Home//The Field/October 2023/In This Issue
The Field|October 2023Addressing predator pressureTHE URGENT need for effective predation management alongside habitat provision to save threatened wild birds from extinction has prompted a GWCT Think Piece. Why effective predation management is necessary, ethical and sustainable is the first in a series designed to summarise decades of research, help explain complex issues and engender a progressive discussion with the aim of developing more consensus around an evidence-led national policy. The GWCT has been flagging up the impact of predation pressure for years, but the warnings have been largely ignored. Consequently, numbers continue to decline. Curlew could die out in Wales by 2030; capercaillie are now down to 304 individuals in Scotland; and lapwing, skylark and stone curlew remain red-listed. The organisation’s position on predation management is based on science. The Think Piece references more…4 min
The Field|October 2023Scottish Water: ‘No new leases’Scottish Water confirmed at the end of August that it will be approving no new grouse-shooting leases across its estate and that it will review its ‘options on land use priorities’ when the one existing lease expires in 2027. A spokesperson for Scottish Water said that the company would do so “with particular regard to biodiversity and sustainability, taking into account our position on muirburn and herbivore management requirements”. The spokesperson continued: “This will be subject to a formal decision-making process to be undertaken in due course; however, it is likely these considerations will lead to changes in the terms of any lease offered in future.” This is partly due to the RSPB, which reported that three satellite-tagged hen harriers ‘suddenly disappeared’ on land managed for grouse shooting just days…1 min
The Field|October 2023News in briefHEDGEROW CONSULTATION Defra has announced a consultation that aims to create or restore 45,000 miles of hedgerows by 2050. The consultation will help tailor new legislation to help farmers maintain and improve existing protections, including not cutting or trimming hedgerows during bird-nesting season. ROAD CROSSINGS AGREED A police notice that would have seen a historic Hunt ordered to give seven days’ notice if it wanted to cross a road has been dropped at the 11th hour. The Warwickshire was handed a community protection notice (CPN) in December last year. Among the list of demands, it ordered the Hunt to provide officers with a map giving a precise location and timings of any road crossings a week before their meets. The Hunt was due to appeal the order in court this…1 min
The Field|October 2023The Field’s AlmanacFlower: Cosmos and calendula/marigold Hunter’s Moon: 28 October Harvest: Pumpkins, beetroot October’s name comes from the Latin word octo, meaning ‘eight’. This month had originally been the eighth month of the early Roman calendar. GAME SEASONS 2 October Pheasant season opens Woodcock season opens (England, Wales and NI) Brown hare season opens (Scotland) 20 October Red and sika stag and roebuck seasons close (Scotland) 21 October Red and sika hind and roe doe seasons open (Scotland) 31 October Roebuck season closes (England and Wales) QUOTE OF THE MONTH “If anyone had told me 18 years ago that in this, the month of October, I could go into the Hampshire furze brakes any day I chose and shoot a dozen of the beautiful little Dartford warblers, I should have set him…1 min
The Field|October 2023Vinnie Jones“AROUND here, we’ve got various trusts looking after nature. Well this is the Vinnie Trust,” grins Vinnie Jones, arms stretched out towards the 150 acres of Sussex he calls home. Although he is smiling broadly, Jones is deadly serious. “All this is for my grandchildren. It is so important to protect the natural world we have around us,” he says. He might be best known as the hard-tackling professional football player turned Hollywood actor, but Jones’s boyish excitement as he points out the sparrowhawk that has made his fields her hunting ground is touching. Equally heartfelt is his sadness that the spot where he found his first skylark nest in the 1980s had to make way for the M25. “People who live in the countryside are the key to conservation…5 min
The Field|October 2023Country estate of the monthSTAR BUY This estate on the Salcombe Estuary includes a renovated house on a private peninsular with no public access, together with just under 10 acres of land, making up lot one. There are a further seven cottages, farm buildings and 193 acres available by separate negotiation. Records show a dwelling on the Gullet site since 1632 and the original walled garden now encloses a swimming pool. Stone for the Artsand-Crafts-style 10-bedroom property was quarried locally, with Cotswold stone used for the roof. The house has oak panelling, exposed beams, parquet floors and open fireplaces. The formal gardens lead up a valley, with terraced areas, paths and lawns and include lily ponds, a rose garden and a croquet lawn. There is also a pool house and a boathouse with a…1 min
