Swinton Estate

Swinton Estate in the Yorkshire Dales offers some of the most extensive shooting in the UK, with 20,000 acres of woodlands and valleys that stretch from the River Ure in Wensleydale up onto the moorland Dales.

The Cunliffe-Lister family acquired Swinton Estate in the 1880s. At the time Swinton was one of two premier sporting estates for sale, the other being Sandringham. The story goes that the Royal Family (after inspecting Swinton) decided that the pheasants were too high and plumped for Sandringham instead. Since then the excellent sport and hospitality at Swinton has been legendary and has attracted a great range of people from former British Prime Ministers Neville Chamberlain and Harold Macmillan, to American singer and actor Bing Crosby and even other European royals.

The Estate offers a beautiful mixture of heather moorland and deep valleys that produce some of the best grouse, partridge, pheasant and duck shooting in the country.

The Main Grouse and Pheasant & Partridge days are most suitable for those in a party of nine, with driven birds being provided. The main days are the grandest in terms of profile, the number of birds and the standard of shooting required.

Days start in the opulent Swinton Park Hotel for breakfast, before the guns then head off onto the Estate for the first drive of the day (you will need to organise your own 4×4 vehicles). Elevenses will then be served in the field, or one of three bothy huts on the moor edge. There are usually four drives per day, depending on the size of bag and the time of year.

For those wishing to extend their Swinton experience, Swinton Park Hotel & Spa offers 43 luxury bedrooms, with private dining options and private sitting room for your exclusive use. Other country pursuits available on the Estate include river fishing, with Northern Fishing School (grayling, trout and salmon), reservoir fishing (rainbow trout), golf, horse riding, walking and falconry at our Bird of Prey Centre. EJ Churchill also run the shooting ground at Swinton Estate and offer simulated days in the off-season.

Shoot parties staying at the hotel also benefit from:

• Use of secure gun safe, gun cleaning facilities
• Dogs welcome in the hotel
• Early morning express check-out
• Private use of sitting room and dining room
• A choice of formal or informal dining options

Price on application for all shoot days.