Best clayshooting grounds in the UK (according to our reviewers)

Clayshooting is increasingly popular as people want to enjoy an outdoor sport that is healthy, inclusive and accessible.

Whether you’re a keen clayshooter who enjoys the challenge of the different clay disciplines or whether you’re first and foremost a game shooter who likes to keep their eye in out of season, here’s our round up of some of the best clayshooting grounds in the UK.

All of the ones listed below have been chosen because our reviewers have tried them out in person and report that these grounds will provide an excellent introduction to the sport with top class tuition, whilst offering experienced Shots a challenging experience.

An instructor at Bisley

Bisley 

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: Sporting, grouse butts
• High Tower: 250 ft

Bisley won Gold for best shooting ground in our recent 2020 Shooting Awards. It emerged as a clear winner with fans applauding the first rate instruction, superb grounds and welcoming clubhouse.

The Surrey site offers two grounds; Cottesloe Heath for individuals or groups with an instructor and Long Siberia. Cottesloe Heath benefits from the 1865 Victorian Clubhouse, and one of the highest clay towers in the country. A grouse layout offers a line of well-established butts. Long Siberia offers the experienced shot 23 automated stands to take themselves round without an instructor.

Ian Coley Sporting, Gloucestershire

Good for high bird shooting

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: Sporting, DTL, grouse butts
• High Tower: 120 ft

The course here has some very challenging stands which is why it makes our list and Ian Coley himself has a reputation for high bird shooting.  Definitely one of the best clayshooting grounds because it was awarded Silver in the recent Shooting Awards, voted for by readers of Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, Shooting Gazette and Shooting UK.

Beginners are welcome at the shooting school, shotgun licence holders can use the pay and play practice area whilst corporate days are very popular.

Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds, Ruislip

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: Sporting, grouse butts

Also a finalist in the Shooting Awards 2020. If you’re a traditional type you will love this splendidly appointed ground in north west London. You approach through a tree-lined entrance which leads to a smart modern lodge with 60 acres of sweeping grassland and woodland. Extraordinary to think that the bustle of London is under 15 miles away. There are sporting shooting stands to satisfy every need. From high pheasants to driven partridge, with some thrilling grouse butts thrown in for good measure, there is something for all types of game shooter here which is why it deserves its place on our list of of best clayshooting grounds. If you are a rifle shooter then you are in safe hands with some of the best people in the business – you can try out the new indoor ‘cinema’ style rifle range. This place has history, style and class.

Park Lodge Shooting School, East Yorkshire

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: Olympic skeet, English skeet, DTL, Automatic Ball Trap, English Sporting Targets
• High Tower: 98 ft and 137 ft

Set in 44 acres of open land near Cowick between the M62 and M18, the quality of its clubhouse alone should be the envy of shooting grounds nationwide. We called it “a cross between an ultra-modern barn conversion and a smart conference centre” containing a shop that “wouldn’t be out of place in the Victoria Quarter in Leeds”. The school offers testing sporting targets for those seeking to brush up their skills, but is equally welcoming to guns of all abilities.

Dovey Valley, central Wales 

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: English Sporting, Automatic Ball Trap, Skeet and DTL

Shooting Awards 2020 finalist. An experienced Shot would enjoy an intense simulated day here. The grounds welcome newcomers to clayshooting and will also take a long look at your technique if you need to sharpen up your skills. Clayshooting days are also organised for companies and groups of friends.

Bywell Shooting Ground, Northumberland

Shooting Awards 2020 finalist. A shooting ground that is a great place to stop if you are travelling north or south on the A1. But even if you are not heading this way, people in the know travel from miles and miles to enjoy the offering in the extremely well stocked gunroom here. The range of new and pre-owned shotguns caters for game shooters with particular tastes and Bywell has a reputation for delivering exactly what demanding customers want. On top of that the gun-fitting, repairs and servicing here are also highly recommended.

West London Shooting School, Northolt

You are guaranteed a warm welcome at West London Shooting School

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: Sporting, grouse butts
• High Tower: 40ft to 130ft

Finalist in the Shooting Awards 2020.  If you’re a Londoner and want to learn to shoot or improve then you’ll find this award-winning shooting ground the perfect place to learn. Despite being just off the M40, within an hour of town, it’s extremely peaceful.

Make sure you make time for lunch or tea in the welcoming clubhouse. Instructor Mark Heath regularly reviews guns for Shooting Times.

