It’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 the impact visiting guns have on local businesses that include public houses, village shops and garages.
Cotherstone Moor in Co Durham is owned by the writer Viscount Ridley, who is also president of the Moorland Association. His estate extends to some 6,000
