COUNTRYSIDE TRADITIONS ARE ALIVE AT STAPLEFORD

The country estate is the mainstay of the British countryside. It’s a symbol of what, historically, has made Britain great – but more than that, estates are where wildlife flourishes and conservation is put into practice more than anything else. It’s hard to say what is perhaps the greatest example of all of this phenomenon – but Stapleford Park, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, has to be close to the top. Surrounded by 500 acres of Capability Brown landscaped grounds, it’s an idyllic setting steeped in history. Early historical records indicate that at the time of the Norman Survey, Stapleford was held under the King by Henry de Ferrers, who fought at the battle of Hastings in 1066, and who was afterwards appointed the Domesday Commissioner. After passing through a succession of owners, in 1402 the house was acquired by Robert Sherard, a descendant of William the Conqueror, and for the next 484 years Stapleford remained in the possession of his family. Over this time the house developed a strong association with hunting – Lord Gretton bought the house in 1894 with the specific aim of establishing his place in society, using the house to introduce him to fashionable hunting circles.

Today, Stapleford very much keeps fieldsports at its core. An experienced team runs a wide range of activities including shooting, archery and falconry. The local area provides excellent pheasant, partridge, duck and goose shooting during the seasons from September to January – and outside of this period it offers a clay shoot too.

As for the most aristocratic sport of them all, Stapleford’s school of falconry can inform and entertain guests. Head falconer, Peter Sibson, owned his first kestrel when he was just six years old; today he keeps ten of his sixteen birds at Stapleford, including Chip the lanner falcon and Inga the goshawk.

Book your stay at Stapleford now: 01572 787019, www.staplefordpark.com