Kind Words

“The team put on four excellent and varied drives, with challenging birds sent over us at a very good pace.  We were very well looked after by Conolly and Georgie throughout the day, and Tom prepared a splendid lunch at the end; we hardly noticed the light drizzle which came in as we stood round the fire pit by the fishing hut! All my guests, the majority of whom had not shot at Combe before, had a terrific time, and were very complimentary about the set-up and the way in which we were looked after.   The day went very well. Not only did it not rain (pretty impressive for the last week or so) but the day was very well organised, the birds flew challengingly and the catering was great. My guests were a mix of Combe novices (who were really impressed) and those who had shot there before (and who enjoyed the day hugely).  Pete, Mike, Conolly, Georgie and Tom provided us with a memorable day.
Congratulations to all at Loyton for persevering through the difficulties of the last few months! With best wishes to everyone for a Happy Christmas and a more settled 2021.”

“It really was one of the best days shooting at Challacombe I have ever been on (quality rather than
quantity) and certainly one to remember and come back to so please pass on my thanks to the whole team. The hospitality was to die for and quality of birds was second to none.”

“A thank you for the most enjoyable day at Molland. Nick and Spuddy looked after us very well and the catering side was carried out exceedingly well by your staff under these very difficult circumstances.”

“I just want to write to thank you and all the team who put together such a great day for my guests and I last Saturday.  We were incredibly lucky with the weather - drumming down on arrival, almost stopped for first drive and then glorious blue skies for rest of the day.  The team led by Pete were fantastic - friendly, professional and most helpful and even polite when we were not shooting well!  Anyway, do please pass on my sincere thanks.”

“These are terribly difficult times especially for the countryside. You know how much our syndicate cares about that. We had an epic day today. Your team were outstanding. We stand ready to support in every way we can. Thank you for all you are doing. We know how difficult this is for you and all your people. Count on us.”

“It was a great day and a credit to everyone involved in the organisation. Shooting, food, beating and picking up made to feel effortless and friendly”

“We had a totally fabulous day-superb and exciting birds, managed with total brilliance by
Spuddy and Lawrence. The marvellous food and drink was enjoyed by all, so please send a big thanks to Georgie who seemed to manage everything effortlessly and with enormous charm. What a great team effort!”

“The sun shone and the picnic by the reservoir was just magical.  How lucky we are.”

“Thank you so much for Saturday, we all thoroughly enjoyed it and are extremely appreciative of the efforts made by you and your team to make it what it was. It was my first day’s shooting in Somerset/Devon and it fulfilled every expectation with regard to height, speed and challenging nature of the birds. Your hospitality was also exemplary and your presence throughout the day greatly contributed to our enjoyment.”

“Challacombe was amazing, with the reservoir being a highlight.”

“Despite the weather’s very best efforts we had two superb days at Edgcott on Friday and Molland on
Saturday. The shooting was very good. Henry was a really welcoming host and excellent company, as were the other guns.  The food was really super - hats off and a big thank you to all concerned.  I’m not a big desert person but the desert on Friday was so good!  Overall the two days exceeded my expectations even though the rain tried hard to dampen them! Molland yesterday in the pouring rain was great!”

“Last Saturday we had our annual trip to Challacombe and I wanted to let you know that once again we had a wonderful day. Linley hosted us very well and James the Keeper was very kind with the drive selection, showing us an array of fabulous shooting which everyone in the line enjoyed without exception.”

“Just thought I should tell you what a phenomenal day Saturday was at Challacombe. Those keepers and beaters poured and trickled and orchestrated the birds over the guns like nothing else!!I’m still buzzing! I even got the pheasant tattoo out!”

“A note to say how much we enjoyed the weekend . Molland House worked out perfectly. Comfortable, lashings of heat and refreshments and Rachel has given the house such a relaxed and unhurried air
We first shot at Molland some 38 years ago, and it was a great pleasure to look out over some of the old drives and remember them as if it was yesterday. Henrietta never missed a beat and was a wonderful influence. JC’s food was excellent, very varied and excellent breakfasts! We had four seriously good drives at Challacombe: it’s not often one has a day when it all slots into place. Exmoor is a magical part of the world: fog and rain in one moment and then a blast of wind and churning broken cloud the next and that’s when the moor opens itself up and you can see for miles. So it’s not difficult : we’re in for next year!”