The Field|October 2023Nature’s bountyNDC I was fortunate to have an enlightened teacher at prep school who encouraged us to engage with nature. Being utterly hopeless in most academic arenas, the option of keeping a bird-table diary (like a game book, but less terminal) and being asked to bring in recently expired specimens to be examined on the ‘nature table’ were my salvation. I’ll never forget the excitement of her handing me a freshly roadkilled tawny owl to practise my schoolboy taxidermy. The end product was not a success but it taught me much about the physiology of a creature I’d only seen fleetingly when mobbed by small birds and which I considered to be enormously exotic. One of this teacher’s great passions was fungi, or ‘flowerless plants’ as we were instructed to call…4 min
The Field|October 2023Cotherstone Moor Co DurhamIt’s a happy team of guns that leaves the moor having enjoyed a classic driven grouse day imbued with the camaraderie of close friends, kind weather, a dedicated team of shoot helpers and such a good show of wild birds FOLLOWING the narrow road above Balderhead Reservoir towards the heart of Cotherstone Moor reminds me of Talking Heads’ 1980s single Road to Nowhere, but then I pull into an isolated farmyard and discover rows of parked vehicles together with a swarm of beaters, keepers and picker uppers preparing for an autumn driven grouse day. There are 33 different members of shoot staff one way or another, which is testament to the economic benefits generated by grouse moors in the remoter parts of Britain – and that’s without taking into account…9 min
The Field|October 2023The time to act is nowTHE FIRST bill to ban hunting with dogs was put before Parliament in 1948. For 56 years groups of fixated MPs pursued their quarry relentlessly and finally, in 2004, the infamous Hunting Act was passed. The stubborn and brilliant defence carried out by the Countryside Alliance and its predecessor the British Field Sports Society (BFSS), not forgetting the hunting community as a whole for half a century, did not stop when the new law came into force. Despite all the difficulties presented by the Act, not to mention the additional challenges of operating any pack of hounds in our shrinking and increasingly crowded countryside, hunts refused to fold and found a way of operating under the new law. This created a real problem for the animal-rights movement and the political…8 min
The Field|October 2023Best laid plansYOU MAY have noticed more and more pockets of beautifully laid hedges as you travel the countryside. Hedgelaying is back or, at least, we are seeing some shoots of revival of this ancient craft. Earlier this year, I achieved a long-held ambition to have a section of hedge laid. It was only about 50 yards – or two and a half chains, a measurement I last encountered as an estate management student at the Royal Agricultural College in the early 1980s – ostensibly to let light into my kitchen garden but also to do a small bit for wildlife. With a bit more education, I hope to do the next section myself but this was done in Midland style by David Jupe, a local gardener who was taught as a…9 min
The Field|October 2023For the well dressed shotFIELD readers are famous for not following the crowd. They are gamely holding the line when it comes to resisting the pernicious spread of dressing down, certainly when it comes to being correctly kitted out for a day’s sport. For many of us, being properly attired is about showing respect to one’s host and the quarry. There’s also sound logic behind most dress codes: most rules help ensure safety, comfort and that a day is snag free. The Field is your guide to what to look for when considering 12 pieces of essential sporting kit. SOCKS While tweeds can at times verge on the drab, sartorially speaking the gloves can come off when it comes to shooting socks. At the top end, they are hand-knitted and super-soft, more often than…7 min
The Field|October 2023TOP TIPS: HOW TO GET YOURSELF OUT OF HOLESCHILL Deep-freezing infested items kills eggs, larvae and moths. Place items in plastic bags at -18°C for at least two weeks, advises English Heritage. And go slow and leave to thaw gradually, says Will Murray of the Scottish Conservation Studio, because it’s easy to damage rigid, frozen items. Larger items will need treatment in specialist freezers. CLEAN Moth larvae can’t survive in temperatures over 55°C, so you can use a hot wash – unless dealing with cashmere and other items that need a delicate cycle at 30°C. Dry-cleaning kills moths, eggs and larvae without damaging delicate fibres. CONFUSE Pheromone traps lure males to what they think is a female but turns out to be a sticky demise. Lavender and cedar have been used for centuries to ward off moths, and…2 min
