Innehållsförteckning för November 2023 från The Field

ANIMAL rights activists have taken to courting sympathetic councillors across the country, urging them to submit and enact political motions designed to stifle the rural way of life, county by county. In recent years, trail hunting has found itself caught up in the centre of many fiery town hall rows, with supporters forced to defend it against ludicrous attempts to have the activity banned on council land, sometimes when no hunting activity takes place on the council land to begin with. It began in Essex, back in 2019. Seemingly out of nowhere, a motion tabled by a Labour councillor was put before the 75-seat county authority. It called for an immediate end to ‘any future trail hunting and exercising of packs of foxhounds on its land’. The Countryside Alliance lobbied…

Four duck species – greater scaup, common pochard, common goldeneye and northern pintail – have been removed from the list of legal quarry for the 2023-24 shooting season in Ireland following a review by Malcolm Noonan, the Minister of State for Heritage. This is only the second time that species have been removed from the Open Seasons Order (OSO) in 30 years, the first being the curlew in 2012. Noonan said that while this is “a significant step forward for the protection of wild birds” such as ducks, it is just the “starting point” of a process of change as to how the OSO can work better for the conservation of birds in Ireland. He added: “I’m committed to strengthening the evidence base that informs decision-making around the OSO, and…

DEPDEN HALL DEPDEN, BURY ST EDMUNDS, SUFFOLK Depden Hall is a secluded arable farm in west Suffolk. The farmstead sits at the centre of the farm and includes a fully moated Grade II-listed, six-bedroom hall and a range of buildings. Several woods were planted to create a shoot, while most of the farmland is Grade 2 fully drained boulder clay, compatible for a range of crops. The property comes with 463 acres in total. Agent: Strutt & Parker Tel: 01473 220449 Guide price: £6.1m TREWERN ESTATE NARBERTH, PEMBROKESHIRE A sporting estate of 321 acres with an established driven pheasant and duck shoot, as well as snipe and woodcock. There is also 1½ miles of salmon and sea-trout fishing on the River Taf, plus numerous small lakes amid the landscaped grounds.…

APRIEST is a priest as far as I am concerned: something weighted that fits in a suitable pocket in my fishing vest and comes easily to hand when I want to knock a fish over the head for supper. Traditionally, it’s a small priest for trout and a large one for salmon. The idea being to have a sufficiently heavy implement to despatch your fish as quickly and humanely as possible. Every fisherman should carry one, even if you are pure catch and release. But what if you inadvertently land a fish that is bleeding from the gills or an invasive rainbow where it is wild brownies only? It happens, and when it does we all need a priest. I once had an elegant brass and wood Hardy trout priest…

WHEN WAS your last glass of port? A fortifying shot of LBV at the Meet? A venerable vintage passed round on New Year’s Eve? Perhaps, scarred by one headache too many (for which the final glass of the night a trifle unfairly tends to shoulder the blame) you categorise yourself as simply not a port person? In these increasingly informal times, and as shelves bulge with zesty Sauvignon Blanc alongside surging ranks of non-alcoholic alternatives, it would be easy to write off this drink as a bibulous anachronism. But before you pass that final, damning judgement, be sure to sip on some compelling evidence for the defence: tawny port. While the great British port houses were busy supplying country houses, Pall Mall clubs and Oxbridge colleges with vintage port, back…

“THESE are nothing special, everyone got these” is a line I hear nearly every day as someone pulls a group of First World War medals from their bag to show me. It is a tragedy that the medallic mementoes of one of the bloodiest and deadliest wars the world has ever seen are so lightly prized; this lack of regard is something that has and always will baffle me. The medals themselves are relatively simple: two are star shaped, two round. They are ‘campaign medals’, representing a series of actions over a number of months or years that cover an entire campaign of action or a whole war. They were awarded to all those men and women who served (generally overseas) during the First World War; from 4 August 1914…

IT WASN’T only The Field that made a splash in 1853. An announcement during May of that year that an ‘Aquatic Vivarium’ was to be opened in Regent’s Park Zoo caught the imagination of many of the three million people who lived in the capital. Popularly called a ‘Fish House’, the name alone must have raised some quizzical Victorian eyebrows. It was to be the first aquarium in the world. By the 1850s London was the biggest and wealthiest city globally but its prosperous veneer masked serious problems. Diseases were rampant, dirt and smell contributing to the poor health of the one-third of its occupants who lived in poverty. Regent’s Park Zoo was sponsored by the Zoological Society of London and had been opened in 1828. Located in northwest London,…

