I was glad of four-wheel drive; the lanes of Exmoor rolled like the swell in the nearby Bristol Channel. Our car rose and pitched as Mrs G and I approached Bittescombe Lodge & Deer Park to test a simulated game day being hosted from the lodge. We were guests of the gunsmiths Frederick Beesley, in collaboration with lodge owners Samantha and Richard Campbell-Breeden. The steep-sided valleys of the Somerset-Dorset border felt a far Cry from our native Essex.
The highest point on our farm is 35m above sea level. From there the land slopes gently to marshes and the estuary. By contrast, Samantha and Richard have serious contours at their disposal, rising to nearly 400m and offering spectacular drives.
Through the season their valleys form the backdrop for the Lakes shoot, one of many high-bird setups with excellent reputations in the region. It is only recently that