The Field|October 2023Get kitted outLAST month, I was walking by a local fishing lake when I was amused to see a carp fisherman struggling to wheel his equipment along the path. I was tempted to ask him whether he really needed so much kit but he was clearly keen to get fishing, so I didn’t delay him. Modern carp fishermen need (or think that they need) an awful lot of gear to catch a fish. It set me thinking about how much kit the successful gundog handler requires, apart from the dog itself. Over the years, I’ve tried, tested (and discarded) an awful lot of stuff, so here’s my view of what you really need, what you might like, and what you and your dog, or dogs, can live without. Housing for the dog…4 min
The Field|October 2023A silvered sword from the Saxon armouryTHE SWORD has always been an object of status, both on the battlefield and for the hunt. During the 16th century the sword came to form an essential part of noble dress, and complex hilts of the period gave craftsmen greater opportunity to apply their skills and reflect the status of the sword’s owners than on the simple cruciform hilts that had dominated for the previous centuries. The period saw a flourishing of different hilt forms, some of which were regionally distinct. This sword’s straight quillons of flattened triangular section flaring into spatulate form are of Saxon type, which feature prominently in the collection of the armoury at Dresden in Germany, where this sword originally resided. The electoral Saxon armoury of Augustus I (reigned 1553-86), Christian I (1586-91) and Christian…3 min
The Field|October 2023Trump TurnberryTHE AYRSHIRE coast is not an obvious pit stop when heading north. Once past Carlisle you must make a definitive left turn and drive for another couple of hours until the sea hoves into view. But that is what gives Turnberry an edge over other similar establishments: when you arrive at this sporting Mecca, perched up on an old railway escarpment overlooking the Firth of Clyde, you are at a destination. The hotel, designed by Scottish architect James Miller in 1906, now occupies what was the original railway station. The linear building, all dazzling white against an azure sky on our arrival, has unending views of the coastline looking out to the Isle of Arran, Ailsa Craig (where the curling stones come from) and the famous Turnberry lighthouse, which is…4 min
The Field|October 2023Field in focusField follies MISTAKEN IDENTITY Chris Packham mistakenly identified a Countryside Alliance ‘scientist’ on Twitter. Lethal predator control on UK moorland is associated with high breeding success of curlew, a globally near-threatened wader was written by five GWCT scientists and published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research but Packham posted a picture of Professor Simon Denny on a grouse moor. Denny had nothing to do with this paper but has produced reports championing gamekeepers before. JOIN THE MERMAN The Pierhouse Hotel in Argyll has hired a ‘merman’ to promote its wild swimming experiences. Dan Coyle, nicknamed Dan the Merman – who enjoys embracing the cold – takes swimmers out to experience the freezing waters of Loch Linnhe. FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA INSTAGRAM @thefieldmagazine FACEBOOK The Field Magazine TWITTER The…1 min
The Field|October 2023One good deed…In early 2022 The Farlows Group (which owns both the Sportfish and Farlows brands) received PlanetMark Business Certification and committed to reduce its carbon footprint by 5% every year (striving to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2030). In the first year the group has reduced its carbon footprint by 7.6% and has now been certified for another year. CEO Robin Philpott said: “We are proud to have exceeded our carbon footprint reduction target and to be certified for another year. That’s just one step on the journey though – we have to keep up the momentum and keep reducing. We’re committed to at least another 5% this year and doing our bit to try to slow climate change.”…1 min
The Field|October 2023October diary30 September-1 October Cliveden Literary Festival Cliveden House, Berkshire Tel: 020 3488 3401 clivedenliteraryfestival.org 4 Sporting and Natural History Auction Duke’s, Brewery Square, Dorchester Tel: 01305 265080 dukes-auctions.com 4-8 Horse of the Year Show NEC Birmingham Tel: 0344 581 8282 hoys.co.uk The GWCT Lincolnshire Partridge Dinner Washingborough Hall Hotel, Lincoln Tel: 07976 207113 gwct.org.uk 6-7 Peroni Italia Autumn Racing Weekend Ascot, Berkshire Tel: 0344 346 3000 ascot.com 6-8 Art Surrey Exhibition Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom Tel: 01243 551861 artsurrey.co.uk 7 Yetholm Border Shepherds’ Show The Haugh, Yetholm, Scottish Borders Email: yetholmshow@live.co.uk yetholmonline.org 8 World Conker Championships Southwick, Northamptonshire Email: competition@worldcockerchampionships.com worldconkerchampionships.com 10-29 ‘The Horse in Art’ Exhibition Tennants, Leyburn, North Yorkshire Tel: 01969 621146 equestrianartists.co.uk 13-14 Dubai Future Champions Festival Newmarket, Suffolk Tel: 0344 5793010 thejockeyclub.co.uk 14-15 British National Ploughing…1 min