THIS month we are looking at a Caesar Guerini Maxum Limited over-and-under. It is a 30in-barrelled special edition based on the existing and well-established Maxum, which was introduced to the UK in 2008. It comes with flush-fitting, steel-friendly multichokes, a solid tapered (9mm-7mm) sighting rib, single-selective trigger and a profusely engraved sideplated action. The action finish sets the new gun apart. It emulates bone meal colour case hardening achieved by a chemical process. The Maxum Limited also has significantly upgraded wood. The importer, Anglo-Italian Arms, refers to this as ‘E’ grade, which normally graces its upmarket Forum and Revenant models. First impressions of the Limited are of a substantial-looking gun replete with classical shapes and form. It is richly finished but without excessive bling, save perhaps for the damascus effect…

AN OBITUARY of a recently deceased scribbler – albeit one who was talented enough to have up to six columns on the go at any one time – recounted that he could be so desperate for inspiration that, on hearing a squeal of brakes, he’d rush outside in the hope of finding a story to write about. I suffer from the opposite problem with this wonderful column. There are usually so many fascinating items for sale each month that I am forever failing to find space for the ones I want to include. Not in August though. Come August most auction houses pack up shop while their staff don their summer plumage and head south into Europe’s raging heatwaves and wildfires by way of congested airports and cancelled flights. The…

THERE are some chefs who simply hit the mark when it comes to authenticity, proper food and talent. Add a hefty dose of being exceptionally good company and you have Tom Godber-Ford Moore (also known as The Game Chef), whose pheasant goujons can be found converting punters at The Game Fair (and Burghley) to the cause of eating more game – far more so than those chewy whole birds found elsewhere. Godber-Ford Moore’s passion for cooking has led to stints travelling overseas but home for several years was on Exmoor, where he provided the perfect shoot lunches and elevenses for Loyton Sporting. Recently, however, you will find Tom ensconced in Somerset with his new wife Pippa at her family farm, Pennard Hill. An idyllic spot on an escarpment looking out…

THE SPEED at which I flew through my stash of pheasants from the freezer this year proves how truly versatile this meat is. In spring I served it roasted with fresh flavours such as peas, crème fraîche and mint, and in summer it made frequent appearances on the barbecue alongside tomato and corn salsas, and herby garlic yogurt. Now that autumn is upon us, it feels the perfect time to start pairing the meat with more spicy, warming flavours. Although this month’s recipes all call only for the breast, there is plenty you can do with the rest of the carcass. I tend to pop it in the slow cooker to simmer overnight. It makes a deeply flavourful broth that I like to drink neat or add some fresh ginger,…

RIVER OF WINE Roughly 581,000 gallons of wine poured out of two burst tanks that led to a ‘river of wine’ coursing down a street of the small town of São Lourenço do Bairro in Portugal. Onlookers videoed the event and posted it on social media, prompting comments such as ‘that’s one way to paint the town red’. OFF THE RECORD The biggest Loch Ness Monster hunt in decades has unfortunately produced no definitive proof of the legendary creature. Hundreds of volunteers descended upon the loch and some claimed to have heard mysterious ‘blubbing’ noises underwater. However, organisers admitted that they had failed to turn on recording equipment, and that the sounds may have been made by ducks. FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA INSTAGRAM @thefieldmagazine FACEBOOK The Field Magazine TWITTER…

RESERVATION THE BAILIWICK FREE HOUSE Where? Wick Road, Englefield Green, Egham TW20 0HN What? A welcoming pub by the gates of Windsor Great Park enjoying instant easy access as well as beautiful views of the historic deciduous woodland. It welcomes locals, dog walkers, cyclists and foodies, who all appreciate chef-proprietor Steve Ellis’ passion for local ingredients, in particular game. Expect to see the likes of Windsor Great Park roe deer loin served with ratatouille, home-made haggis and cured venison pastrami on the menu. “Working closely with the head gamekeeper from the Park, we have an abundance of different species to use and serve throughout the year,” says Ellis, who uses as much of the animal as possible – in haggis, sausages, broths – so nothing goes to waste. Look out…

EMAIL CHARLOTTE.MACKANESS@FUTURENET.COM…

Starting off with plenty of very good partridges, the drive gradually built to a crescendo of really challenging pheasants. Everybody was on such a high that it seemed only fitting to blow hunting calls at the end VAYNOR PARK is the sort of shoot that gives shooting a good name. Its reputation spreads all the way to Argentina and New Zealand, but today’s team of guns had travelled a mere 4,000 miles to mid-Wales from Alberta in Canada. The shoot is one of the Bettws Hall group established by farmer and gamerearer Gwyn Evans nearly 30 years ago, which has gradually evolved into a comprehensive game-shooting business. Now it is a shooting adventure that can only be described as magical. Guns stay at Bettws Hall, in its original 200-year-old farmyard,…

