NORFOLK— NOVEMBER 9-14 2025
THE ITINERARY
SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER
Guns will be collected from their London hotel at 10:00AM and taken by luxury coach to Carl Russell & Co. at Hatfield Park to select guns for the week. Then we have a two-hour drive to Great Bircham, in North Norfolk, with lunch along the way. Our destination (and home for the week) is The Kings Head Country Hotel. This is a family-run Edwardian Era hotel offering the traditional warmth and comfort of a country house upgraded with contemporary features. Sandringham, Houghton Hall and the North Sea coast are nearby, as are the charming towns of Burnham Market and Holt. Dinner this evening will be in a private dining room at the hotel.
MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER
We will depart the Kings Head fairly early this morning for our first day of 350 partridge and pheasant at Shadwell, an exceptional estate in a lovely corner of the Norfolk Breckland countryside. Shadwell comprises some 6,000 acres of heath and woodland with 30 shooting drives; the owners—the royal family of Dubai—have made significant investments in recent years. We’ll shoot two drives, repair to the lodge for fresh-baked fare and refreshments, and then return to the field. In mid-afternoon, with the bag in hand, we’ll enjoy a traditional shoot lunch.
TUESDAY 11 NOVEMBER
Today we shoot 350 partridge and pheasant at Raynham Hall, close by in Fakenham. This is another top Norfolk estate—7,000 acres with more than three dozen named drives ranging from cover crop to woodland—belonging to the 8th Lord Townsend. The day will follow the traditional pattern, with five or six drives, depending on weather, wind and our skill, and with elevenses and a shoot lunch. We are unlikely to encounter the legendary Brown Lady, the ghost of Dorothy Walpole, wife of the 2nd Lord Townsend, who died mysteriously in 1726.
WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER
Our third 350-bird day will be at nearby Cranmer, a shoot that has been run by the Pointer family since the early 1950s. It covers 1,500 acres spread over three farms, with 17 partridge drives—some shot from behind hedges, others standing in low ground for higher birds—and, in the original parkland around Cranmer Hall, 10 woodland drives for pheasants. In the traditional manner, we will enjoy morning tea, coffee and sausages on arrival, elevenses after the first two drives, and luncheon at the end of our day.
THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Our final 350-bird day will be at Fring, another of North Norfolk’s well-known family-run estates. Fring is a working organic farm focused on sustainable use, including game shooting. The estate offers mixed drives across 1,500 acres of woodland, open fields, rolling hills and valleys. We will be met with coffee and tea upon arrival, enjoy elevenses in the field in mid-morning at the Shepherd’s Hut, and end our day with luncheon in the hall.
Note: At our farewell dinner tonight, in our private room at the King’s Head, with all due pomp & ceremony we will invest new members (if any!) into the Anglo American Shooting Society, and—should any member have proven so deserving—once again award the Don Foster Cup. As always, the dress code will be full AASS regalia; medals may be worn. Guests who are not members are asked to wear jacket & tie or elegant dress/suit.
FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Subject to your departure times, we will arrange transport to Heathrow Airport or back to London, as you wish. When booking your flights, please bear in mind that the Kings Head is three hours’ drive from Heathrow and you must be at the airport at least two hours before your departure time, so afternoon flights are most convenient.
INCLUDED
-
All activities and shooting as described
-
All accommodations as described
-
All meals as described, including table wines
-
Airport transfers and transfers to and from each venue
-
UK Visitors Shotgun Permits
-
Loaner guns if desired
-
Loaders if desired
-
Unlimited cartridges
-
All keepers’ and loaders’ gratuities
NOT INCLUDED
-
Travel to and from the UK
-
Accommodation in London on Saturday, 8th November
-
Alcohol other than wine with meals
-
Personal items (laundry, souvenirs, etc.)
NOTES
-
You are welcome to bring your own gun(s), and we will arrange the necessary documentation as required.
-
Guns must be double-barrelled break-action types, side-by-side or over/under; pairs are not necessary.
-
Loaner guns will be available at no charge; please let us know in advance if you prefer this to bringing your own gun(s).
-
Loaders are available if you wish; they accompany you during the day, carry your gun and cartridges, guide you to the stand, offer shooting instruction if desired and clean your gun at the end of the day. Loaders must be booked in advance, so please let us know if you’d like one. (Their cost is included in the package price.)
-
Daytime temperatures in Scotland in November will typically be 40 - 50 degrees F and rain is possible at any time, so wellingtons or similar boots and a waterproof coat and hat are necessary.
-
Gun slips and cartridge bags will be available.
-
If you have special dietary requirements, please advise us in advance.
COST
The total cost is £17,950 per shooter. Non-shooters are welcome at £1,950 each, double occupancy.
(A car and driver will be available for non-shooters who wish to go off on their own, but of course non-shooters are welcome to join their Guns in the field at any time.)
A 50% deposit is due with your booking and the balance will be due on 1 September 2024.