Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i The Field

Having The Field drop onto the doormat has proved to be a welcome reminder of routine, as subscribers continue to receive their magazines as normal. The May issue was gloriously diverse, covering modern master gun engravers, flies for trout, hunting with falcons, hazardous dukedoms, cheese and much more, with a bumper letters page addressing the lead shot debate, Irish grouse and loo paper in what was a record month for the postbag. “It is the perfect lockdown companion,” said one reader. “I’ve been enjoying the print versions immensely.”…

1 DRUMASHIE STEADING DORES, INVERNESS This restored stone steading is near the shores of Loch Ness in the Highland village of Dores. It is B-listed and dates back to around 1832. It has three bedrooms, exposed wood beams and stonework, sandstone flagstones, an Arts & Crafts-style library and a Jacobean dining room. Agent: Strutt & Parker Tel: 01463 723596 Offers: in excess of £675,000 2 BALCARY HOUSE AUCHENCAIRN, DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY A five-bedroom beachside property on the north side of the Solway Firth, with views across Balcary Bay to Hestan Island and the Lake District beyond. It sits in just over one and a half acres of land with a patio wrapping round the house. It is 10 miles from Castle Douglas. Agent: Galbraith Tel: 01556 505346 Offers: in excess…

VENTA NEWTON FERRERS, PLYMOUTH, SOUTH DEVON This 1950s waterfront house, overlooking the Yealm Estuary and with views out over National Trust woodland, has fallen into disrepair and is in need of restoration. As an alternative, there are plans for a substantial replacement house on the site subject to the necessary consents. Elevated above Newton Creek, the property looks out over its private garden, while a lower section lies below the village footpath and runs directly to the foreshore and quayside. Newton Ferrers is in the South Hams with a sheltered, deepwater harbour offering boating opportunities. Agent: Marchand Petit Tel: 01752 873311 Guide price: £850,000…

The foxhound is a unique hunting animal, cherished by huntsman, Master and follower alike. Bold, brave and beautiful they are the glue that holds the hunting community together. The summer, usually, is when those of us keen on hounds sit ringside and compare notes, as hunts up and down the country show off the best of their pack. In lieu of that, this month we bring an insight into houndly life, in the kennel and field. “The relationship between huntsman and hound is unique. One doesn’t function properly without the other.”…

THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHTS JUNIPER (JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS An extremely hardy evergreen conifer, common juniper is distributed throughout North America, Asia, Europe and the Arctic Circle, and has the largest geographical range of any other woody plant. Juniper’s dense, very prickly foliage is a deterrent to grazing animals but supports many birds as protective cover and nesting sites as a source of food. The fruits, borne on female trees, are small cones containing two or three seeds. Green and berry-like, they take two or three years to ripen to a purple-black colour with a blue bloom. These berries give gin its unmistakable character and pine-like taste. The word ‘gin’ is related to French genièvre, Italian ginepro and Dutch jenever, all of which are names for juniper. Legally the only plant ingredient, or…

NEVER believe everything you read, as I was reminded earlier this year when I spotted an article on harriers in The Daily Telegraph, reporting the breed’s impending appearance at Crufts. Apparently a group of enthusiasts had “revived the British breed and established a new pedigree lineage. The dogs, slightly larger than beagles, but smaller than English foxhounds, had been all but bred out of existence in the UK after the First World War and eventually there were no Harrier puppies registered with the Kennel Club beyond the 1920s.” As anyone with a knowledge of hare hounds will confirm, the Telegraph’s report was a little misleading but prompted by the fact that on 1 January the harrier was finally recognised as a breed by the Kennel Club. This allowed the hounds…

I HAD drinks with two of my dearest mates last week. Nothing remarkable about that, you might say. Well, at the time of writing we’re still under the wretched coronavirus lockdown and my nights out were actually nights in, spent first with Mark Slim and then with Andrew Ross, both in virtual form, courtesy of Zoom, a video-conferencing thingy that technophobes like me hadn’t heard of a week or so ago and that I still struggle to operate. You’re all probably dab hands at Zoom by now and think it old hat. I marvel at it, although I wish I could work out how to show less of the inside of my nose and fewer double chins. Oh, and I’d love to tone down the mighty glare off my shiny…

