. Every week since, these words have appeared either on the cover or the contents page. This quotation was cleverly adopted by the editor, Arthur Portman, from that wonderfully evocative poem The Good Grey Mare by the author George John Whyte-Melville, which so movingly portrays the enduring bond between rider and horse. Whyte-Melville was born at Mount Melville, the family estate near St Andrews in Fife in 1821. His father, Major John Whyte-Melville, late 12th Lancers and Royal Fifeshire Yeomanry, was a well-known sportsman, Master of the Fife Foxhounds from 1827…

BEYOND THE fields of old turf, nothing could be seen. The views of Yorkshire fells, rising to the highest peak, were swathed in the grey murk typical of the 2024-25 Season. Yet it mattered not a jot, for we had a finer view: the athletic harriers of the Pendle Forest & Craven, noses down and focused, sterns waving merrily. They never stopped working, with an eager, quicksilver quality; indefatigable and cheerful. The cheerfulness of the followers, however, was tempered because this was the last Season for this 255-year-old pack, following the decision of the Mastership, including three generations of Bannisters (Michael, Master since 1977; Nick, Master since 1992; and Roddy, huntsman of five Seasons), Jane Pighills and John Chadwick, to retire from their patronage amid the pressures of rising costs…

WE MIGHT think of the gamekeeper’s dogs as the traditional labrador – with its slavish loyalty – and the spaniel, with slightly more vim, but over the past century and a half much change has come to the keeper’s kennel. An advertisement in The Field in 1855 was for ‘gentlemen wanting first-class pointers or setters, retrievers, field spaniels, beagles, harriers, deerhounds, bloodhounds, newfoundlands, mastiffs, bull mastiffs for watch or keeper’s dogs’ while another advert, six years later, recommended a large bloodhound-mastiff as not only a ‘good watch dog, very docile’ but one that ‘would make a first-rate keeper’s dog’. In 1903 the Mid Sussex Times ran a report about the shifts in ‘what constitutes the most suitable description of a keeper’s dog. Many men affect the retriever now… Airedales are…

LIKE MANY of you, I suspect, I grew up taking elegant antique drinking glasses and decanters for granted. My parents’ finest ones gleamed in a Georgian cabinet and an ancient corner cupboard, as they still do in my home today. It took living in an ill-furbished flat at university for me to realise that there is almost as much of a psychological element about drinking out of fine, antique glass as there is an improvement – or diminution for that matter – in taste. Having failed to make it to an Oxbridge college with a subsidised wine cellar I was faced with drinking cheap student plonk. However, I soon discovered that even plonk is somehow more palatable when drunk out of crystal, rather than Duralex tumblers. So, I was swiftly…

FOR CENTURIES ivory has been viewed as an exotic and mystical material and, as a consequence, highly valued. Today, it is almost entirely prohibited and is now viewed as something not to be traded in (it is illegal to do so for the most part). But this was not the case in the past because, prior to the 20th century, it was prized for its beauty. Since at least Classical times it has been considered a luxury material from which to make and decorate the most precious of objects. Ivory has also been used to adorn the most luxurious of weapons, either as engraved inlays in the stocks of guns and crossbows or ornately carved grips on swords and daggers, and especially as powder flasks. The subjects of this article…

THIS MONTH’S test gun is not our usual fare, being an intriguing Edwin Chamberlain back-action, seven-pin side-lock ejector side-by-side made circa 1900 (somewhere between 1896 and 1904 from the proof marks). It comes to these pages courtesy of veteran dealer Victor Chapman of Marks Tey, Essex. The featured gun has 30in barrels; a flat, tapered, file-cut rib; and a straight-hand stock with double triggers. A weight of 7lb 3oz suggests it may have been intended for pigeon shooting (especially when considered with its wide rib of typical late Victorian or Edwardian pigeon-gun type). It is a good-quality and attractively decorated gun but not ‘best London’. The distinctive engraving – fine scroll with seminaive Victorian-style game scenes – shows pheasants being walked-up over pointers (which could also suggest a heavy game…

Swiss Cottage, Chatsworth ‘Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone.’ These are not just the words of Gimli, our favourite Tolkien dwarf, describing the hospitality of the Mines of Moria; they could become your Christmas reality if you choose a cottage getaway on possibly the most festive of Britain’s historic estates. Swiss Cottage is located high above Chatsworth on former moorland at the edge of the estate’s park, overlooking the eastern shores of Swiss Lake. It is found at the end of a two-mile drive amid woods and meadows, and is the last word in tranquil seclusion. Erected as an eye-catcher in the 1840s to be viewed across the lake, this old underkeeper’s cottage is adorned with numerous ornamental architectural quirks from Gothic window tracery to the diamond-slate…