The Field|October 2023Food & drinkEating out RESERVATION THE LEDBURY Where? 127 Ledbury Road, London W11 2AQ What? A two Michelin-starred West London eatery offering tasting menus (£195 for dinner, £165 for lunch) and headed up by chef patron Brett Graham; a huge advocate of British ingredients. His passion is venison as he operates deer parks at Aynhoe Park and Boughton House. “I love sika deer. For a wild animal they have a beautiful amount of fat which gives the meat such incredible flavour,” says Graham. “You don’t need to mess around with it too much because it’s got so much going for it already. I think sika is as good as, if not better than, the finest piece of beef.” Look out for? Venison dishes made from the tongue, shoulder and cheek. The Ledbury…3 min
The Field|October 2023LettersLETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY OR SPACE A GLORIOUS START It is encouraging to hear of some good prospects for grouse this year in certain places – including Co Durham, parts of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors – especially on the high ground, although other areas appear to be less fortunate. The true value of the season, however, is in the remarkable range of benefits it brings for moorland species, local communities and rural businesses. One such business is The Inn at Whitewell, in the Forest of Bowland, which employs 54 full-time and 30 part-time staff. The owner, Charles Bowman, highlighted the importance of the sporting season for accommodation bookings and meals served in the restaurant, with 132 grouse sold in one week alone last year. Moorland…9 min
The Field|October 2023Six of the best: Properties with walled gardensGLEBE HOUSE PYRFORD, WOKING, SURREY This is a Grade II-listed timber-frame home dating from the 16th century, with the gardens including a walled garden. The four-bedroom property has been extended and renovated and internal features include inglenook fireplaces and exposed beams. There are French doors off the kitchen leading to a terrace and side garden with box hedging, as well as a triple-aspect garden room and a York-stone courtyard. Agent: Savills Tel: 01932 838000 Guide price: £2.25m ESHOTT HALL ESHOTT, MORPETH, NORTHUMBERLAND Eshott Hall is a Grade II-listed Georgian country house hotel, which was adapted from a private residence, but could be converted back. Built in 1738, the hall lies within mature landscaped gardens and woodland and includes a six-bedroom house, a walled garden, a converted stable block and a…2 min
The Field|October 2023A cool headDear Freddie, THE NEXT quarry species on your journey as a young shot are partridges. The season for both red-legged partridges and the rarer grey is 1 September to 1 February, although most driven shooting starts in October when young birds are a bit more mature – and what a sporting little bird an October driven partridge can be. The smaller, native greys were the predominant gamebird until the 1960s, when agricultural reclamations removed much of their habitat and modern pesticides destroyed their insect food source. Despite the GWCT encouraging land owners on conserving and creating grey partridge habitat, which has done wonders for increasing the population, they are still the minority species. Red-legged partridges, which are what you will be shooting, were successfully introduced from France in the late…4 min
The Field|October 2023The more the merrierPAIRS OF shotguns have a certain kudos. They speak of glamorous shoots from another era with armies of beaters, loaders, keepers and skies darkened with beating wings. And they look resplendent, too, lying in their double cases, side by side, with their accessories. And as for that smell when you open the case… There are two types to look for when it comes to pairs of guns. A matched pair is two guns that have been ordered at the same time, made at the same time and are identical (matched) in every respect. Each gun has the same figured wood, engraving, measurements and so on. They will be consecutively numbered and are usually marked with a gold inlaid number ‘1’ or ‘2’. The second type of pair is called a…8 min
The Field|October 2023Fishing Japanese… the road to tenkaraMORE THAN a quarter of a century ago, I helped to publicise the Czech nymph technique here in the UK. I talked at The Game Fair and other shows but it was my article in The Field that attracted the most attention. There was a certain amount of criticism back then, especially over the use of the strike indicator, which was dubbed little better than float fishing, but as my grayling catches in particular rocketed, I felt confident in what I was preaching. I was mentored in the Czech Republic by my guides Franta and Radim (both members of the country’s fly-fishing team), who had taught me as well as they could. With much hard practice, I became proficient enough but watching Radim fish the nymph five years later in…9 min