TROUT PROJECTS Trout conservation projects on the Trent, Welland and tributaries of the Test, Thames, Bourne and Cam are being planned for this summer after the Wild Trout Trust raised £70,000 in this year’s auction. Trust director Shaun Leonard said the auction funds are even more important this year, “when other sources of funding are looking threatened by the crisis around us”. RECORD NUMBER OF FARMERS SUPPORT FARMLAND BIRD COUNT A record 1,500 farmers battled through gales to record 120 species in the 2020 Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC). Of the 25 red-listed species recorded, fieldfares, starlings, linnets and lapwings were the most abundant, with 67,000 spotted. The five most-seen birds were woodpigeon, starlings, lapwings, black-headed gulls and rooks. Every county in England was represented in the count. Norfolk recorded…

Covid corvid Twitter Fielders were particularly impressed by this reader’s handiwork. “Having been confined to base during the Covid business, I finally finished this corvid,” he shared. “I scaled up a photograph of a magpie in flight and transferred it onto a sheet of plywood. I cut out the outline of the magpie and then stuck the empty cartridge cases on using hot-melt glue. A coat of varnish gives it a finishing touch. The ‘empties’ came courtesy of Doveridge Clay Sports, where I shoot.” Freeing up the freezer There has never been a better time to have the freezer stocked with last season’s spoils and The Field’s website is a treasure trove of inspiration and recipes. This month, our pheasant carbonara, partridge goujons and pheasant Scotch eggs have been particularly…

HELP IN THE COUNTRYSIDE Pubs, hotels, shooting clubs and estates have been using resources to help essential workers and those vulnerable in the local community. Holland & Holland’s shooting ground in Northwood has been delivering cooked meals to the Met police, fire brigade and nurses. Chefs also made portions of Game Tikka for a charity that supports people in need. Shooting estates in the Yorkshire Dales provided 255 pairs of protective glasses to 16 local surgeries and West London Shooting School gave 200 pairs to NHS staff at St Mark’s Hospital in Harrow. “We are prepared to do anything we can to help contribute to the national effort against COVID-19,” said Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association.…

LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY OR SPACE HELP FOR HAWKING I was delighted to read the article by Neil Cross about his outing with Martin Whitley and his hawks [In full flight on Dartmoor, May issue]. Two autumns ago, my daughter and I arranged a similar afternoon’s sport with Martin, mounted on Alex Warne’s horses, from Dartfordleigh. The experience of watching Martin fly his hawk from horseback, in such beautiful country, was very special. Since the article was written, Dartmoor Hawking’s livelihood has been seriously hit by the effects of the COVID-19 virus. Not only have their displays at shows been cancelled but wedding ring deliveries have gone, too. This comes at a time when Martin and his wife, Philippa, have had to relocate their business, not once but…

GIVEN I’ve eaten some unusual food – flying termites fried in palm oil, raw rotted Greenland shark – I might be disqualified from criticising China’s more exotic cuisine. We might not consider fruit bats a delicacy but they’re often eaten in Asia and it wasn’t hard to find a lavishly illustrated bat soup recipe. “Place bats in a large kettle and add water to cover, ginger, onion, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 60 minutes. Strain broth into a second kettle. Take the bats, skin them and discard the skin. Remove meat from the bones and return meat, and any of the viscera you fancy, to the broth.” Nor was it an effort to unearth pangolin recipes, mostly a variation on pangolin and mushroom soup but…

