Shooting Rights to Let – Lordenshaws Estate, Northumberland

LOCATION

The Lordenshaws Estate is owned and forms part of Northumberland Estates extensive land holding.  

The Estate lies immediately to the east of Harwood Forest forming the eastern face of the Simonside Hills, just outside the small market town of Rothbury. Although remote in nature, the Estate is very accessible being a mere 22 miles from Newcastle International Airport and 10 miles off the A1. The surrounding area has a number of exceptional hotels and guest houses, many ideal for shooting parties.

DESCRIPTION

The Lordenshaws Estate extends to approximately 10,600 acres. It is a wonderful shooting property, which consists of a potentially very productive one day grouse moor and also a very exciting pheasant and partridge Shoot. The impressive natural topography of the Estate has been utilised to produce high pheasants and fast partridges. The land also boasts fantastic wild duck shooting and extensive roe deer stalking.

The Estate comprises 2,693 acres of Moorland, 1,235 acres of woodland and the rest is farmland. The farming on the Estate is occupied by a mix of Tenant Farmers and in-hand by Northumberland Estates.

CURRENT KEEPERING ARRANGEMENTS

There are two full-time Gamekeepers at Lordenshaws, being a Headkeeper whose primary focus is the Grouse Moor and a Beatkeeper whose primary focus is the Low Ground Shoot.  They work well as a team and frequently cross over to help manage seasonal workloads. They also undertake rabbit control, deer stalking and general vermin control. 

Both Keepers live on the Estate. As well as the two Keepers houses, which have been thoroughly upgraded recently, the Estate is well equipped with an exceptional shoot room, toilets, beaters room, larder facilities and outbuildings.

GROUSE MOOR

Lordenshaws is a one-day driven Grouse Moor with nine lines of butts. Up until the present Tenant took on a Sporting Lease of the Moor in 2016, the Estate was under resourced and under performing.  

The present Tenant has heavily invested in the Moor to include significant burning and cutting (the photograph above was taken before this work was carried out) and most recently, replaced two lines of sunken butts in 2022.  

Under the management of JM Osborne Rural & Sporting, the Estate has developed an excellent working relationship with Natural England and the Northumberland Wildfire Group. In 2020 the Estate secured a long-term Moorland Management Plan granting the ability to carry out prescribed burning on dry heath across the Moor and also carry out other methods of Moorland Management for the benefit of ground nesting birds. The Management Plan provides general prescriptions for the maintenance & repair of butts and tracks and consent to carry out bracken control.

The moor has a 5 year average of 58 brace. In recent years the moor has struggled to provide a shootable surplus due to the incredibly poor breeding season in 2021, and for this reason did not shoot. Numbers have since been building nicely, with a reasonably good stock on the ground. A kind spring could produce a shootable surplus for 2023 and leave plenty of stock going into 2024.

We believe that this is a small moor capable of shooting 3 – 5 days a season, with up to 400 brace being shot in a good season.

LOW GROUND SHOOT

Lordenshaws has developed a reputation for its Pheasant and Partridge Shoot, offering everything from walked-up and mini-driven days, through to more substantial driven days of up to 250 birds. 

Although the Shoot is still developing, there are now 12 proven drives which make fantastic use of the Estate’s mature woodland, deep gills, and generally steep terrain. The deep gulleys provide ideal ground for exciting shooting to challenge the very strongest of teams. The “Lee Valley” is a deep gill central to the Estate, with mature woodlands either side and a picturesque stream running below nine different cover crops from which pheasants and partridges can be flushed from. 

The present Sporting Tenant has invested heavily in the infrastructure of the low ground shoot. Within the last two years, this has included 9 new fenced cover crops, 3 new release pens and a series of strategic fellings and bridge work for gun rides.

In each of the last two years the shoot has released 12,000 head of game and shot a modest programme of days to achieve a return in the region of 37%.

OTHER SHOOTING

Lordenshaws has a number of flight ponds, three of which are equipped with hides and provide exciting flighting of duck and other wildfowl. It is not uncommon to shoot 20-30 head per flight.

The Estate also has the River Coquet running along its eastern boundary. Although the fishing is not included within the sporting rights, it can be organised through the Northumbrian Anglers Federation. The Estate does however benefit from the sporting rights along the riverbanks which hold a plethora of wild game. 

The moorland and moorland fringes offer endless amounts of walked-up sport for snipe, woodcock, pheasant, rabbit, and hare.

ESTATE EQUIPMENT

The present Sporting Tenant of the Lordenshaws Estate has continually invested throughout his tenure, equipping the Estate with all the appropriate vehicles, ATV’s, as well as other shoot equipment. This equipment would be available for purchase by an incoming Tenant.

FORESTRY

There is approximately 1,235 acres of forestry at Lordenshaws. Part is owned and managed by Northumberland Estate and part is managed by the Forestry Commission.

The Sporting Tenant has exclusive rights to the deer stalking on the Estate, with an annual cull in the region of 70 to 100 Roe deer. 

Northumberland Estates are currently designing two new planting schemes on the inbye land on the Estate. These strategically laid out parcels consists of mixed broadleaf, mixed conifers and productive Sitka Spruce. 

The new plantings offer great opportunity to further enhance the low ground shoot. JM Osborne Rural & Sporting are liaising with Northumberland Estate’s forestry team to synergise the planting structure with the Sporting interests.

FARMING

Whilst all the farms are owned by Northumberland Estates and are (with the exception of Blueburn and Morrelhirst) Tenanted. The current management team have developed an excellent working relationship with the farmers and other local stakeholders. 

In conjunction with the Tenant farmers, the present Sporting Tenant has established a tick control programme on many of the upland units.

VIEWING

Strictly by prior appointment with:

JM Osborne Rural & Sporting, Unit 11 & 12, Vantage Business Park, Bloxham Road, Banbury, OX16 9UX

Email info@jmosborne.co.uk