All Together Now

A shoot made up of almost 30 different parcels of land could be a logistical nightmare, but Nawton’s organisation is like clockwork.

- Robin Scott

Considering the Nawton shoot has been running for more than 40 years, it is a little strange that no one really knows how many acres it actually takes in. “We lost a bit of land a few years ago but I reckon it’s still a little over 500 acres,” said shoot captain Brian Simpson. “No, it’s more than that,” chipped in Timmy Arnold. “It’s nearer 600 when you tot it all up.”

What isn’t in doubt, and probably creates the confusion, is that the shoot operates over ground owned by 29 different landowners. “If nothing else I believe that makes our operation unique,” said Brian. “Can anyone else match it?”

To be fair, the majority is taken up by two larger farms between Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley in North Yorkshire, with the rest comprising smallholdings and individual fields owned by various local people. You would think this represents something of a logistical nightmare for Brian, who not only organises the 12 shoot days each season but also plants 13 acres of game crop, carries out vermin control with the help of other members and feeds up every night after work from his quad bike.

However, liaising with so many different people isn’t as difficult as it might seem because the shoot has been running for so long now that everybody involved knows each other. In fact, a first-time visitor quickly gets the impression that the shoot is very much part of community life here.