April 2024

The Field

Champion of Britain's countryside heritage

The Field1 min read
The Field
Editor Alexandra Henton Deputy editor Ed Wills Features editor Charlotte Mackaness Production editor Sarah Potts Head of design Dean Usher Picture editor Max Tremlett Commercial director Richard Hemmings 07908 523995 richard.hemmings@futurenet.com Ad
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Introducing…
Alexandra Henton has been the Editor of The Field since 2020, having joined the title in 2008. Dedicated to curating exceptional content for readers and keeping authenticity with enjoyment at the heart of the magazine, she gathers the finest contribu
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We Are The Real Conservationists
ALTHOUGH WE speak about conservation and conservationists, what we mean varies enormously. At one end we might put an efficient upland gamekeeper, managing habitat and controlling generalist predators. At the other extreme are ‘compassionate conserva
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Labour Reveals Plan To Eliminate Hunting
The Labour Party has been accused of pursuing a toxic culture war in the countryside after it announced plans to eliminate hunting within its first term of Parliament. Under the plans, made public in February, Labour will implement a ban on trail and
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Farmed Salmon ‘Should Not Be Labelled Organic’
More than 30 Scottish community groups, UK non-governmental organisations, international campaign groups and charities have joined forces to call on the Soil Association to stop certifying Scottish farmed salmon as ‘organic’. In an open letter to the
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One Good Deed…
Charlie Dedman is undertaking a challenging 630-mile trek to raise funds for Woodland Heritage. From 1 April Dedman will walk the South West Coast Path from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset, a route known as the Salt Path. Being involved in th
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News In Brief
Actor Jim Murray has accepted an invitation to become an Angling Trust ambassador. Murray, who admits his passion for fishing is “borderline obsessive”, has campaigned to protect rivers from pollution and abstraction for many years as well as highlig
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Top Dog Awards
Enter your canine companion for The Field Top Dog Awards and win a fantastic prize from Skinner’s. The 10 categories include Naughtiest Dog, Best Retrieve, Best Family Dog and Best Puppy Photograph. To enter your four-legged friend or to nominate ano
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April Diary
1 Easter Countryside Raceday Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire Tel: 0344 579 3001; thejockeyclub.co.uk 3 Young Shots Activity Day Frampton Court estate, Gloucestershire Tel: 01244 573000; basc.org.uk 4 Simulated Macnab Experience Chigborough Fisheries, Heyb
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HSE Requests More Time On Lead Ban Review Deadline
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has requested that the timeline be extended for the final stage of its lead ammunition review. This move comes after the consultation in December received more than 8,000 submissions. The HSE has submitted a requ
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Championing Women In Fieldsports
Women Who Work in Fieldsports (WWWF) was born after an opportune encounter at The Game Fair between founders Louisa Clutterbuck, Iona Campbell and Vanessa Steel. Recognising the need for a dedicated space for women in fieldsports to connect with and
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Kit To Covert
Email charlotte.mackaness@futurenet.com Lightweight, super-soft cotton with contrast panel detail and a ribbed collar and hem. Machine washable – if you can bear to take it off. Price £89 Email info@tomlane.co tomlane.co Made-to-order sterling silver
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The Field Five Of The Best
Lightweight 100% recycled aluminium; ideal for on-the-hoof hydration. Price £17.99 shop.woodlandtrust.org.uk Double-walled stainless steel with 500ml capacity and screw-top lid. Price £19.99 wildfish.org/shop Ideal for safely stashing hot or cold liq
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Sam Heughan
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to talk about Sam Heughan without mentioning the television phenomenon Outlander, currently filming its eighth series. Based on the romantic novels by Diana Gabaldon, the drama follows the story of a Second World War nurse who, while
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Macnab Dinner
THERE’S SOMETHING appropriately Buchan-esque about arriving at the Savile Club for The Field’s Macnab Dinner. As one retreats from the hustle and bustle of Mayfair into the suitably clubby, wood-panelled, 18th-century interior it could be Leithen, Pa
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Letters To The Editor
Letters may be edited for clarity or space Steve Reed MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, recently announced during an interview with The Times that Labour would ban trail hunting and drag hunting in the first t
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THE FIELD Junior