The Field|October 2023Practically perfectI WONDER how many of you reading this are wearing a gilet? A fair few, I’ll wager. From modest, practical origins in the 15th century it has become quite the status symbol, subtly, or not so subtly, announcing one’s social and professional persuasions with its form, fabric and the likely or unlikely places it appears. Indeed, this lightweight garment has been weighed down by shifting nuances for centuries, undergoing various transformations on its journey from peasant to pheasant. As early as the 1500s, the gilet appeared as the practical clothing of European peasants, offering warmth and sleeveless manoeuvrability while working the fields. Appropriated by 16th-century monarch Henry VIII in the form of a jerkin and, as a far more elaborate affair, padded and worn over a doublet, it became de…8 min
The Field|October 2023View from a BridgertonIF YOU were to identify a single piece of furniture that sums up the pomp – and romp – of the Regency era, celebrated in the popular Bridgerton Netflix series, look no further than the hunt table. This fine demilune side table on castors may have the appearance of a slightly overdressed mahogany wallflower as it resides primly tucked against the wall, but draw it into the room, remove its central sleeve and out will unfurl an object that contains all the relish and titillation of an observant Lady Whistle-down. And it would have similar tales to tell, too, for this was a table around which to party. Hunt tables are, as their name suggests, traditionally associated with the hunt. The English kinds “were a bit like the 18th-century equivalent…8 min
The Field|October 2023Country queriesA GLASS ACT Q I have a pewter-lidded tankard with a glass bottom. The glass is broken, unfortunately. Is there anyone who can replace it? JJP, by email A Wilkinson, chandelier manufacturer and glass restorer, has its own in-house glass-blower and glass cutter. The company is able to repair many specialist items. Send photographs of the tankard to repairs@wilkinson-ltd.com. The damage will be assessed and a quote given. Generally repairs such as this take four to six weeks. Visit: wilkinson-ltd.com or call 01795 830000. CLEAN CUTQ Q I have recently inherited a dress sword. It looks as if someone has tried to clean it up many years ago and failed. The hand guard appears scratched, although I don’t think it’s wear and tear. I would like to get the whole…3 min
The Field|October 2023Nicole MooreI WAS taken to the Sporting Targets clay shooting grounds in Bedfordshire when I was 26 as a birthday present. Here, I discovered fieldsports – and that I was an absolutely rubbish shot. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and haven’t looked back since. At the time, I was with someone who had been shooting for more than 20 years, so I had my own guide. But it was hard for my then partner to understand just how alien the shooting world can be to someone like me: a girl who grew up on a city council estate in the 1980s. My first outing had been without a gun, heading out on to the Whittlesey Wash to go wildfowling. It was utterly horrendous. I wore paper-thin wellies, jumper, jeggings and a…4 min
The Field|October 2023Art in the fieldEVERY artist needs a muse and for Belinda Sillars that muse was a racehorse called Brambledown, or Bramble, who inspired her as a sculptor to move to the next level. Sillars explains: “I had always had a burning ambition to ride in point-to-points, but pointing is not an easy thing to get into – particularly finding money to buy a suitable horse – so I didn’t really think it could happen.” All the same, she went off to Ireland to see if she could find something within her budget, which turned out to be a little three-year-old bay filly. It was a pivotal moment: “She became a soulmate and the other half of my ambition to go at high speed over fences. We clicked and she shared my feelings.” Success…4 min
The Field|October 2023The apple of your eyeTHERE ARE three certain things in life: death, taxes and the presence of at least one apple tree in the garden you get when you move house. Of all ‘top fruits’ (that is tree fruits, as opposed to ‘soft fruits’ such as blackcurrants, gooseberries and strawberries), apples are the most widely planted. And it isn’t difficult to see why. They are less picky about how much sunshine they get than pears, peaches, nectarines and apricots, less prone to bird damage than cherries, more useful and storable than plums and infinitely more delicious than medlars. Their blossom in April and early May is the most beautiful of any top fruit; even lovelier than that of quince or cherry. And older trees, on traditional ‘non-dwarfing’ rootstocks, acquire the kind of gnarled individuality…4 min
The Field|October 2023Getting a taste for itI HATE eating humble pie. I particularly hate eating humble pie while awaiting the roast pork chop – with crisp fat and crackling and gorgeously juicy, ever so slightly pink meat – that is one of the signature dishes of Soho’s Academy Club, my home from home. But there I was, forced to eat the former before tucking into the latter, having just berated my guest, Nick, for being so dull, predictable and cautious when it came to his wine choices. He had just explained that every fortnight he goes into his local Majestic determined to broaden his horizons and every fortnight he comes out of his local Majestic with yet another dozen bottles of The Ned Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, having lost his nerve again, not daring to…4 min
