The big bang

Patrick Galbraith ponders the wider effects of large shoots

ON A BITINGLY COLD Saturday, earlier this year, I was standing next to the head keeper at Holkham in front of a dense wood. It was probably the best shooting invitation I’ve ever had and I was letting myself down. “Tough wind, sir,” he said with a thoughtful nod as another hen bird shot by and I missed with both barrels. As estates go, Holkham is quite something. Tom Leicester, the current earl, has worked hard to create a place where tourism, agriculture, forestry, and shooting all run alongside each other as highly effective strands of a bustling whole. Even those who loathe the idea of earldoms, great landholdings, and big houses, seem to give Holkham a free pass. In part it’s probably because they provide so much access. It’s…

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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2024

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