Country Pursuits

Aah - the fresh air, the charming landscapes, the enthralling activities! A Country Pursuits Day takes you out of the busy city and into peaceful countryside, where you can enjoy the traditional, as well as more modern pastimes of Britain’s rural underbelly. 

If you have ever fancied riding a polo pony, shooting muskets, firing crossbows or experiencing hands-on falconry, we can help you become an instant expert. 

There are many different ways to combine the various activities to create the perfect day away from the office. 

Of course you can always mix and match Multi Action activities with Country Pursuits. Please call us on 01438 861821 for an individual quote tailored to your specific requirements.

 

Test your marksmanship skills against targets, or for that added edge - exploding targets.

Hone shooting abilities with some air-rifle target practice. Accuracy and composure will help guests to hit targets. Throw in some action by having the targets explode on impact!  

Learn how to identify an antique from a pile of junk, how to value it and finally how to get the best price at auction.

A selection of the latest composite bows are provided along with expert tuition to perfect your technique to hit the "gold".

Discover your Viking roots and learn how to throw an axe with pin point accuracy, point first every time.

Try your hand at this Viking-inspired activity. The conquering Scandinavians enjoyed throwing axes, now you can too – with some tuition you’ll be hurling the bladed tools so they hit the target perfectly.

Black Powder Shooting gives a fascinating and memorable insight into the shooting of a bygone age. Authentic, antique muzzleloaders, flintlocks, percussion locks and other black powder guns are used, with all the attendant noise and smoke. 

Experience the romanticism of the horse and carriage combination. After instruction in how to handle a horse from the seat of a carriage, a special ‘driving test’ can be undertaken to test your technique and earn a ‘licence’. 

The aim of the shoot is to enjoy it. No long tedious lectures, just helpful and friendly one-on-one advice to allow as much safe shooting time as possible.

A variation on traditional archery, we provide you with Barnet Wildcat crossbows and full instruction to help you hit the gold.The Medieval crossbow was the favoured weapon until the end of the 15th century and is strongly associated with medieval warfare however this weapon was also used for sport. It was used for target shooting and hunting. Queen Elizabeth I and King James I were expert hunters with the crossbow!

Harness up your donkey and charge off into the distance. A donkey derby is an amazingly entertaining event feature, providing a hilarious spectacle for all whilst allowing guests to live out their wildest chariot racing dreams - but with smaller horses....

Following a short introduction, teams get the chance to steer their fowl friends around a course with the aid of a dog. Create the right rapport with your dog and master the correct shepherd terminology to send the ducks efficiently through a series of fences, slides and tunnels.

Our expert falconer will introduce you to a variety of birds culminating in a falconry demonstration with client participation.

A selection of winged wonders. An expert falconer introduces various birds and their abilities. The activity culminates with guest participation during a falconry demonstration – have an Owl or a Harris Hawk glide through the air and settle on your fist!

 

Not as dangerous as it sounds. You will be faced with a contraption with a number of tubes at the base. Your task is to place a bet on where you think the ferret will make itself visible and score points for your team.

Take a baffling piece of apparatus comprising of many tubes, add a charming member of the weasel family, and you have ferret roulette. Drop the little blighter into the central chamber and make a bet on where he will emerge.  

Whether you are an expert angler or a complete novice, our experienced instructors will be able to accommodate all levels of fishing. Celebrity instructors and experts available on request.

Our fishing tutor will firstly show you the art of casting. Your skills will then be put to the test with a competition to land the fly in the circular targets.  Some of the longest casts have been over 97 metres, over 300 feet so keep practicing.

Can you tell the difference between a booby and a cat’s whisker? Either way this activity could be for you. 

A chance to pick up new fishing skills. An Instructor will teach guests the art of tying a fly in different ways, and when to use each. Knowledge is power, so now you can become a more effective angler.

After acquainting yourself with your Gun Dog, you will watch a demonstration by the dog handler and then undergo a brief period of instruction. You will then be ready to guide your dog through an assault course of slaloms, tunnels and walls, it’s a dog eat dog world….

Learn the basics of riding these magnificent animals. Once you have accomplished the basics, try your hand at cantering, galloping and possibly even jumping.

A professional artist will show you the basics of landscape painting, including mixing colours, the best brush techniques and how to scale.

A great way to experience the fun of clay-shooting without the live ammunition. Ideal for people who are slightly nervous about shooting a real gun, or where a venue doesn’t hold a licence for clay pigeon shooting.

Take a 5-gun laser system and for added spectacle and fun add a low flying remote controlled helicopter.

Specially adapted shotguns fire beams of infra-red light at reflective clays.  Add one low flying remote control helicopter and you have an unusual and visually exciting challenge. 

Ever thought mowing the lawn was dull? Not any more - try your hand at lawn mower racing on a slalom course and become the high speed horticultural lovechild of Charlie Dimmock and Jenson Button!

The sit-down ones of course! Jump onto your grass guzzling gadget and get your engine revving. It is then a ‘high speed’ lawn experience where the fastest mower across the finish line will win.

Learn how to grow your own food, using produce that can be found naturally or grown in a garden or window box. We’ll also show you how to cook the food professionally.

Take instruction on how to ride a polo pony, how to swing a mallet and how to put the two together. Within a small space of time you could be racing around the ground chasing the ball.

A royal favourite. Having mastered the basics, combine your new skills and play a chukka…

 

Become a traditional shepherd and manipulate the location of your sheep. Teams compete against the clock, with odds-on comical consequences.  Each run is timed - with hilarious results.

Following a short session of instruction and demonstrations, guests attempt to command a sheepdog to round up the sheep and herd them into a pen.