Ashcombe Estate

A typical day will be hosted by Ashcombe's new custodian, Oliver Bargery aided by on site staff and chef.

Seven holiday cottages are set in the heart of the privately owned Ashcombe estate, all nestled in a quiet, beautiful valley. The cottages can be combined to accommodate larger groups, sleeping from 6 to 28 guests.

All food and drink except wine is included in the cost per gun. Chef Nina was formerly a chef on various super-yachts so dinner is outstanding!

Locally sourced food is the order of the day. Guns will sample pheasant, partridge and venison in a variety of ways from the estate. Chef Scott prides himself in delivering game as fresh as possible and guns will be eating game shot that very day.

Other accommodation suggestions available on request.

Rolling countryside, steep valleys, and high wooded hillsides create a spectacular natural amphitheater.

The estate’s varied topography and well-planned game covers, produces drives that are both visually striking and technically demanding.

Many of the drives are renowned for their challenge, with days tailored to meet the expectations and abilities of each team. From classic Devon pheasants curling high over the tree line to fast partridges breaking across the valley, every drive offers something distinctive and memorable.

Rising to over 900 feet, the rolling Devon hills of Ashcombe follow the line of the Haldon Ridge, the high ground that runs east of Dartmoor. The estate encompasses four valleys, each designed to present high, testing birds from the tops of its wooded hills across open grassland, together with a few beautifully structured woodland drives. Covering some 600 acres of woodland, along with expanses of heathland and even an Iron Age hill fort, the estate offers a landscape rich in both sporting potential and historic character. From the higher drives, the gun line looks out towards the sea, the coastline lying just a few miles away — a rare and spectacular setting for a day’s shooting.

Ashcombe is deeply committed to conservation and sustainability. The estate runs Countryside Stewardship schemes for wild bird habitats, hedgerow and moorland conservation, alongside new forestry planting. Songbird feeding and careful deer and grey squirrel management help maintain natural balance.

Renewable energy is integral, with a 6.5MW solar farm, biomass, and solar PV systems. Working with Natural England and the Forestry Commission, Ashcombe combines sporting excellence with environmental responsibility.

The Rayner family have been the custodians of the estate since the 1930's. The shoot now takes a new direction with Oliver Bargery now taking over the sporting rights. Oliver has been an integral part of Ashcombe Estate over the last few years and co/hosted with the owner last season.

Oliver is passionate about country sports and enjoys the responsibility that comes with running a shoot day, his relaxed but professional approach ensures the day runs smoothly and safely, taking pride in delivering a day that is enjoyable, run well and memorable for everyone involved.

Mainline Railway 30 minutes / 10 miles Exeter International Airport 20 minutes/ 16 miles M5/ A380 2 miles

The shoot has been through many generations of owners and keepers.

Originally a Victorian-era Irish Lord's sporting estate before being revived in the 1950's when Brigadier Rayner recruited the local poacher to become the new gamekeeper.

In the 1960's and 1970's it was a small syndicate shoot typical of that era before becoming a larger commercial shoot in the 1980's with an outside operator.

Since the mid-1990's the shoot has remained family-run with a steady rise in professionalism, turbo-charged with the advent of new keeper in 2020.

Now under new management our aim is to improve the existing drives and fine tune the presentation whilst embracing Ashcombe as a traditional Devon shoot.