Across 5 Red ___: old nickname for Irish terrier (5) 7 Rifle favoured by gamekeepers/stalkers; an Indian meat dish (5) 8 Most popular form of trap shooting (abbrev) – doesn’t take long, initially! (3) 9 Biscuit, a divisive accompaniment to a Christmas meal? (7) 10 Collection of conifer trees… put me in confusion! (7) 11 Holly’s climbing partner? (3) 12 Festive fowl – six for a Christmas gift? (5) 13 A high-street chain… for shooting footwear? (5) 14 Horse’s tack; ridge between two peaks (6) 16 Over-and-under Breda gun: held by citizen, I think! (6) 20 Small birds – another seasonal gift (5) 21 The rhubarb genus – rum he mixed! (5) 22 Mountain pass – in Lincolnshire! (3) 23 Michael ___, leading authority on guns and The Field reviewer…

THE HIGH note of this writer’s musical career came at Christmas. My alma mater insisted on one non-academic subject to round out the GCSE haul: mine became music (a tea cosy that still lurks next to the Aga remains a tartan-embroidered warning sign that textiles it was not). And so I wrote a Christmas carol that was performed during the school’s annual Yuletide tableau. Derivative and saccharine with clichés as thick as that longed-for festive snow, Baby Jesus was nonetheless the zenith of my short-lived composing career. But the love of belting out a good carol is something that has never left. One might even posit that the choice of festive ditty is as important a marker of compatibility as agreeing on which breeds of dog are acceptable and what…

An annual fishing competition held in Essex has raised more than £20,000 in five years for Blind Veterans UK. The event is the initiative of Mark Jobling, an Army veteran. This September the fifth ‘Carpers for Veterans Support’ was held at Oak Lakes Fisheries, Southminster. “I served in the British Army for 30 years,” said Jobling. “I’m fortunate that I still have my health but some people are not so lucky. It means a huge amount to be able to give back. “Carp angling is a passion for me. I take huge satisfaction when the group of anglers turn up and are buzzing to get started,” he continues. “For some of the veterans that take part, this event is an opportunity to spend 48 hours alongside other people with a…

An evidence-based postponement of muirburn licensing has been welcomed by rural business organisations. The licensing scheme had originally been due to be implemented at the start of the 2025 season on 15 September. However, announcing that this has been suspended until autumn 2026, the Scottish government said the delay will ‘provide us with the time and opportunity to carefully consider the upcoming changes to muirburn and how they can be brought forward in a way that does not adversely affect our ability to prevent and respond to wildlifes’. Ross Ewing, director of moorland at Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), responded positively to the postponement decision and said that the views of stakeholders appeared to have been listened to. “Muirburn remains an essential tool in mitigating the growing threat of wildfires,”…

FORTNUM & MASON Elvas plums Richly decadent sweet plums; as festive as the Nutcracker fairy of the same name. Price £25 for 320g fortnumandmason.com DUKESHILL Candied orange-glazed ham Traditionally cured and hand-cut ham from the Royal Warrant holder. Price minimum order 2.3kg, £88 dukeshill.co.uk APLEY SMOKED PHEASANT Smoked pheasant twin pack Delicious British game, dry-cured and hot-smoked with beechwood. Price £12.99 macneilssmokehouse.co.uk OPIES Pickled walnuts Tangy and sweet: the perfect accompaniment to the Christmas cheeseboard. Price £4.50 (390g) waitrose.com AUDREY’S CHOCOLATES Family Christmas selection Caramels, pralines and fondants handcrafted by a family-run chocolatier. Price £90 audreyschocolates.co.uk…

NDC THIS YEAR we are spending Christmas in Italy, as the thought of struggling back to Blighty with a car crammed full of Chianti is less appealing than the prospect of skiing day trips and evenings in front of our own fire, roasting chestnuts and sipping Bombardini. So it’s goodbye to the A30 in the drizzle and hello to rising early and driving to where the best sun/snow combination can be found with skis on the roof and a spring in our stride. Of course, there are many aspects of Christmas in the West Country that we will sorely miss: crisp hunting mornings, the exquisite thrill of our first day on the woodcock, expressive singing in church, fuggy evenings in the pub among friends and neighbours, and that wonderful aroma of…