THINK of hunting in the Cotswolds and you’ll most likely conjure up scenes of the North Cotswold trotting through Broadway or the Cotswold flying stone walls. However, there is another pack that bears that honoured name: the Cotswold Vale Farmers (CVF). Formed in 1947 from the Cotswold, when that hunt grew too large to manage, and now extended by the former South Herefordshire country, it covers an enchanted stretch of rural England that runs from south of Cheltenham to the Welsh border. Last Season there was a young and eager new Mastership in place that has since undergone a wholesale change for this Season, but The Field visited and caught the enthusiasm of the new incumbents prior to the shift of Mastership. When we met at Great Demesne, Garway, home…

FOR THE SPORTING MAN FOR SPORTING DIANAS FOR THE YOUNG GUNS FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS FOR THE HOME…

TODAY the village of Tyneham is no more than a ghost village: a collection of crumbling cottages scattered around a well-preserved church and schoolhouse. Reached via the descent of a narrow lane that twists and turns, Tyneham comes into view as the land opens up ahead and the chalk hills run into the crystalline waters of Worbarrow Bay. It can be busy when it’s open to the public if the weather happens to be fine; visitors come to explore the shells of former dwellings and the exhibitions in the church and schoolhouse, while others wander down to the sea for a dip. But on quieter days, it’s the silence of the place that one notices first; and the stark Ministry of Defence (MoD) warning signs dotted around the place soon…

AS ANYONE who has ever owned working-bred springer spaniels will confirm, a passion for pheasants is hardwired into their DNA. Though it took place 40 years ago, I still remember my first springer puppy’s reaction to meeting a pheasant. She was a mere 14 weeks old and enjoying an off-lead foray on a local farm. Suddenly her tail started feathering at twice the normal rate, her nose went down and her hunting reached an intensity I’d never witnessed before. Seconds later she nosed up her first cock pheasant, which she then chased across the field. I now know, of course, that exposing her to temptation at such an early age wasn’t a good idea, but it was the start of her lifelong obsession with pheasants. In those days I belonged…

THIS RIFLE is most unusual, with a design that is rarely seen. It is a style known as a ‘back-position rifle’, intended for long-range competition target shooting. This example was made by the famous Edinburgh gunmaker Alexander Henry in 1878. The idea of target shooting while lying on your back, or in the supine position supporting the barrel with your feet and legs, has been known about since the late 18th century. Captain Patrick Ferguson demonstrated his famous breech-loading rifle in 1776 at Woolwich in the back-position and was noted as having ‘hit the bull’s-eye at 100 yards, lying with his back on the ground’. Unfortunately, it was not popular, for obvious reasons. Colonel Beaufoy in about 1808 noted that “as the position is not only awkward but painful, this…

‘REMANUFACTURED’ AGA BLAKE & BULL The classic Aga presence and styling that we love, rejuvenated for the 21st century. Original Aga castings are restored, re-enamelled (in one of 65 colours) and converted to run on an economical, sustainable and flexible electric system. Explore the many possible permutations at the showroom near Bath or online. An iconic piece of 20th-century design is looking good for another generation with this update. There is a five-year labour and parts warranty. Price: from £8,180 Tel: 01225 541006 blakeandbull.co.uk BILLY BALDWIN STANDARD LAMP SIBYL COLEFAX & JOHN FOWLER Billy Baldwin decorated for everyone who was anyone in America, from the Kennedys’ White House to apartments for Greta Garbo and Cole Porter. John Fowler’s interpretation of his lamp design is still in production, and relevant, today.…

THE NIGHTS are drawing in and it’s time to pump up the volume. It’s time to turn things up to 11. It’s time even – dare I whisper it? – to turn things up to 14.5. I’m fed up with the ‘lo and no’ movement. I’m tired of being offered non-alcoholic drinks masquerading as my go-to gin or favourite vino. I don’t want to drink such things any more than I want to eat a sawdust/toothpaste-filled vegetarian sausage that’s pretending to be a Cumberland or Toulouse of that ilk. If I’m driving and not going to drink, then I’ll have water thanks. And if I can’t eat a fabled Newmarket sausage, say, or Kent Korker then give me some lentils: brown, green, red, black, or puy done any way you…

Nearly 400 businesses have joined together to urge the Scottish government to avoid a ‘disastrous and irreversible’ outcome for rural Scotland as a result of its plans to license grouse shooting. Butchers, hotels, tradespeople, farms and upland estates wrote to Gillian Martin MSP, the Environment Minister, seeking changes to the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill. They urged the government to amend provisions within the draft Bill that would render any licensing scheme disproportionate and unworkable, ultimately disincentivising investment in conservation and local economies. The main concern is that it will create ‘a climate of business uncertainty and a lack of procedural safeguards for licence holders’. Ross Ewing, director of moorland at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “If the proposed licensing scheme is introduced without amendments, it would be disastrous…