The Field|October 2023170 YEARS OF THE FIELDFrom the archives Rough shooting in October by Hibernicus, 20 October 1900 FOR SPORTSMEN in general, and for those who enjoy rough shooting in particular, October cannot fail to have many charms, offering such abundant chances of securing mixed bags which, though perhaps they may not be heavy, generally afford a maximum amount of sport and pleasure. In many cases there are some pheasants to be shot round the outlying coverts and hedgerows, and, though they offer comparatively poor sport to what they would a few months later, they are the first of the season, and as such they have a certain fascination. Partridge driving, too, is in full swing, and the birds, being very strong on the wing, are wont to come quite hard enough and high enough to…4 min
The Field|October 2023Record set for hen harriersA pioneering trial set up to help rebuild the population of endangered hen harriers in England has reared and released 24 chicks this year, almost double last year’s record high of 13. Hen harrier numbers have shown continuous improvement since the introduction of the government-led hen harrier recovery plan in 2016 and the availability of the brood management trial two years later to alleviate conflict. The trial has seen 82 chicks from 36 broods take to the wing. The population of hen harriers in England is now at its highest for 100 years. As recently as 2013 there were no chicks fledged at all. Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association, said: “I am delighted by the remarkable results this season… The trial has been far more successful than expected…1 min
The Field|October 2023Hunt saboteur jailed for 20 weeksA ‘notorious’ hunt saboteur has been branded a “danger to the public” by a judge as he was jailed. Paul Allman, 48, was part of a “militia” dressed in black who confronted the Wynnstay in Cheshire, before he struck two supporters, knocking one to the floor. Allman is part of a group known as the ‘Stockport Monitors’ that routinely targets Hunts. When he appeared in the dock, he already had a suspended sentence hanging over him for his involvement in a separate attack on a 15-year-old girl and two men as they watched the Cottesmore in Oakham, Leicestershire. District judge John McGarva sentenced him to 20 weeks in custody.…1 min
The Field|October 2023RSPB president ‘denying science’Rural campaigners have accused the RSPB’s president, Dr Amir Khan, of ‘denying science’ and casted doubt over his suitability for the role at the charity after he branded peer-reviewed research ‘crap’. Khan [pictured, right], who regularly appears on TV to discuss health matters, made the comments in response to GWCT research, which found four times as many curlew chicks on grouse moors. Additionally the study found a twofold increase in the presence of other rare wading bird species, such as lapwings, golden plovers and redshanks. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Khan responded to a Countryside Alliance post to say: “I’m the proudest of Yorkshiremen – but this kind of crap is exactly what we don’t need in our beautiful county. Grouse shooting brings millions to the tables of…1 min
The Field|October 2023Kit to covertEMAIL CHARLOTTE.MACKANESS@FUTURENET.COM WAXED CANVAS AND LEATHER APRON LIFE OF RILEY A thick, coated-canvas apron that is super-tough yet pliable with smart leather straps and trim plus three large pockets. Ideal for all sorts of mucky jobs, from chopping logs and gutting birds to barbecuing. ♦ Price £99 ♦ Tel 01799 551813 ♦ lifeofrileyonline.co.uk BALMORAL BOOTS RM WILLIAMS Crafted from one piece of leather for comfort and strength with a concealed zip fastening – ideal for those who don’t like pull-up styles and prefer extra space around the ankle. At home in town and country. ♦ Price £429 ♦ Tel 020 7629 6222 ♦ rmwilliams.com NAILHEAD TWEED FIELD COAT OLIVER BROWN Custom tweed made in the Borders; durable in harsh weather but with a soft, luxurious handle, a quilted body lining,…2 min
The Field|October 2023Splendid isolationIF LOVE Island tried to match seals and basking sharks this would be its televisual home. Taransay, in Scotland’s Western Isles, is uninhabited, by humans at least, but with the owners now seeking ‘a visionary partner to carry forward a nature restoration project’. Taransay has already had a spell in the spotlight as the location for the BBC series Castaway in the early days of reality television, but this is about tapping into the island’s geology and archaeology, as well as its ecological and cultural heritage, to drive community engagement and eco-tourism. Savills is seeking a business partner for Taransay, which is owned by Adam and Cathra Kelliher, who bought the island in 2011. It has just under 22 miles of coastline and is effectively two islands joined by an…3 min