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CAN YOU see that black shape standing against the reeds?” Will Waterer thought he could. I couldn’t. Not with the naked eye, not with binoculars and certainly not through the narrow uncertainty of a riflescope. It was still so dark that it felt like dawn might never come. I couldn’t tell if the thin light there was represented the first cracks of sun or waning moonlight. Waterer sighed in that patient way guides do when their guest is clearly failing the eye test. “We’ll just have to wait.” So we waited, on the sandy corner of an East Suffolk field where carrots grow straight and potatoes fatten. Behind us the land tipped backwards into woodland and forwards into a reed-choked creek, only a mile or so upstream before it empties…

TRAVELLERS heading north from England into Scotland may cruise by mid-Northumberland with very little knowledge of the treasures within. But those who see Britain as a jigsaw of hunting countries will know that they are passing through the Morpeth country, traditionally one of the foremost packs of the north. The cream of the country is centred near the farm where we meet: a flattish plain of well-fenced, mainly grass enclosures, sprinkled with coverts and alluring patches of gorse, the Simonside hills on the horizon. The town of Morpeth is not far to the east and Newcastle city centre just half an hour away but there is no clue to the urban areas close by. The lanes are quiet and the farmland unfettered by big roads or railways. Around Christmas the…

THE CHRISTMAS season is full of rituals and routine but Boxing Day is when true sporting colours are tied to the mast. Are you a festive-blowout type that likes a potter to the pub the following day? The sort that requires adrenaline and vin chaud to function? Or a family-shoot stalwart? One can leap between loyalties but we’re not sure that those who shun the Boxing Day Meet ever lose a niggling sense of needing to be somewhere else when lying on a sunbed. Does that post-festive tan trump the lot? Whichever St Stephen’s Day tribe you’re part of, we wish you a very sporting one with its rituals receiving the solemnity they deserve. Shooting The Boxing Day shoot is not usually a day of set drives ordered with military…

STEP INTO the ringing chamber of any country church that has a ring of bells and you will most likely see upon the walls one or more commemorative boards bearing a painted inscription. To most folk the language used will be curious, even unintelligible. There will be talk of doubles, triples or caters, mention of so many thousand true changes performed on a particular date back in history, along with a record of the names of those who achieved the feat. There may be dedications, references to royal or civic events and an acknowledgement of churchwardens or the incumbent. These are peal boards: the physical embodiment of one of England’s rich traditions, that of change-ringing. The art of change-ringing on church bells originated in the opening decades of the 17th…

Sporting artist ⧫ Under the hammer ⧫ Royal Armouries ⧫ Sporting dog ⧫ The boot room ⧫ Gun review ⧫ Country queries ⧫ Gardening ⧫ Field to fork ⧫ Cookery ⧫ Wine ⧫ Travel ⧫ Books ⧫ Field testers ⧫ The Last Hurrah Hubert de Watrigant is exhibiting at the Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb Street, London from 5 to 30 November. Tel: 020 7235 9667 or visit: osg.uk.com FRENCH equestrian artist Hubert de Watrigant’s exhibition at the Osborne Studio Gallery in London is now in full swing, which means that before long his paintings will be moving on to their new homes. “The exhibition is soon over and then I go back to my studio and it is empty,” he sighs. “I have spent so much time with these…

MY SPANIEL Emma is, so I often remind her, a very lucky dog. She has the luxury of three beds, each one in a different room in the house. That she has such a choice can be explained by the fact that until recently we had two dogs, while the third bed was left to her by one of her canine friends. She uses all three: two during the day, and one at night. Like most dogs, Emma is very flexible in where she sleeps and is seemingly able to get comfortable almost anywhere. It would be interesting if I could interview her and discover which bed, or beds, she really prefers. My suspicion is that it’s the beanbag type, as that’s the one that forms to her shape when…

Landmark study shows shooting’s value to the economy Hunting and shooting contribute €180bn (£156bn) annually to Europe’s economy, an academic study conducted by the University of Urbino in Italy has revealed. It also found that the sector supports more than 1.1 million jobs across 30 countries, including the UK. The launch of the study coincided with the general assembly of the European Federation of Hunting and Conservation (FACE). “This study, presented in the European Parliament, underlines the economic and social importance of our sector, and provides strong evidence for future advocacy,” said Dr David Scallan, FACE secretary general. Professor Fabio Musso, the leading author, stated: “Building on the successful experience of a similar study conducted in Italy, we decided to embark on a more far-reaching project. The result is a…

