Unknown to many of its visitors, Hoghton Tower, situated between Blackburn and Preston, also plays host to wildlife killers. The following was originally published in The Idle Toad, September/October 1999.

Hoghton Tower 'finest shoot'

Hoghton Tower has been acclaimed as the finest pheasant shoot in Britain. The accolade comes from one of the country's foremost experts on gamebirds, Sir Geoffrey Palmer.

Writing in The Field, the bible of country pursuits, Sir Geoffery awards the estate a gold medal as the best pheasant shoot he has been to during the past season. Sir Geoffery, of Carlton Curlieu Hall, Leicestershire, is a keen sportsman. His article, A Connoisseuar's Guide to Shoots, reviews grouse and partridge as well as pheasant.

He has made an extensive survey of what is available throughout the country. For pheasant he visited North Wales, Shropshire, Radnorshire, Devon, Somerset, Exmoor, Sussex, Derbyshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Wiltshire, Warwickshire, Hereforeshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, and Kent. "But the best I have left to last," he says, "and that is Lancashire, with Houghton [sic] Tower, Bleasdale, and the Dunsop Bridge shoot... "My gold medal for a pheasant shoot that I have been to this season past must be Houghton Tower."

Sir Geoffrey, twelfth to hold a baronetcy created in 1660, was educated at Eton, which may explain his most unfortunate inability to spell names correctly. He describes the Hoghton shoot as "very pretty -- mostly tall beech along the River Darwin [sic] between Preston and Blackburn. No shortage of really high and very testing pheasants with really delightful guns and a more than generous host." The River Darwen flows at the foot of Hoghton Hill, on which the Tower stands -- a landmark for miles.

Grading the top shoots in Britain, Sir Geoffrey awards Hoghton Tower three stars, Bowcombe in the Isle of Wight two, and Nant Clwyd in North Wales one. Sir Bernard de Hoghton said: "I am very pleased to hear what Sir Geoffrey has to say."

Note: The Northwest Animal Welfare group has more details on the Hoghton Tower shoot, see www.unethicaltimes.co.uk

GORious 12th a sickening day

YOUR report (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, July 27, 2001) tells of the abundance of bird life on the moors around Lancashire.

Hard-working parent birds have hatched their babies and fed them well, rearing healthy, strong young fledglings to soar and fly in happy delight on the warm air currents of summer. What sort of horrible brute would want to shoot nasty guns and maim and kill for fun these beautiful birds?

Shooting animals and birds for fun is sick and foul and all decent people will be disgusted with anyone who thinks otherwise. I am proud to be a member of the League Against Cruel Sports -- we will see the abolition of the GORious 12th and the sooner the better.
M. PICKERING