East Anglia is the traditional home of the quintessential partridge shoot. Large tracts of arable land, with plenty of stubble, are the natural home to the partridge and the gently rolling landscape lends itself well to good shooting.
The village of Balsham in Cambridgeshire is set within a perfect example of this landscape and the recently established Balsham Shoot, about to enter its third season, reflects all that is good about the area. Halfway between Saffron Walden and Newmarket, just off the A11, it’s easily accessible and popular with many Guns from London.
Balsham is part of the Thurlow Estate, owned by the Vestey family. The shoot, which covers slightly more than 2,000 acres, lies away from the main estate, about 10 miles apart, and “just lent itself to being…