The Field|October 2023Subscription offer6 months for £24.99*Save 28% Celebrating 170 years Don’t miss out on our birthday year Enjoy these great subscriber benefits: → Pay less than you would in the shops → Never miss an issue → Save up to 28% → Delivered in plastic-free paper wrap Easy ways to subscribe: → Online: thefieldsubs.co.uk/C58Y → Telephone: 0330 333 1113Quote code C58Y Lines open Monday to Friday 8.30am-7pm, and Saturday 10am-3pm (excluding Bank Holidays). Offer closes 31 October 2023. Open to new subscribers only. Direct Debit offer available to UK subscribers only. Full terms and conditions at magazinesdirect.com/terms Offer closes 31 October 2023. Offer open to new subscribers only. Direct Debit offer is available to UK subscribers only. *£24.99 payable every six months by Direct Debit. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your…1 min
The Field|October 2023Embracing change in an ancient landFROM Stonehenge to Army manoeuvres, Salisbury Plain has been the scene of human activity for more than 4,000 years. It has evolved through the pressures of intensive sheep farming, deforestation and military use from pre-Roman times onwards. Today, like so much of Britain’s treasured landscape, it faces the tough new challenge of competing leisure demands. Yet, turning off the A36 on to the edge of the Plain, there is a sense of peace and timelessness. Ballington shoot aims to keep it that way. The shoot owner, Barney Stratton, believes that shooting should adapt and evolve – much as Salisbury Plain has done over the millennia. He sums it up neatly: “Everything changes, just embrace the change. Our shoot isn’t large, but we can do our bit.” The first example of…9 min
The Field|October 2023What’s in a name?ORDINARY insomniacs count sheep. Finding themselves unable to sleep, a hunting person lists hound litter names instead: Dauntless and Dainty and Dasher and Dapper; Racket and Random and Ranter and Rapture. The dactylic rhythm soon drifts you off to dream of negotiating trappy rails and soaring over impossible hedges. As early as 1781, Peter Beckford, in his Thoughts on Hunting, acknowledges that hound names are important – and that while the naming process is fun, it is not easy: ‘Young hounds are commonly named when first put out [to walk], and sometimes indeed, ridiculously enough. Nor is it easy, when you breed many, to find suitable or harmonious names for all; particularly as it is usual to name all the whelps of one litter with the same letter, which to…9 min
The Field|October 2023Under the spell of spanielsTHERE IS something peculiar about spaniel enthusiasts; peculiar as in distinctive, that is. Once bitten by a spaniel, figuratively speaking, we are unlikely to be satisfied by working a labrador. We like to live a little more intensely, enjoying the adrenaline high of a gundog that is a special combination of attentiveness and affection, almost puppy-like in appearance with a soft coat, domed head and liquid eyes, and a fiery approach to work in the field. There is a restless quality to spaniels that makes them always exciting. At its best, the spaniel and the gun enjoy a remarkable relationship. When one reflects on what a spaniel contributes to that partnership, the dog’s job description can seem surprisingly complex, particularly in comparison with that of the retriever breeds. The spaniel…9 min
The Field|October 2023WHAT YOUR GILET SAYS ABOUT YOUTHE QUEEN ELIZABETH II Paisley-lined quilted waistcoat. Brought out, weather permitting, for decades. You are smart, comfortable, functional, economical and distinctly equestrian. THE KATE MIDDLETON (ABOVE) Practical but fashionable vest, with pockets large enough to stash a bush knife in when touring abroad doing outdoorsy things. You like to appear as practical as the late Queen (but aren’t). THE PRINCESS ANNE Utterly functional utility vest. Entirely devoid of fashion purpose. There’s a job to jolly well be done, let’s kick on. THE DAVID BECKHAM Premier League bodywarmer bloke turned tweeded Great Tew gent. Unashamedly lacking in imposter syndrome. A heroic style chameleon. THE RAU STUDENT Schöffel/Offal/Puffa-clad 99.9% of the time. Hand in a cow? No sleeves, no problem. Plenty of room to stash cider cans too. Has commemorative marks from…1 min
The Field|October 2023The pest intentionsIT’S A before and after situation. Once you have opened a wardrobe door to discover a favourite cashmere sweater or faithful bit of tweed resembling macramé, your relationship with moths changes forever. A flutter of dusty beige will send you running for the mothballs and putting your dry cleaner on code red. And if losing a trusty friend in the form of a favourite pair of plus fours sounds bad, worse is to come. Numbers of clothes-eating moths are on the rise and they’re homing in on soft furnishings, carpets and even historic tapestries and artefacts. We might sigh about our silk scarves but organisations such as English Heritage and the National Trust have fabric bearing the weight of history to worry about. A quick trip to English Heritage’s website…8 min