We are delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new Junior edition of The Field magazine, aimed at eight- to 16-year-olds, to be published this summer. We would like to hear from children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, godchildren or other keen
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Country Estate Of The Month
THIS 1,763-acre Suffolk estate is eight miles from Woodbridge and 14 miles from Ipswich. The main house, a Grade I-listed hall with 12 bedrooms, seven reception rooms and 19 attic rooms, has 16th-century origins and was remodelled in the 18th century
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Properties Of The Month
CANTERBURY, KENT This country house sits on the edge of the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has four bedrooms and comes with just under 13 acres of land. Agent: Finn’s Tel: 01227 454111 Guide price: £2.45m MORPETH, NORTHUMBERLAND S
The Field2 min read
Striking A Balance
IN THE PAST, diversification has been considered a rather dry word when applied to farming, born more of necessity than enthusiasm and virtue. But listen to Will Puxley, heir to Welford Park in Berkshire, and such are the estate’s projects that image
The Field4 min read
Our Legacy To The Countryside
ONE OF MY EARLIEST sporting memories is of riding on the rusty tailgate of my father’s two-door Range Rover, towing a trailer full of saplings and helping him to plant up coverts on the shoot that he then ran. At around the same time, I would return
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The Gift Of Nature’s Bounty
Dear Freddie, ISN’T THE dawn chorus glorious at the moment? Robins, wrens, finches, blackbirds, thrushes and tits, all greeting a new day with their exuberant birdsong as they call in a mate or defend their breeding territories. Golden plover, curlew
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A Call To Action
PUT ASIDE for a moment, if you can, the perennial headache of the general licence and focus on the root problem that is eroding every aspect of our rural way of life: social licence. Without the support of the public and maintenance of the moral high
The Field6 min read
Companions Of The Highest Calibre
WHEN IT comes to deerstalking, be it highland or low-land, muntjac, red deer or any cervid in between, there is a rifle to suit. From that representing the pinnacle of the gunmaker’s art to a plain workhorse, we have brought together the stalking rif
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Stalk To Fork
IT IS STILL dark when I meet chef José Souto near the Revesby estate woodland he has permission to stalk in, but as we exchange greetings a crack of deep pink starts to seep across the Lincolnshire sky. Aware of time being against us, Souto quickly o
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Six Months For £23.99*
▸ NEW Full digital access to prior and future issues when you subscribe to the print edition ▸ Pay less than you would in the shops ▸ Never miss an issue ▸ Delivered in plastic-free paper wrap ▸ Online: thefieldsubs.co.uk/C86C ▸ Telephone: 0330 333 1
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Final Call For The Turtle Dove
THE TURTLE dove is an enigmatic little bird synonymous with love, peace and hope. As such, it is unsurprising that through the ages it has caught the imagination of writers, artists and musicians from Shakespeare and Elvis to Chaucer and Cliff Richar
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Long Live The Lurcher
THE LURCHER is viewed with suspicion by some, historically labelled as the charge of ‘ne’er-do-well’ poaching types who were often discovered slinking through places they ought not to have been. Yet today’s modern lurcher has found himself a broad fa
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Wild By Design
THE ‘BIG FOUR’ Scottish salmon rivers traditionally allowed anglers to cross the country and hit the prime fishing months alongside the changing of the seasons. First in the annual fishing calendar was the Dee from opening day in February through to
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Leave The Rest Of The World Behind
THERE are still places in this kingdom where an ancient magic lingers. Seen through a pair of pricked grey ears, the outline of ruined Corfe Castle on its knoll, misty in gathering dusk between two long ridges of hills, stirs thoughts of frustrated a
The Field6 min read
Fairies And Fake News
THESE days, hoaxes tend to play on societal fears. Scientific and technological advances mean we are inclined to be sceptical about anything that can’t be verified swiftly. That said, there is seemingly no shortage of people prepared to suspend disbe
The Field7 min read
Red Rum: The Story Of Aintree’s Finest
THE DATE is Saturday, 30 March 1974, the place is Aintree and 42 horses line up at the start of the 128th running of the Grand National. Scout is the 7/1 favourite, followed at 17/2 by the dual Gold Cup winner L’Escargot, who was third 12 months earl
The Field4 min read
Thoughts On Crosses
IS THE COCKAPOO the most popular dog in Britain? It certainly seems so where I live. I see far more of these curly-coated dogs than I do French bulldogs, a breed that recently topped the Kennel Club’s (KC) popularity stakes. Cockapoos are, of course,
