North York Moors National Park - NOT a safe place for wildlife

The 'park' is riddled with businesses supporting hunting and shooting

As we enter another shooting ‘season’, Protect the Wild is publishing a series of articles about the key regions of the UK that attract both tourists who want to enjoy the wildlife and landscape, and hunters and shooters who have an altogether less healthy relationship with the countryside around them.

The cubbing season began in August this year, and fox and stag hunting is currently in full swing. It’s already open season for Grouse, Partridges and Ducks, and the killing ‘season’ for millions of Pheasants starts at the beginning of October.

The North York Moors National Park (NYMNP) is heavily involved with both hunting and shooting. On a visit we made to the park with local monitors in 2023 we were shown numerous businesses in Helmsley - the ‘Gateway to the Park’ - that actively support local hunts or shoots (the huge Rievaulx Estate is a prime example of the latter). Nearly nine million people visited the ‘national park’ in 2023, most from the north of England. We’d be willing to bet few of them realise just how much killing takes place in what the vast majority will think is a ‘safe space’ for wildlife...

The Lonely Planet series of travel guides describes the Yorkshire Moors as a place of “desolate splendour” where “ridge-top roads climb up from lush green valleys to the bleak open moors, where weather-beaten stone crosses mark the lines of ancient roadways. In summer, heather blooms in billowing drifts of purple haze.” Lonely Planet’s main rival, the Rough Guide, lists the nearby North Yorkshire coastline as one of its top places to visit in England.

However, there is a more sinister side to tourism on the Moors. As we’ve often said before, ‘National Parks’ are widely thought of as havens for wildlife. Sadly, this simply isn’t the case. The NYMNP website, for example, gives information about how visitors to the park can legally take part in shooting on private land in the park. They write:

“Commercial shooting in the National Park is available on privately owned land and consists of seasonal grouse and pheasant shooting, with small volumes of partridge and duck shooting also available.”

What this terminology doesn’t make clear is that millions of birds are BRED to be shot in the UK every year. Over 50 million Pheasants and 11 million Partridges are released for shooting annually. Most of them are reared for the purpose in inhumane factory farm conditions. The introduction of such an unnatural number of birds (only a fraction of which are shot) into the ‘National Park’ takes a devastating toll on NYMNP’s environment too.

Killing protected species

The NYMNP does advise potential visitors that shooting other species of bird is illegal. However, as we have previously reported, this hasn’t stopped the unlawful killing of protected species. North Yorkshire itself is acknowledged as a raptor persecution ‘hot spot’, regularly named as the worst county in England for crimes against birds of prey because of the enormous number of pheasant and grouse shoots in the region.

There are numerous examples of raptor persecution, but to list just one in 2023 Protect the Wild reported that a Buzzard had been shot and injured in the National Park. The bird was transferred into the care of Jean Thorpe, an internationally renowned raptor rehabilitator. Sadly after surviving the initial trauma the Buzzard died, prompting Thorpe to pen an emotional tweet reflecting on raptor persecution in the ‘national parks’ of Yorkshire:

Jean Thorpe’s tweet after the death of a Buzzard, shot in 2023

After the death of the protected Buzzard in 2023, North Yorkshire Police announced a call for information about the shooting. Unsurprisingly, nothing ever came of it. In fact, the police force confirmed that three more Buzzards had been reported shot in that same four-month period.

The Hartoft Mural’, painted by Nicky & Simon Johnston who live in the village of Hartoft in the North York Moors National Park. The mural overlooks a grouse moor. Featuring Hen Harriers, a Goshawk, a Red Kite, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin and a Buzzard, the artwork’s intent couldn’t be clearer.[

In fact, a joint investigation by Channel 4 and the RSPB found that two-thirds of all illegal killings of birds of prey happened on shooting estates like those in the NYMNP.

A hotspot for fox and hare hunts too

North York Moors ‘national park’ is a hotspot for fox and hare hunting too. The park is frequented by the Saltersgate Farmers Hunt; Goathland and Glaisdale Hunt; Sinnington Hunt; Derwent Hunt; Cleveland Hunt; Bilsdale Hunt; the Ampleforth Beagles; and the Northern Counties Mink Hounds. They are occasionally joined by the Hurworth Hunt and the Middleton Hunt, foxhound packs that typically hunt elsewhere but occasionally come to hunt in the ‘National Park’.

Hunts have little respect for the NYMNP and the surrounding area. For example, in 2024, the Derwent Hunt infamously trespassed on Chafer Wood, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) Nature Reserve just south of the park..

Still want to visit North York Moors National Park?