Akin to salmon, there are rivers across the world with a pedigree for producing big sea-trout. Southern Argentina comes instantly to mind with the leviathans of the Rio Grande, for example, where seatrout of more than 30lb are caught most seasons. Historically, the Baltic produced the largest sea-trout in the world, with records indicating fish in excess of 40lb. Whereas these are largely confined to the history books, there are still a few rivers that flow into the Baltic that produce fish of more than 20lb. However, we do not need to look enviously at such faraway pastures in order to pursue a specimen seatrout because we do have revered rivers that carry big fish genetics right on our doorstep. Let’s begin by exploring what constitutes a big sea-trout, because…

State diktats on what we may or may not purchase might seem unacceptable to the modern shopper. But a rationing system was almost welcome when confronted with bare supermarket shelves amid coronavirus-induced panic shopping. A few weeks after despairing at empty aisles, I selected three tubes of toothpaste from a loaded shelf only to be told – politely but firmly – to put one back. When we think of food rationing our thoughts turn to Britain during World War II but, actually, what happened then was quite different to the situation we have found ourselves in today. “People are buying more than they would do normally because they’re not eating their lunch at Pret and the supply chains are struggling to cope,” says Dr Annie Gray, food historian and author…

MYSTERY DRINK Q This half pewter/half leather-covered hip flask dated 1882 has come to light in our family possessions. I think the leather covers a glass top half. However, the leather needs replacing and I can’t get the top off. How old or what the liquid contents are is anyone’s guess. Do you know of anyone who could do this? AMS, Bedfordshire A For refurbishment of your hip flask, contact Mark Lewis at Holdhard. The firm offers a full service repairing leather, broken glass bottles and tops in either silver, pewter or glass. For a quote on repairs, either send a photograph directly to MartinLewis52@icloud.com or call him on 07415 623816. MORE INSECTS, FEWER WEEDS Q We enjoy The Field very much, especially the snippets in Country Queries. It has…

FIREARMS signed by John Cookson were made from the 1680s to the 1760s, the reason being there were two gunmakers called John Cookson. The younger one worked in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1701-62, while the older Cookson was believed to have remained in London. Very few examples of their work survive. This gun made in about 1690, inscribed IOHN COOKSON FECIT (made by John Cookson) displays the distinctive flair of Cookson the elder. Intended for sporting use, this single-barrel smoothbore (.55in) gun is generously chiselled in high relief on sections of the barrel, breech and trigger-guard with fronds of foliage and grotesque masks; whilst deeply chiselled foliate scrollwork and animal faces feature on the remainder of the iron furniture. Stocked in burr-walnut, the butt is carved in the manner of a…

SOCIAL: FACEBOOK When life’s a snore In the March issue, David Tomlinson discussed dog beds. While the choice was once oat straw or wheat, today’s beds are the last word in luxury, from beanbags to memory foam. Field dog Bramble was pictured in a cosy Ivy & Duke number and Fielders have been sharing their own dog’s preferences. “Forget dog beds. Sofa or a bed is our preference,” said one choosy Irish water spaniel. Armchairs and sofas were both popular options, with some gundogs spooning while others maintained social distancing. “My 35kg Hungarian wirehaired vizsla’s repose of choice is on the grooming table,” shared one Fielder, to much amusement. “I like a dog bed they can snuggle into and have support at the back,” shared another. “My two dogs are…

Those lucky enough to own land can hone their shooting skills while stuck at home using one of the state-of-the-art clay straps from Promatic. During lockdown the company has a special offer on its Promatic Pigeon. It can hold 50 clays, chuck them 65 metres, has 10 to 30 degrees elevation and can be worked remotely. It comes on a trolley base. The company says it’s “the perfect personal-use machine to practise clay shooting with a small group of friends. It is light yet robust and easily transportable with a trolley base. It costs £399.60 including VAT, which includes a free key-fob radio and UK mainland delivery (£102 saving on normal price). For those with more space there’s the Promatic six-trap Grouse model, priced at £20,000 plus VAT. To order,…