The Field|October 2023‘Probably the greatest detective in the world’THIS autumn, Sir Kenneth Branagh will once again don his luxuriant fake moustache and exuberant Belgian accent to reprise his role as Hercule Poirot. A Haunting in Venice will be his third time playing Dame Agatha Christie’s detective. It is a retelling of her 1969 macabre novel Hallowe’en Party but relocated from the English countryside to the Italian city – proof that, for many modern audiences, Poirot is inescapably linked to the glamour and sophistication of foreign climes, be it the pyramids of Egypt or the overnight train from Istanbul. Indeed, the film will come out exactly 100 years after Poirot solved his first case outside of England: The Murder on the Links set in a chic holiday resort on the Normandy coast. The fact that this curious, finickity little…9 min
The Field|October 2023Browning B725THIS month’s test gun is a Browning B725 over-and-under weighing in at 7lb 6oz. It’s a new, limited edition model called the Medallion Silver, available in both field and clay target versions – ours is the former – with upgraded wood and unusual silver inlaid decoration. It comes with a single (mechanical) trigger, full pistol-grip stock, flush-fit, DS (Double Seal) multichokes and has a fleur-de-lys steel shot proof mark. The RRP is £4,750 as tested (£5,150 for the Sporter). First impressions are of a smart, traditional-looking gun. Look a little deeper and an interesting and evolved specification becomes apparent. The aesthetics are clean yet classic. The wood (oil finished) is better than average with good colour, side panels featuring carved drop points and crisp chequering. The deep scroll and acanthus…5 min
The Field|October 2023The road to DamascusMUCH AS I hope this column, with all its lunacies and vagaries, is part of your monthly culture fix, mine is BBC One’s Sunday evening offering, Antiques Roadshow. A recent episode featured a number of disappointed owners being told that, without actual ‘proof’, their wonderful provenance stories were little more than tantalising ‘might have beens’. A model rowing boat handed down in one family was apparently made by Tsar Peter the Great of Russia when he visited London in 1698, which was possible as it was stylistically correct. With proof, Russian oligarchs would doubtless vie to out-wallet each other to beach the perfect present for that ultimate Tsar Peter-admirer, President Putin. Without proof? A few hundred pounds. Next up was a multi-tool set wrapped in leather – “the Rolls-Royce DIY…7 min
The Field|October 2023THE BOOT ROOMCOCO 2.5-SEATER SOFA WITH KNIFE-EDGE CUSHIONS SOPHIE CONRAN Hand-made in the UK from natural materials, including a hardwood birch frame, these sofas are wonderfully comfortable. The cushions are not foam but rather European duck feather, so they will need properly plumping but it’s really worthwhile for the feeling of sinking into them. The pretty covers are a linen-viscose mix, seen here in Wild Wood Duck Egg. Width 196cm, depth 102cm, height 95cm Price: £5,995 sophieconran.com HECTOR PLEAT CEILING LIGHT ORIGINAL BTC Shed a little light with these bone-china shades, hand-crafted in Stoke-on-Trent by a family-owned company. Banish stark spotlights and monotonous downlights for good. The range includes three classic designs based on the popular Hector flowerpot shape, with antique brass, satin brass or brushed aluminium fittings. No drama, just elegantly…1 min
The Field|October 2023Game ideas for elevenses“THE trouble with yours is it’s not quite sweet enough and you leave the sloes in too long. Mine’s much better,” said gun three to me as we worked our way through the samples at what had turned into a sloe gin-off at elevenses last season. “Interesting,” I replied, not wanting to get into fisticuffs or miss the tray of hot pheasant pasties and mustard working its way round the barn. Elevenses on a shoot day, that wonderful moment when everyone settles into their stride and has a chance to dish out some banter while tucking into baskets of hearty finger food and glasses filled with bubbly and liqueurs. “Now, have you tried this excellent spiced partridge and sherry broth?” continued gun three, handing around steaming tin mugs. “I got…5 min
The Field|October 2023A sense of adventureThe Inuit Way Cooper deftly demonstrates the lengths some will go to to avoid a career in accountancy. Lots of us will recall that post-university aimlessness. And while many settle for sensible careers, we should all be grateful that the author, in his ‘personal rite of passage to manhood’, embarked on a mission across Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago to find a note buried under a cairn on Haig-Thomas Island. His friend, Alec Greenwell, approached him with just this plan. Greenwell wanted to recreate his great-uncle David Haig-Thomas’s expedition to the frozen North, where he’d lived with the Inuit for several years, and journeyed 2,400km by sled with his companion, Nookapinguaq. This is gripping stuff – snow blindness, frostbite and walrus hunting. But Cooper’s account is more than just…3 min