Shooting staycations - Thimbleby Estate, North Yorkshire

If you’re anything like me the ongoing uncertainty surrounding international travel may have made you put foriegn holidays on hold for 2021, and you’ll be looking at the possibilities afforded by staycations in Great Britain. This got me thinking: what better way to visit a shoot in another part of the country than by incorporating it into a family holiday? Many shooting estates offer far more than driven game days, from sim shooting to other outdoor activities, and of course, many are located in some of the most picturesque parts of the country. 

One such estate is Thimbleby in North Yorkshire. Located within the North York Moors National Park, the setting is about as lovely as one could hope for. Offering driven days, walked up shooting, a clay school and simulated game, the shooting opportunities are varied and of the highest quality. For non-shooting members of the party, and for days when you’re not shooting, the National Park has plenty to see and do, from sandy beaches on the coast to moorland walks and historical sites spanning the iron age to the industrial revolution.

Driven game shooting at Thimbleby Estate

Thimbleby Estate has been hosting high quality game shooting for over 200 years. With 3000 acres the shoot offers a wide variety of drives, each providing their own challenges. Days are tailored to suit individual teams with shooting for all abilities, from highly experienced teams or even offering a great place to give the younger family members their first taste of a serious driven day. 

Thimbleby’s 45 game days a year provide a wide range of shooting. The estate was among the first to present partridges driven off the moor edges with guns standing in tight valleys, creating fast and furious drives. In contrast, set within woodland the "Allum Works" shows high twisting pheasants whilst "Top Oakdale" with its open ground gives guns time to consider the quarry, and then get it wrong!

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Walked up grouse shooting at Thimbleby Estate

For those seeking a different shooting experience altogether, there are a very limited number of walked up grouse days each season, shooting over a team of setters. These days are available for up to 4 guns. Estate owner Andrew Shelley told me: “These days are limited by the availability of the gentleman who runs the team of setters, and they do get booked up very quickly. Not surprising really - seeing the dogs working over the heather and then going on point is one of the most exciting shooting experiences you can have, in my book. If you haven’t seen a setter go on point on a lovely morning on the moor, I highly recommend giving it a go!”

Simulated game shooting

If you’re visiting outside the shooting season, or if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to a driven day, you can still get a great flavour of a day at Thimbleby thanks to their year-round simulated game shooting days. These days operate on a number of the drives around the estate that are used for live quarry driven days, so are a fantastic simulation. They are particularly proud of their simulated grouse drives, which feature real stone grouse butts on a real grouse moor. “This is about as close as you can get to real grouse shooting, but at a fraction of the cost. Doing the simulated grouse drive on a real moor amid the heather really makes it something special,” said Andrew, adding “We even get teams coming along just to do the simulated grouse drives.”

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Catering for parties of between eight and 10 guns, the days follow a similar pattern to Thimbleby’s driven days, with a safety briefing, breakfast, elevenses and lunch. For smaller parties or single guns it is also possible to join ‘single peg’ days. Simulated game days are a great way to introduce novice shots to shooting and can make a great day out for the whole family, whether they have held a gun before or not. Andrew adds: "In the main our sim days are proving most popular amongst experienced teams who enjoy the challenge and excitement these days offer all year round - the show we put on is probably as good as it gets."

The clay ground at Thimbleby Estate

Another alternative would be to spend the day at Thimbleby’s state of the art clay shooting ground. Equipped with the Claymate system, guns choose which stands to shoot, using a colour-coded difficulty rating to assess which to try. The circuit includes a wide range of sporting targets including high pheasants, springing teal, crossing partridge and bolting rabbits as well as a variety of sportraps around the ground. Shotgun license holders can shoot without supervision or an instructor, while non-license holders can shoot when accompanied by a license holder or one of the estate’s shooting instructors. 

Shooting lessons at Thimbleby Estate

Shooting lessons can be booked for individuals or small groups.

• Taster session (10 clays) - £26
• “Have a go together” lesson (for two people) - £50
• Adult lesson (1 hour) - £65
• Junior (9-16) or Senior (65+) lesson - £55

For group bookings, the prices start at £50 per person for a day at the shooting ground.

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Hospitality at Thimbleby Estate

The Thimbleby Estate shooting ground boasts a smart new clubhouse with a cafe serving breakfasts, lunches and hot drinks. The modern design features plenty of glass to ensure a light and airy interior, effortlessly blending classic and contemporary styling. There is also a new outdoor seating area, perfect for COVID-secure socialising, while in the cooler months there’s a lovely log burner and comfy seating inside. The clubhouse also has a shop selling shooting essentials and a small gunroom. 

Other things to do near Thimbleby Estate

From the high ground of the moor to the coastline of sandy beaches, rocky coves and cliffs, the North York Moors are a nature lover’s dream. The moors are home to some of the UK’s most loved bird species - curlew, hen harrier, merlin - and there’s plenty of great walking, hiking and cycling routes to try. You may be surprised to learn that nearly one quarter of the park is wooded, including some significant areas of ancient forest. Several rivers cross the moors, including the Esk and the Derwent, both well-known for their fly fishing opportunities, but there are also some stunning waterfalls, such as Mallyan Spout that are well worth the visit. There’s also a host of adventurous activities like Go Ape, a watersports park, and off-roading.

Accommodation near Thimbleby Estate

From cosy country pubs to country house hotels, The Good Shoot Hotel Guide has several options suitable for a family staycation with a bit of shooting thrown in.

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