The estate

Bishopswood Estate, at the taking of the great Domesday survey in 1086, formed part of a great Norman demesne used for hunting and long associated with Ruardean.

It derives its name from its subsequent incorporation into the Chase of the Bishops of Hereford – ‘a wild wooded district lying between the Forest of Dean and the River Wye, rich in scenes of exquisite beauty’.

Henry V is rumoured to have hunted here and the great Duke of Wellington certainly did. Bishopswood House, as it stands today was built in 1844, It was constructed by and for John Partridge, who had served as High Sheriff for Monmouthshire in 1824.

The drives

Bishopswood Estate has 14 main drives set in wooded valley and open parkland, each offering exciting shooting.

With a mixture of deciduous and coniferous woodland, as well as carefully positioned game crops, there are drives which will present an enjoyable challenge for all. Birds are driven from mature woodland rising steeply in front of the guns in Sweet Glen, producing fast and challenging birds.

On the same note, “tall and testing” would certainly describe the birds on drives such as Cinderbury and Ram Gully. Other drives offer an array of birds at varying heights offering a variety of interesting and challenging shooting for everyone.