The population of golden eagles in southern Scotland has risen to its largest in 300 years. As part of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP), eight chicks were successfully moved from other parts of the country to a secret location in southern Scotland. It means the total number of golden eagles (the UK’s second-largest raptor after the reintroduced sea eagle) in southern Scotland is now approximately 46 birds – the highest number recorded there for 300 years. Cat Barlow, project manager for the SSGEP, said: “This is an incredible year for the project and a significant new step in our work to ensure the south of Scotland golden eagle population is self-sustaining.”…

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has shelved plans to license the release of gamebirds including pheasants and red-legged partridges for 2024-25 season. In correspondence sent to stakeholders, NRW claimed that given the sheer volume of responses – 42,000 – it would not be achievable to bring in any changes in line with its current timeline. It is now unclear whether the licensing plans will come into effect, with NRW stating that it has discussed with Welsh government ministers whether a licence will be required at all in the future. Countryside groups, shoot owners and the hospitality trade had warned that the plans risked devastating the Welsh rural economy while negatively impacting conservation efforts. More than 12,500 people signed a direct response to NRW, orchestrated by the Countryside Alliance, while shooting groups…

This 9,486-acre Northumberland estate is reputedly the largest single block of land to come to the market in England for 30 years. It is situated on the edge of the Northumberland National Park and offers opportunities ranging from sporting to farming and environmental enhancement. There is extensive grassland, moorland and woodland, as well as a portfolio of farms and cottages. The sporting offering includes salmon fishing on the River Coquet and pheasant and grouse shooting. More than 4,000 acres are occupied under a range of agricultural tenancies, with a further 3,267 acres managed in hand. The estate’s value is bolstered by its biodiversity, with Sites of Special Scientific Interest as well as its numerous ecosystems. Agent: Knight Frank Tel: 01896 807013 Guide price: £35m…

SHOOTING well increases satisfaction and pays due respect to the quarry. It is, moreover, a waste to perform badly when almost anyone may, with just a little effort, shoot proficiently. Competent, elegant shotgun marksmanship is not beyond anyone who works for it. Besides, if you are going to miss – and we all do – why not miss in good style? Creating a simple plan for self-improvement does not take much effort but it does require a bit of discipline and sustained motivation. Those who shoot skilfully get the most from the day – not least because they attend to it and its details more. Some have more natural ability than others, of course, but everyone can be turned into an effective shot with requisite effort. Here are my 10…

PEOPLE are very rarely lukewarm when it comes to an opinion on mares. The naysayers condemn them as complicated, high-maintenance and slaves to their hormones, while those in the pro camp can spend days praising their bravery and intelligence. “You cannot beat a good mare,” they say, but in the same sentence often caution “there are many bad ones”. On the hunting field it can go either way. A hunter of many years put it in a nutshell when he described the sport as “patience and perseverance peppered by moments of high excitement”. This contrast can blow a horse’s brain, flicking a switch that sends them into freak-mode or triggering another that says, “this is what I was born to do, and I will do it so well that you…

IN THE corner of my hall is an old leather Horse Artillery shell bucket that is overflowing with walking sticks. Some have marvellous metal attachments for swatting thistles or digging out docks; others are beautiful, elegant ‘dress’ sticks with ebony or lignum vitae shanks and ivory, silver, agate or gold tops. There are four ‘system’ sticks: a leather-bound sword stick, a Malacca cane with a hidden spirit flask, one with a snuff box concealed in the top and another with a 19th-century surveyor’s measuring rod inside it. Among those are a selection of hazel, ash and holly sticks with handles carved in the heads of various animals: terrier, foxhound, greyhound, salmon, pheasant and one made of ivy with a snake entwined around its length. Leaning beside them are half a…

I HAVE been out in the field or on a riverbank for as long as I can remember. My father and mother encouraged me from a young age to fish various rivers, romp up hills for quarry and forage along beaches. I would always have some paper and colours in my pocket, and sketch away wherever and whenever a moment arose. When looking at prep schools, I chose one in North Norfolk because it offered fly-tying as an activity. My father and I would take off to rivers across the UK, always with a picnic. (The best thing was my mother’s cherry cake, which was inevitably devoured before we even got to the bottom of the road.) The time I spent with my father on the riverbank was incredibly special,…

I LIKE to think that I am a proper gardener, by which I mean that cataracts and hurricanoes have to spout until they drench our steeple (we live next door to the church) before I am coaxed inside for tea. However, although I can be stalwart if a task needs finishing, in truth I would so much rather work in the garden with the sun on my back and a gentle breeze playing about my hair. We all would. I specially find the relentless dreariness of cloud-heavy November days a trial. While I try to busy myself protecting frost-tender plants, pruning blackcurrant bushes, cleaning out the greenhouses, splitting logs and heaping leaves to make leafmould, I am often conscious of a creeping melancholy as the light drains early out of…