The ultimate dream of any fieldsports enthusiast must surely be owning a parcel of land on which we can partake in our particular sport of choice whenever we like (in season, of course). Somewhere far flung, that boasts a stretch of fishable river, heather-clad hills, broadleaf woodland and a big pile for a lawn meet.
Making dreams come true is this issue’s guest editor, and global property expert, Thomas van Straubenzee. Heading up the Private Office at Knight Frank, Tom deals with property worth upwards of £10m. On these pages, he offers sage advice for first-time buyers and reveals the secrets of making a sporting estate thrive in 2024.
As a keen sportsman, Tom introduces us to two friends with fascinating stories: an amateur jockey whose journey took him from Hunting meets as a child to winning the 2022 Grand National, and an entrepreneur who became the first non-family investor in Amazon and now fly fishes all around the world.
In this issue, we also celebrate the Glorious Twelfth with a report from a spectacular walked-up grouse shoot near Burnley, plus we visit a once-great moor after a decade of rewilding to learn just how much the act of taking keepers off the ground can tragically rob the land of wildlife and biodiversity.
Elsewhere, we revel in the solitude of a brace of wild trout lakes in the Snowdonia National Park; speak to sporting artist Charles R. Evans about his insatiable love of shooting; enjoy delicious recipes from Michelin-starred chef James MacKenzie; take a deep dive into how we should be managing the UK’s resident deer population – and much more!