We recognise the beauty of the Yorkshire Moors and don’t want to discourage anyone from visiting. But we think that pro-wildlife visitors to the national park will want to know which businesses are complicit in making NYMNP a ‘black-hole’ for wildlife.

Protect the Wild has used data collated by our Blood Business database to create this list of businesses that support hunting with dogs or the commercial shooting of birds or mammals in the area. Read on to find out more...

Gisborough Hall Hotel, Guisborough, North Yorkshire, TS14 6PT

A hotel that shamelessly hosts an annual ball every February to mark the end of shooting ‘season’. The tickets to the event are sold by the fundraising manager of the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust, and cost £60 a pop in 2025. The Blood Business database editors wrote about the ball: “North Yorkshire is one of the worst areas in England for crimes against birds of prey, crimes committed almost entirely by gamekeepers. We’ll pass, thanks…”

The Downe Arms Hotel, Wykeham, North Yorkshire, YO13 9QB

The Downe Arms Hotel is part of the huge Dawnay Estate run by the 12th Viscount Downe who calls Wykeham Abbey home. Wykeham supports shooting and hunting. The Wykeham Shoot is “proud to offer some of the best game shooting in North Yorkshire”, and their grouse shoots on the Danby Moors “welcome visitors from the UK as well as international guests from as far afield as the Netherlands, Belgium and America”. The estate refers shooters to the Hotel for accommodation. On top of that, Wykeham Abbey was reported by East Coast Yorkshire Hunt Sabs to be the venue for the opening meet of the Derwent Hunt in November 2024, whose kennels at Snainton are almost within walking distance of the Abbey.

The Golden Lion Hotel, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8PP

The Hurworth Hunt’s boxing day meet, regularly hosted by the Golden Lion - image provided by a supporter

Describing themselves as a venue for “proper real ale pints with the guys”, the Golden Lion regularly hosts the Boxing Day meet of the Hurworth Hunt with pub staff serving the refreshments (the Hunt master thanked the pub for their hospitality in his speech in 2024 while a gaggle of bloodsport-supporting locals looked on). The Golden Lion also hosts hunt fundraisers for the Hurworth (and in the past the Bedale Hunt), including a Hunt Ball in January 2023 and a Domino Drive in December 2023.

Duke of Wellington, Welbury, North Yorkshire, DL6 2SG

“The Duke of Wellington is a family run pub, cask ales, great food, beer gardens, fires, all welcome!” That ‘all welcome’ - potential visitors may want to know - includes the Hurworth Hunt which is based in Northallerton a short drive away. Images of the hunt were posted in a gallery on the pub’s Facebook page in November 2024. A proud moment supporting a history of animal abuse captured for posterity.

White Swan Inn, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7AA

According to its website, “The White Swan Inn offers unique moments of discovery on the nearby royal grouse moor” including “superb shooting parties”. You won’t find any reference to shooting unless you know where to look because as so often with venues that don’t want to upset the non-shooters who may be tempted to visit them too, the info isn’t front and centre. You can find a page dedicated to Shooting Parties, which proclaims “And when waking up to the ‘Gateway to the North York Moors,’ you won’t want to wait around for a hearty breakfast, so we’ll have your shooting gun ready for a bright and early pick-up”. Shoots typically ply their clients with food and alcohol while they blast away at the local wildlife, but, still, how clever of the venue to market as an advantage a solution for keeping its more gun-obsessed clients well away from the kiddies at breakfast time.

The Blacksmiths Arms, Lastingham, North Yorkshire, YO62 6TN

The owner of the Blacksmiths took over in 2021 and “wanted to continue the strong links we have with local producers. Whether it’s game from nearby shoots, the beef from local farmers, or the gin and tonics behind the bar.” The pub was commended in 2024 by a lobby group of North York Moors grouse shoots for putting ‘grouse’ on the menu, despite admitting what a terrible breeding year it had been for these beautiful native birds (can’t let that stop the shooting industry from rolling on), and gratingly (but showing just where he expects his business to come from) Mr Moran names the three rooms available at his pub after the three species of bird his clients will be shooting dead.

The Fylingdales Inn, Fylingthorpe, North Yorkshire, YO22 4TH

“A stunning local family friendly pub on the North Yorkshire coast, 0.6 miles away from the beautiful Robin Hood’s Bay…In our spacious restaurant and garden area we can accommodate you, your children and your four legged friends.” Sounds friendly enough, but a Facebook post in February 2025 thanking the “wonderful local shoot” for the business they bring perhaps shows where they stand on blowing birds out of the air.