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The Boot Room
This Yorkshire-based specialist uses modern technology and expert craftsmanship in reclaiming antique stone floors and tiles, which are reinvigorated to create new floors that will look beautiful for centuries more. One of the most satisfying ways to
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Art In The Field
Sporting artist ⬩ Under the hammer ⬩ Royal Armouries ⬩ Sporting dog ⬩ The boot room ⬩ Gun review Country queries ⬩ Gardening ⬩ Farmshop ⬩ Cookery ⬩ Wine ⬩ Travel ⬩ Books ⬩ Field testers ⬩ From the archives Colin Blanchard’s Craigshaw Barns Studio can
The Field6 min read
Bargain Hunt
AT THE RISK of sounding like a deranged conspiracy theorist, I’ve a growing suspicion that one reason that governments, whether of right or left, appear to dislike fieldsports, and seem to lose no sleep over interfering with them or banning them, is
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A Tiny Treasure
FIREARMS can often be found decorated in the contemporary style of the period in which they were built, and in the early 20th century there were two dominant decorative styles: Art Nouveau and Art Deco. In firearms decoration terms, Art Nouveau is re
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Rizzini BR550 side-by-side
THIS TEST features a Rizzini BR550 side-by-side 16-bore. Weighing a handy 6lb 5oz, it has 30in barrels, a single selective trigger, concave rib, multichokes and an open radius pistol grip (28in barrels are an option, as are a straight-hand stock and
The Field4 min read
Country Queries
Q My favourite and rather old tweed cap has a bloodstain on it from pigeon shooting. This is the first time it has ever happened. What is the best way to clean it without damaging or shrinking it? Any advice would be appreciated, as I am not keen to
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Tip Of The Month
A frightening statistic is that more than 80% of dogs over the age of three have dental disease, despite the fact that few show any obvious signs of problems. The best way to avoid it is to provide your dog with raw bones (a healthier alternative to
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The Art Of The Possible
I CAN NEVER quite decide which is best (or worst): starting a garden from scratch or dealing with one already well established. Both have their delights, of course, but neither is without its difficulties. As someone who has always moved into gardens
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Welbeck Estate
ONE DOESN’T have to travel far these days to find a well-stocked farm shop, yet cornucopias of genuinely local produce can be harder to find. The farm shop at Welbeck, a traditional estate in Sherwood Forest, North Nottinghamshire is one such gem wit
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Simple And Delicious To Boot
Much like a canapé party, tailgate picnics lend themselves to big-flavour food that can be eaten with one hand while you hold a drink in the other. That said, I like to have something a little more substantial than a one-bite morsel, so this partridg
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Six Of The Best Loire Wines
2020 The Society’s Chinon (£9.95, The Wine Society) Deliciously uncomplicated Cabernet Franc that’s perfect lightly chilled. 2022 Domaine du Vieux Vauvert Vouvray (£10.99, Waitrose) If you like Pinot Grigio, you’ll love this charming off-dry Chenin B
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Glebe House
THERE are those friends’ houses that you arrive at on a Friday evening for the weekend, bleary-eyed from snail-paced, rush-hour traffic and foolishly fuelled by service station crisps, that bring you back to life. Candles lit, fires roaring, a hum ar
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A River Runs Through It
I HAD A bottle of Muscadet the other day and couldn’t stop smiling. Well, I didn’t quite have the whole bottle; I shared it with my chum Nigel. The point is that I can’t remember when I last had such a wine and, whenever it was, it certainly wasn’t a
The Field3 min read
Partridges And Potatoes
Potatoes loom large in my life: I can take them or leave them but my husband struggles to go without them for a single meal. Indeed, as I read this, I realised how he would have relished being a guest at the banquet Monsieur Parmentier gave for the m
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The Field’s Almanac
Did you know? The etymology behind the word ‘April’ comes from the Latin verb ‘aperire’, which means ‘to open’. It’s thought that the word refers to the trees and flowers beginning to ‘open’ or bloom at this time of the year. Pink Moon 23 April Harve
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The Field From The Archives
DURING this century, two small species of Asiatic deer, the muntjac and Chinese water deer, have successfully naturalised themselves in a wild state in this country. While the range of the latter is still relatively local, the muntjac is now firmly e
The Field2 min read
Crossword
1/10 Indication that a gun barrel has been passed as safe to use (5,4)4 Shotguns? Rifles? Farmer is confused (8)8 Mammal introduced to UK from USA: escapees from fur farms threaten water voles etc (4)9 Plain obvious, it’s like a chalkstream (5)10 See

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