The thrilling anticipation of waking up on a sunny September morning to the first day’s partridge shooting of the season is unmatchable – only surpassed when it is also the first day of a new shoot, and that shoot is your shoot. Anything could happen. All your work and planning alongside the keeper over the spring and summer could have perfect results, with squadrons of partridge screaming “Banzai” as they race toward the guns like kamikaze pilots. Or it could be miserable, all birds grounded by some unexpected side-effect of climate change. Or it could be somewhere in between.
At eight o’clock on a sunny September morning at Lincolnshire’s Grimsthorpe Castle shoot, set in shimmering Capability Brown-style parkland, Al Benton-Jones’s feelings must have been as mixed as the shooting he was aiming to present to guns in the season ahead. Benton-Jones and his business partner, Robert Bell, have recently taken on the shooting lease of the Park Syndicate at Grimsthorpe Castle, which had been in a private syndicate for nearly 30 years.
Just getting all the guns to the right place at the right time was a challenge. Grimsthorpe Castle’s logo is a Saracen’s head with ducal crown. Estate managing director and heir to Grimsthorpe’s Barony of Willoughby de Eresby, Sebastian Miller, apparently calls it ‘man with boobs’ but even so it is a fairly grim-faced greeting at the gate. Miller’s daughter, Hermione, explained: “When a family fought in the Crusades, as my ancestors did, the Saracen’s head was a kind of badge of honour.”
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Strength in Numbers -The success of Britain's growing band of Farmer Clusters shows the value in working together and engaging with the public in the name of conservation, says Gabriel Stone
In a world that leans into gloomy headlines, it's important to wave the flag for a refreshing success story. That's especially the case when it comes to our overburdened farming sector and the wider way in which we manage the landscape. Yes, we: everyone can play a role, not least through one inspirational initiative. Ever since a 2013 pilot project by the GWCT in association with Natural England, Farmer Clusters have mushroomed across Britain. Led by farmers with guidance from expert advisers, today's network of about 125 clusters encourages a cohesively managed, locally tailored, larger-scale approach to conservation work.
Going over old ground
Forget modern tractors and minimum tillage - there is something glorious about the sight of farmer, horse and vintage plough in perfect harmony
Return of the natives
There is nothing as satisfying as creating a magical miniature woodland or conservation hedgerow using our native trees - and now is the best time to start.
Tagging the Cornish tunny
Enormous Atlantic bluefin tuna are once again making waves in UK waters almost a century after their showstopping appearance in the North Sea
In it for the long haul
It may have fallen out of favour at the elite level but long-format three-day eventing is still proving popular with grassroots riders
Unpicking the story of hunt buttons
These treasured tokens are bestowed only upon those who go above and beyond in service of their hunt but the rules around them can be complex
A place of tradition in the heart of town
Cordings has helped shape the sartorial landscape of Britain for 185 years, with its classic country tailoring a firm staple of many sporting wardrobes
Don't play it by ear
Hearing loss can have a devastating impact on day-to-day life, making ear protection a non-negotiable piece of field kit
Back to base-ics
Britain's famously unpredictable climate can make staying comfortable in the field a challenge but the right under layers can be a game changer
Stand and deliver
A good stance provides the platform for shotgun marksmanship and is fundamental to consistent success in the field or breaking clays