Black Horse Inn, Kirkby Fleetham, North Yorkshire, DL7 0SH

The mounted stag’s head looking wide-eyed from above the fireplace in the dining room might just be all the clue you need to guess how the owners of the Black Horse feel about bloodsports, but in case there’s any doubt the Inn hosts the Bedale Hunt’s annual ‘hunt ball’ fundraiser (and certainly used to host the Kirkby Fleetham Shoot dinner too, as a 2015 social media post shows) and is one of the Bedale’s regular meet venues. In fact, the pub was where a meet of the Bedale rode out from before killing a young vixen - highlighted in a HIT report posted on the Facebook page of the East Yorkshire Coast Hunt Sabs in February 2023. The Bedale Hunt is listed on the Kirkby Fleetham with Fencotes Parish Council website under ‘Clubs, Societies, Leisure Activities’ – their kennels are in Little Fencote, which is just a short ride from the Black Horse.

The Coachman Inn, Snainton, North Yorkshire, YO13 9PL

The Coachman advertises that it “is located in the village of Snainton, on the edge of the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors…The venue is ideal for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, friends and family get-togethers, office parties, Christmas and New Year celebrations, hosting charity events.” Oddly the Coachman doesn’t include ‘hunt meets’ in that list. Odd, because the Inn is almost opposite the Derwent Hunt’s kennels and a quick search of the internet shows that the Coachman seems to offer itself to the Derwent on a regular basis – everything from hosting meets, an ‘Empty Saddles’ Dinner way back in 2012, all the way up to Hunt’s 2023 AND 2024 fundraising ‘Christmas Fayre’. A supporter emailed us in October 2024 confirming how hunt -centric the pub was, saying, “Had a meal there (didn’t know what it was at the time). When we went into the bar to pay it was full of people in hunting attire having a drink. Obviously they’d just been on a hunt.”

The Wheatsheaf Inn, Borrowby, North Yorkshire, YO7 4QP

Close to the national park. “The Wheatsheaf Inn is an authentic 17th Century Public House in the village of Borrowby, near Thirsk”. Yet another venue in North Yorkshire with bloodsport links, The Wheatsheaf has a long history of supporting the Hurworth Hunt (which is kenneled at West Rounton, 10 miles to the north). More recently the British Hounds Sport Association (hunting’s so-called governing body) promoted the annual pissed-up ‘rural singsong’ at the pub as recorded in a rather halting, slurred reel on Facebook. Is anyone other than sozzled ‘old boys’ singing nostalgic ditties about killing wildlife welcome at the Wheatsheaf? We don’t know and won’t be popping our heads around the door to find out.

Egton Estate, Egton Bridge, North Yorkshire, YO21 1UY

A 6,000 acre estate which dedicates nearly 5000 acres to pheasant and driven grouse shooting. Egton also offers accommodation and a venue for weddings. The estate, which boasts that it is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), advertises itself as a place for beginner ‘guns’ (or shooters): “Egton Pheasant Shoot can accommodate guns of all abilities with some high bird drives and some confidence builders but all set within outstanding countryside.” The estate’s website promises that “a special atmosphere is created with the ambience of roaring fires, local food and the idyllic river frontage setting”. However, let’s face it, who wants to hear the sound of wildlife being murdered when you’re exchanging vows?

The Grainary/Keasbeck Hill farm, Harwood Dale, North Yorkshire, YO13 0DT

Advertises itself as hosting a “working farm... which has diversified into a well-established and profitable commercial and leisure complex, providing a restaurant/tearooms, farm shop, plant centre, letting bedrooms, holiday cottages & wedding venue.” Hosted a meet by the Derwent Hunt in February 2024, on a day when East Yorkshire Coast Hunt Sabs’ drone recorded illegal hunting.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy the Moors without terrorising local wildlife or being complicit in the hunting and shooting industry. It’s time to reclaim the UK’s wild spaces from hunters and shooters, to take back our right to hike, camp and enjoy the moors while respecting the wildlife that lives there.

• Read ‘National Parks’ in Name only’, our recent article on how the shooting industry is running wild in Britain’s national parks

• Learn about the independent wildlife monitors keeping raptor persecution under close watch in the North Yorkshire National Park.

• If you have info about more businesses in North Yorkshire or elsewhere that are supporting hunting and shooting, you can tip us off here.

NYMNP map via Lencer/Wikimedia Commons. NYMNP sign by Marcus British/Wikimedia Commons. Picture of sheep on moorland by Oeuvre personnelle/Wikimedia Commons.

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