“We both had a truly lovely time. Everything that the team does they do exceptionally well! The shooting at Stuckeridge was outstanding. The best birds I have ever seen and presented beautifully. Please thank all involved for making our stay so special.”

“Your team looked after us well, special thanks to Amy please, lovely wines and tapas. Not a simple season, I was lucky enough to take my three cockers on the trip, they have also missed shooting this season, and so picking up on the first drive I came across a wonderful waterfall, one of the other benefits from shooting.”

“First of all I would like you to pass on my thanks to Peter for hosting the day, it is not an easy job but he made us feel very welcome indeed, also can you pass on my thanks to Amy who kept us fed and watered! Next James, I would just like to say that he provided us with some fantastic sport ! All credit to him for all his hard work, a truly fantastic day! I can’t wait until we shoot here again! Last but not least for your work organising at short notice, many thanks.”

“I just wanted to thank you so much for Friday at Challacombe. It was just an outstanding day,
we were looked after so well and everyone just had such a great time. They haven't stopped talking about it today, it is really appreciated.”

“I am still buzzing from my day with David, his team and all of you there, a day I shall long remember. Covid presented some challenges but we all worked around it and it did not detract from a great day, and the evening before.”

“Just a quick note to thank you and all the guys and girls at Loyton for a very comfortable stay
and super catering as usual.
With all the constraints I think all coped very well and the experience was as good as usual.
Grateful if you would pass my thanks to your team please.”

“The whole team were superb and made the day most enjoyable, from Lawrence and Luggy,
the food providers (delicious food thank you) to the beaters and pickers up. So nice to get out
and feel safe and have a thoroughly entertaining day.”

“You have a slick operation running at Loyton. A deliciously comfortable lodge – proper pillows, every
kind of lotion and potion bathside and a somewhat “exotic” radio tuned into Radio 4! Then there was the well oiled shooting operation led by a charming host, supported by more pretty girls manning the best stocked NAFFI wagon and capped by high and worthy partridge, providing a target rich environment of epic proportions!”

“All members of the team did a great job in bright sun more suited to sunbathing on the beach than shooting but I wanted to let you know that lunch was in particular quite outstanding! I am lucky enough to eat a lot of shoot lunches and standards are generally getting better and better but Tom’s lunch today really was fantastic.”

“Another roaring success.  Hugo received some lovely letters waxing lyrical about The Lodge, the dinner, the shoot (and team) and the sunshine!  As always, it is a real pleasure dealing with you all.”

“A huge thank you to the whole team for a wonderful weekend and a day of glorious partridge and pheasant shooting at Edgcott.  The early morning mist cleared quickly revealing Exmoor at its best. Huge volumes of orchestrated birds flew over the guns and loaders, the weather was warm and sunny, we were fed and watered with delicious snacks/lunch frequently, what more could we have wanted?  Naturally the shooting was important and it was very well organised, all the helpers appearing from everywhere, but the most important thing and the hardest to get right is the atmosphere and making guests feel so welcome with such a smoothly operating team.  The whole team, gamekeeper, loaders, beaters, Tom and Suzy, Richard made us feel thoroughly welcome.  The icing on the cake was Richard hosting the event so professionally and it was wonderful to catch up with him.  It was great to show off Exmoor and English shooting at its best to my Finnish relatives.  They all thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  Our son said that it was the best day of shooting that he has ever experienced (and he has been shooting in Finland and UK, lucky boy). So all in all we were so spoilt and had such a wonderful weekend.  I would recommend it to anyone interested in shooting as a fine example of how a shooting weekend is done incredibly well.”

“Just back from a day at Edgcott. Weather was awful. Fog and low cloud. It could have been a disaster. We were super impressed by the way that Nick and Linley turned the day into a treat. Nobody can control weather. Your team managed our expectations and a team of experienced guns had a lovely day notwithstanding the climatic challenges. They deserve a large “hoorah” and hopefully we gave them that. You have assembled a great team. Well done. We will come back for more.
”

“A wonderful day’s shooting for our Belgians today at Stuckeridge, really well looked after by Lucien,
Richard & Georgie and ‘Hats Off’ to Robert for his first season as Head Keeper. Four great drives and copious 10’s, 11’s & 12’s to keep spirits up, and superb lunch of escalope de partridge and sublime lemon sabayon. Thanks so much for all your help and supporting staff to make our loyal clients so happy.”

