North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
The Ripley Castle Shoot (Introduction by Mark Eddon) The Ripley Castle Shoot, Nr Harrogate in North Yorkshire, is a traditional driven game shoot where true sporting values still exist. Me and my wife sarah were lucky enough to have taken on the lease of Ripley Castle and Hob Green shoots for which there reputation goes before them. We will be carrying on in the same traditional manner with a relaxed and leisurely pace to each day allowing guns to take in the fantastic setting and surroundings of Ripley Castle. The land is best described as rolling countryside and parkland with woodlands established many years ago positioned to produce good sporting birds. These are complimented by over 100 acres of game cover which has improved the sporting quality of our birds over the years. There are over 20 main drives with a larger number of smaller drives which can be very testing. We release approximately 50% partridge and 50% pheasants. All reared from eggs or day old chicks on our rearing field at Ripley. There is a beautiful lake in the Park at Ripley Castle which produces some very testing duck and geese. We have one dedicated duck drive which is not your normal duck drive. It is only shot if all the guns on the day wish to shoot duck. Once you have tried it you will want to shoot it again. We principally cater for single guns and small parties with Exclusive Days for full teams. Our days are sold by the gun per day and we normally exceed the bag with no overage charged. We offer a variety of days with bags from 200 to 400 birds plus a few 150 bird days. Our average bag through the season is 240 birds. We are starting the day with breakfast in Ripley Castle. We plan to shoot 2/3 drives in the morning with drinks breaks. At mid day we will have a break for soup and pies. After a further 2 drives in the afternoon, the day ends around 3.00 p.m. with a late lunch. We recommend a 4 x 4 vehicle although well maintained estate roads connect most drives. We also have a courtesy pickup available each day with a driver. If you require this, some prior notice would be appreciated. The days are run at a leisurely pace with walking to each drive kept to a minimum. You are most welcome to invite a non shooting guest just to enjoy the day and there is always plenty of time between drives to work your dog. Although we will plan ongoing changes each season it is most important that we maintain past traditions, as you will experience when you visit. I look forward to your joining the Ripley Castle Shoot for a driven game shooting adventure.
