Just off the M4, south of Swindon and tucked between the verdant hills and gently sloping valleys of the North Wessex Downs lies Barbury Shooting School, a compact estate packed to the brim with enough stands, targets and activities to keep any shooter of any calibre entertained for days.
Taking us on a tour of this English idyll is Lorna Davies, who has been helping owner Huw Stephens to keep the grounds running for over a decade. “There has been a shooting school on this site since 1987,” she explains, “but back then it was only open for corporate events and coaching. Since Huw took over in 2007, we’ve been able to open the grounds up to anyone who wants to come and practise, while still offering top-notch tuition.”
For most shooters heading to Barbury, the Sporting stands will be the first port of call. “We always have at least 12 Sporting stands open to the public for practice,” says Lorna, “we change the targets every Monday, so there’s always something new. We also have our own dedicated English Skeet area which is great for Skeet lovers or Sporting shooters looking for a bit of variety.”