Shooting instructor at Lady’s Wood

Lady’s Wood, Gloucestershire

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: Sporting
• High Tower: 225 ft

Another finalist in the Shooting Awards 2020. This clay ground and shooting school is in a picture perfect setting and offers easy access from both the M4 and M5, not far from Bristol and Bath. The shooting stands are set in 65 acres of natural woodland.

Immaculately well-kept shooting grounds with a large variety of sporting traps can simulate anything from a bolting rabbit to a long distance pheasant thrown from the 120ft high tower, which is something for which the shooting school is particularly well known.

West Kent Shooting School, Kent

Recent investment has seen significant improvement at West Kent.

• Beginners: Yes
• High birds: Yes
• Layouts: English Sporting
• High Tower: 100ft

In 20 acres of partially wooded and landscaped grounds, West Kent Shooting School offers a comprehensive English Sporting layout with over 100 different combination of targets, including a 100ft Raywing High Tower.

In this natural setting both novices and experts will enjoy extensive shooting. The School offers individuals, couples and family memberships.

Auchterhouse Country Sports, Dundee

Drew Christie in action at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Auchterhouse was voted Scotland’s Favourite Shooting Ground and 2nd in the UK for 2017. It is run by the Christie Family, and son Drew Christie represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and won a silver medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014. They host a number of clay shooting competitions in skeet and some trap disciplines but also have a testing compact layout and 12 sporting stands. The newly installed Promatic Card System means visitors have free rein to shoot what they please. With plenty of other corporate activities, a restaurant and country clothing store this shooting ground is well respected in the local area and the family-run atmosphere really sets it apart.

West Midlands Shooting Ground, Shropshire

The grounds have been established since 1934 and are situated just 13 miles north of Telford in the heart of Shropshire. The shooting ground has a network of well-maintained paths leading to 80 plus stands, boasting over 200 clay pigeon traps.

The Scandinavian log cabin, built in 1984, was the first of its kind on a shooting ground in Britain. Having served the business well for 30 years, it has recently been extended to cope with the growing business. The facilities now include three function rooms, a gun shop, open café and restaurant. This shooting ground considered to one of the very finest of its kind.

Grimsthorpe Shooting Ground, Lincolnshire

Shooting Awards finalist 2020 and voted Clay Pigeon Shooting Association Ground of the Year 2019. So certainly one of the best clayshooting grounds around. The club has a reputation of being friendly and giving newcomers an excellent introduction to the sport of clayshooting. On the other hand an experienced Shot will have their capabilities stretched. There is also a ladies shooting club which meets once a month.

Barbury Shooting School, Wiltshire

Barbury enjoys a peacefully rural location by the Marlborough Downs.

Nestled into the foot of the Marlborough Downs just a few minutes from Junction 15 of the M4, this picturesque shooting ground is open every day of the week. Despite its proximity to one of the UK’s busiest motorways, it is loaded with rural charm.

With a full range of simulated days to offer in the surrounding area, as well as all the shooting at the ground, game shooters are at the forefront of the offering here. And they are guaranteed a warm welcome from the experienced and friendly team.

EJ Churchill, Buckinghamshire

George Digweed teaching his eponymous method at the EJ Churchill shooting school

The EJ Churchill clayshooting ground won bronze in the 2020 Shooting Awards. An hour to the west of London it offers fantastic facilities for all visitors. Over 120 clayshooting stands and 6 clayshooting disciplines offer the shooter excellent opportunities for practice and tuition is excellent. Many of the EJ Churchill shooting instructors have been trained in the George Digweed method by the great man himself so if your shooting is slightly lacking then that’s certainly something to try.

Novices are welcome as well as experienced clayshooters.

Oxford Gun Company, Oxfordshire

Plenty of smiles on display at the Oxford Gun Company.

A finalist in the Shooting Awards 2020. The Florent family is at the beating heart of this energetic shooting ground not far from the M40 as it carves through the Oxfordshire countryside. Doug, Shirley and son David work hard to ensure the shooting ground continues to deliver the goods to existing customers while going the extra mile to encourage newcomers into the sport. The Schools Challenge and the University Championships are just two examples of the great work they do to ensure the future of shooting.

Best clayshooting grounds for charity days – Royal Berkshire Shooting School, Berkshire

This high-end shooting ground has long been established as a conduit between the City of London and the world of shooting, but it is a lot more than that. Dylan Williams and his long-serving team of experts in their field have almost cornered the high-end charity shoot market, delivering millions of pounds into a wide spectrum of worthy causes. Raise money at one of the beset clayshooting grounds and have fun at the same time.