“What a great finale to our season. Five drives which just got better and better. You have brought game shooting to a new high. The welcome was, as ever, brilliant. The birds have been sensational all season. Thank you all for giving us such great days this year. We know what this takes and are in awe of what you all do. Please thank all your teams at Challacombe, Edgcott and now Stuckeridge on behalf of our syndicate .”

“Thank you so much for such a wonderful day’s shooting. As always, we were completely spoilt: wonderful drives in a lovely atmosphere and delicacies at very short intervals. The shoot somehow seems to get better every year - I don’t understand how you do it!”

“Last Friday I shot as a guest at Challacombe. It was one of the most enjoyable days of shooting I have ever had. I don’t think I did the birds justice, however to see birds fly that high was so special.”

“Thank you so much for everything on the day, game keeper, beaters and of-course yourselves were
truly great hosts. Inter-drive drinks and nibbles amazing (particularly the game soup / meatballs). Honestly, I know how much hard work goes into every detail - it was a super day and I can only say a huge thank you to your team.”

“I just wanted to thank you very much for providing an excellent and memorable dinner for us on the evening before our wedding anniversary.  Most of all, the warm atmosphere that you and your staff created made the whole event go really well.  The shooting the following day was up to your usual high standards.”

“We had such a marvellous day on Saturday, thank you so much for making it such fun.The weather and the escape from Business breakdown no doubt gave a great boost, but it all felt very special. Brookside was utterly superb, Alick and I had never seen it so good, not least the constant stream or rather flood of stratospherically high pheasants just beyond the top gun. It was an incredibly beautiful sight, and the guns watched open mouthed. They then started pouring over the guns, which wiped the smile off our faces!”

“I had a wonderful day last week, it really was the best days shooting I have had.  I have shot at a few other famous estates and the two days I have had with yourselves stand out as the best and most enjoyable.”

“We had two wonderful days and although the weather wasn’t perfect it must have been much
more of a challenge to the keeper than to us. He did a great job. The accommodation, food
and general service were all as good as ever…. Thank you!”

“It was a perfect day and the mix of very high birds and delicious food was excellent.”

“It doesn’t get better than this… your whole day was most professionally run yet retains a family inclusive feeling (not corporate) – congratulations.”

“A remarkable day on Saturday. It was of exceptional quality with James challenging us on each drive. My guest remarked on the stupendous reservoir drives and the natural bowl the beautiful setting provides. Tom’s cedar-cooked duck was delicious as were his endless goodies throughout the day.”

“We all thoroughly enjoyed both our days and stays, and of course the weather! Loyton, well, what can I say? Good accommodation, excellent food, atmosphere and staff.”

“You guys really run a brilliant operation and my guest and I had a lovely day. Richard and Peter and all the team looked after us so well. Lurch was a quick loader!! ”

“Just to thank you for a super day at Challacombe yesterday; we had a fabulous day. Dinner and lunch from Tom was the usual delicious fare!”

“I have had the pleasure of being a guest on a number of your shoots over the years, I have always had a wonderful time. However last week was very special, two days, the first at Molland and then Challacombe and of course staying at Loyton Lodge. As you may know I’m extremely lucky and get to shoot in many wonderful places, however what separates you from the rest is you get the total package right, from the moment you arrive at Loyton to when you leave after one of Tom’s excellent lunches, not to mention some fantastic shooting.”

“Awesome day yesterday at Combe Sydenham. Peter and the team are a class act. Drinks and lunch awesome as well.”

“Just a quick note to say thank you for sorting out today with your team. Excellent day all round. Tom’s cooking was exceptional last night and at lunch Linley hosted us very well. James presented a lot of excellent birds in very challenging conditions. An all round very enjoyable experience.”

“For me the big plus from both days was that the team was able to shoot at challenging high birds without having to worry about bag limits being reached, overage and truncated final drives. It makes a huge difference to the enjoyment of the day and unfortunately it is an increasingly rare experience on
many large prestige shoots.”

“I had a very enjoyable day on the 7th, bumping into old faces at the same time. The sun was a bit of a bugger! But that's September partridge shooting for you! Food was excellent on the day, I gave my regards to the chef. ”

“We had a very good day with you, you showed us some very challenging and sporting birds and the hospitality was first class.”

“We had a fantastic day at Molland, I really enjoyed everything from the birds, to the people there and not to mention the food. A wonderful experience which I will remember for a long time.”