Most viewed online this month was our article on the best duck breeds to keep at home. “I don’t think you can beat Indian runners – they’re just so cute and fun to watch,” shared one reader. “With 200 eggs a year, they’re the fun in functional!” Fielders were taken with the picture above. “It was taken during lockdown of my son Jonty with Polly the wild duck. She has been nesting along our riverside house for three years now.” A new ‘Gardens’ section has been launched on The Field website this month. Go to: the field.co.uk/gardens…

THE property world, like every business, has had to reset and even reinvent itself in the shadow of coronavirus, the housing market’s short-term future subject to huge uncertainty. Forecasters are used to crunching the numbers from a position of expertise, experience and historical data. Boom-bust housing market cycles have been around since the days when Stamp Duty referred to the impression stampeding mammoths made on Stone Age first-time buyers. But this is a global pandemic unique in our lifetime – an enemy that cannot be bought by economic stimulus, nor cowered by sanctions. There is no manual to revisit; no trends to follow. Estate agents making predictions are used to listening to clients, peers and economists, not virologists. The property industry is adapting as best it can. I have been…

1 HIGHER NORTHCOTT BARN BLACK BOROUGH, CULLOMPTON This four-bedroom period farmhouse dates back to the 18th century. It comes with 60 acres, landscaped gardens, a kitchen garden, an orchard and equestrian facilities, including an all-weather manège and paddocks. The stable yard is currently run as a riding school. Agent: Jackson-Stops Tel: 01823 325144 Guide price: £1.6m 2 BAR LODGE SHARPITOR, SALCOMBE This clifftop Edwardian house, built in 1902, is at the mouth of the Salcombe Estuary with coastal gardens, terracing and sea views. It has become a familiar marker for sailors. There is planning for a new house within the grounds. The property is 19 miles from Totnes. Agent: Savills Tel: 01548 800462 Offers: in excess of £2m 3 THE HIGHER HOUSE PAYHEMBURY, HONITON This is a five-bedroom, Grade II-Listed…

THEY’VE said that history books will look at life in terms of before and after the COVID-19 virus. The weekend before social distancing came into our lives was action packed, spent in Cornwall with Mr D’s brother. Currently he and his husband have some 100-odd rare animals in incredibly designed enclosures in the back garden of their house, with a flamboyance of flamingos in the pond out the front. It’s a serious set-up – we’re not talking Joe Exotic of the West Country here (although he’s eccentric enough to have once been reported in the Evening Standard as the Leopard Man of Peckham). So, a unique weekend began with stroking cheetahs and feeding lemurs, then we went on to making gin at the Salcombe distillery, feasting in Fowey, eating fresh…

ANSWERS ON PAGE 86 Field knowledge 1) What is a staggard? 2) What is a bare-faced falcon? 3) In which British city will you find the ‘holy trinity’? 4) What is a Paradox? 5) How many species of goose are legal quarry in the UK? 6) What is a cushat? 7) What was the winner’s trophy at the first Wimbledon Tennis Championship? 8) Where should you look for a Scottish unicorn? 9) Where could you find a flying toad in the UK? 10) What is a Phallus impudicus? 11) How much rum was in a tot? 12) How big – within 5lb – is the UK record pike? 13) How did the cocker spaniel get its name? 14) Which is the UK’s smallest bird? 15) What is a Percy Special?…

WEBER’S BARBECUE BIBLE A great friend has the barbecue thing licked. Every spring there comes a point when the Aga is switched off and the Weber wheeled out. At this moment the cooking duties shift from ‘Aga woman’ to ‘BBQ man’. It is a perfect wheeze for division of labour and one I’d follow in a flash if our barbecue wasn’t rusting resentfully in an outbuilding. Perhaps this is the summer for change. And for those twiddling gas knobs and buying hunks of meat and seafood, Weber’s Barbecue Bible is essential reading, incorporating all the tricks of the trade from the firm’s top grilling expert, Jamie Purviance. There are more than 125 recipes, each depicted alongside step-by-step colour photography, with expert tips and guidance, too. From classic chicken wings to…