The Bolton Estate offers world class shooting for grouse and a range of wild game as well as pheasant and partridge. Our heather moorland is managed as a multi-functional landscape, financially underpinned by our sustainable and economically viable driven grouse shooting. Our five main aims in managing our moorland are 1) carbon sequestration (including protection from wildfire), 2) water quality, 3) protection and enhancement of biodiversity, 4) economically viable driven grouse shooting and 5) sustainable grazing. We manage our moorland in a stewardship agreement with Natural England and have carried out two significant peatland restoration projects.

As well as driven shooting, we offer other fields ports activities including walked up, shooting over pointers and occasionally falconry.

Driven shooting has preserved this stunning and iconic landscape as well as the huge diversity of wildlife that only flourishes on well-keepered moorland, including many non-game species, such as a range of waders, ouzels, dunlin, stone chats, birds of prey and song birds. Our conservation team (formerly gamekeepers) are funded by shoot income and their work extends well below the moorland line and includes work such as digging ponds and scrapes.

As well as environmental and economic benefits, shooting plays an important and often underrated social role on the estate. Driven days bring together over thirty people, ranging in age from under tens to over eighty, earning money, taking exercise (usually walking over ten miles) and with a shared passion for the countryside. For many of these people, often lone working in remote upland environments and usually less favourable farming areas, it is a hugely important part of their social lives. Few, if any, participatory activities bring so many people together, spanning nine decades, taking exercise and being paid for it.

We are incredibly lucky to have some wonderful rough ground, supporting a variety of wild game and rabbits and have hosted several field trials, including The Spaniel Championships. The Pointer Championships also spend two days at Bolton every year.

Excellent numbers of woodcock migrate to Bolton every year, and we also have a significant population of residents.  We therefore took the decision to adopt a voluntary moratorium on the shooting of snipe and woodcock over ten years ago.  It remains a great pleasure to see so many on shoot days.  We also have an increasing population of Grey Partridge and similarly a voluntary ban is enforced by the Estate.

The grouse moors and all wild, rough shooting is managed in hand. Almost all of our let days are run by Lord Bolton and the guns are treated exactly as guests on our family days would be.  The relaxed, welcoming and personal atmosphere which this creates is commented on by many of our guests. All enquiries to office@boltonestate.co.uk.

The undulating terrain of the Yorkshire Dales provides a spectacular backdrop to all of our fieldsports and the perfect features required for presenting high pheasants and partridges. Our most renowned beat is Bolton Ghyll, where the original Holland and Holland High Pheasant tuition video was filmed, with birds that will test the most accomplished shots.  All driven pheasant and partridge  shooting is leased to Bolton Gill Sports Mutual (Link).

The Bolton Estate manages all shooting in line with The British Association of Shooting and Conservation and GWCT’s code of good shooting practice and strive to maintain the highest standards of welfare and practice across all areas of our shooting and conservation management.

British Games Seasons

  • Grouse season
    12th August to 10th December
  • Snipe season
    12th August to 31st January
  • Duck and Geese season
    1st September to 31st January
  • Partridge season
    1st September to 1st February
  • Pheasant season (voluntary, season technically starts on 1st October)
    21st October to 1st February
  • Roe Bucks season
    1st April to 31st October
  • Roe Does season
    1st November to 31st March
  • Salmon & Sea Trout season on the Ure
    6th April to 31st October
  • Trout season on the Ure
    22nd March to 30th September
  • Grayling season on the Ure
    16th June to 14th March