THIS COUNTRY estate, eight miles from Shrewsbury and boasting views over the South Shropshire Hills and Wenlock Edge, comes with just over 800 acres of land. The main property is a Grade II-listed hall approached along a private drive, framed by mature trees and parkland, with another 11 residential let properties on the estate. Next to the landscaped gardens are a hard tennis court and an indoor swimming pool and steam room, while equestrian facilities include a brick-built stable block and a manège. The acres are a mix of productive arable land, pasture and amenity woodland, as well as both traditional and modern agricultural buildings – among these barns with planning permission for conversion. The sporting rights over the estate are in hand with potential for a shoot. Agent: Berrys…

IT WAS at Labour’s annual party conference a quarter of a century ago that the mask slipped. With an election looming, Tony Blair was again pledging to ban foxhunting. The Prime Minister, wary of needlessly offending rural voters, was judicious in the words he chose. But his deputy, the late John Prescott, was less careful: “Every time I see the Countryside Alliance’s contorted faces I redouble my determination to abolish foxhunting,” he said. After the ban, which Blair came to regret, Prescott rarely squandered an opportunity to caricature those who hunt as stupid and vicious. They were variously, he wrote, ‘ruddy-faced toffee-nosed twits’ and ‘brainless toffs’. Prescott’s prejudice was commonplace. To hunt was, according to urban myth, not just cruel but an act of vaulting stupidity. City folk found it…

ROBERT BAINBRIDGE (1839-1914) was a typical sportsman of his period. Based in York, he fished the Rye upstream of Helmsley during the trout season and shot or fished for pike around the flatlands of Pocklington through the winter. He maintained a meticulous angling diary together with a gamebook. Bainbridge’s archive materials also include his fly wallet, newspaper cuttings from angling journalists of the period such as Francis Walbran, and miscellaneous notebooks in which he detailed wild and garden flowers along with fly patterns he intended to acquire or tie. Contemporary photographs, rare for that time, were kept in two albums, one of which is dedicated to his dog, Pedro. Anyone who fished, shot, tied flies, had an interest in wildflowers and who loved their dogs would warrant respect but Bainbridge’s…

I’VE REALLY done it this time. ‘Overreached’ might be one word, although a couple of my ex-Army chums were less charitable: ‘Bonkers’ wrote one, ‘Lost your marbles?’ chimed in another, while a third wondered whether the Indian government was going to haul me and my recent purchases back to the subcontinent. This was a good point – one I had researched before ‘going bonkers’. So, what had caused this merriment and abuse? Answer: I bought a number of chunks (I use the word advisedly) of an old ‘Indian temple – Mughal period’ at John Rolfe Auctions on 14 September. I decided to risk not warning my own long-haired architect that I intended buying sizeable slabs of stone on two presumptions. First, I considered the mostly £80 to £120/£200 to £300…

Winter tabletop backgammon set Alexandra Llewellyn Wonderful winter sports, for a frisson when it’s too cold outside. This sleek set has a beautiful calfleather playing surface, printed with original artwork, and leatherwrapped, weighted pieces. British made and covered by a discreet eucalyptus tray. Add personalised engraving for £300. Dimensions: 60cm x 42cm x 5cm Price: £3,900 Tel: 020 7183 1058 alexandrallewellyn.com Leopard border rug Tate & Darby Designed in collaboration with Blackshore Style, and at home just about anywhere, this ‘smart casual’ flatweave rug is handwoven in India from 100% wool. Offered in red (seen above), caramel and green, it is also available as a runner. Email: info@tateanddarby.com Price: runner £350 (75cm x 250cm), rug £1,200 (220cm x 300cm) or £1,800 (300cm x 400cm) tateanddarby.com Sheep bench and planter Them…

THE PRESENT-buying season is upon us and – according to statistics – 30% of people will express a wish to be given a book or books at Christmas. A lower percentage than those who ask for clothes apparently but, strangely, much more than those who would like board games or electronic gadgets. Who knew that we were still such a literate nation? The difficulty I have is that every year I look around to see if there are newly published gardening books that will be suitable as gifts, and every year I find the task harder and harder. The reasons are not far to seek. The arrival of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok has ensured that a vast mass of information about gardening is readily available online – and it’s mostly…

ON EVEN a modest day, the tingle of fresh air, the thrill of the sport and the presence of an eager dog at your side can be enough to occupy one’s full attention. Then there are those days when you find that a drive has passed in a bucolic reverie almost entirely absorbed in the comings and goings of nature, broken only by staccato commands of “over” echoing down the line. Such rustic scenes are tickety-boo until the horn goes and you can’t for the life of you remember at which end of the vast gorse thicket you dropped that first partridge. In the year of Edward VIII’s abdication, Captain Keith Caldwell very reasonably wrote in The Field: ‘It is not enough when grouse driving to know how many birds…