From Marsh to Fen and Field - Stuart Hay
“There is no habitat in Lincolnshire which can truly be described as natural unless it be the sandy and muddy foreshores of the coast....
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Andrew Elsden - exploring stories, tales , rural and social issues past and present as I see them and sharing useful information.
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Jul 311 min read
Sidebar - Marsh Fen and Town - Ethics of Wildfowling
Today's post is a sidebar to my book Marsh Fen and Town, South Lincolnshire and Beyond - in this case a consideration of the ethics of...
Jun 283 min read
Whittlesey Meer - Punt gunning on a sledge
In 1876 JM Heathcote describes the use of a stalking sledge on Whittlesea Mere and at the same time related a curious way of pursuing...
Jun 262 min read
Marsh Fen & Town Sidebar - An early guide to wildfowling techniques.
Every so often I will post bits from my research and notes that I referred to but did not make it into my book Marsh Fen and Town, South...
Jun 242 min read
Washland Punt Gunning
The inland punt-gunner was a rare beast that was typically found in the Fenlands of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, but was also seen in...
Jun 182 min read
Marsh Fen & Town Sidebar - Wildfowlers and Wildfowl in Verse
Every so often I will post bits from my research anf notes that did not make it into my book Marsh Fen and Town, South Lincolnshire and...
Jun 172 min read
Wildfowlers Observations, Tails and Tall Stories - Part 5
A Day on the Marsh (Or never trust a stranger if he lets you buy the ale). There I sat quietly drinking my ale When this fellow Wells...
Jun 144 min read
Wildfowlers Observations, Tails and Tall Stories - Part 4
Joining a wildfowling club around the Wash could be a challenging experience. All had limited memberships and certainly up to the 1990’s...
Jun 106 min read
Wildfowlers Observations, Tails and Tall Stories - Part 3
It is not often that wildfowlers get a second chance when making a mistake with water, the elements, dogs and guns all providing their...
Jun 35 min read
Wildfowlers Observations, Tails and Tall Stories - Part 1
I have enjoyed many evenings at various venues around the Wash from Heacham to Boston, listening to wildfowlers telling their tales....
May 3111 min read
Men of Marsh and Mud Part 3 - More Local Wildfowlers
The mallard duck is now a common site in Spalding, yet this may not have been the case if it wasn’t for the likes of Tony Creasey his...
May 276 min read
Men of Marsh and Mud Part 2 - Tony Creasey and the early days of Spalding Wildfowling Club
In 1986 I joined Spalding and District Wildfowlers Association, initially to provide a legitimate purpose for me obtaining a shot gun...
May 248 min read
Men of Marsh and Mud The Foreshore Wildfowler -Part 1 Kenzie Thorpe
In 1986 I experienced my first trip down the marsh with a gun. Whilst young and enthusiastic I was a rubbish wildfowler. I shot nothing...
Sep 21, 20224 min read
Memories of an old Spalding Wildfowler the late Ken Burton.
Wildfowlers have a great love of nature and observe it with interest both within and outside their shooting activities. Ken Burton, one...
Mar 27, 20221 min read
A Puntgunners Tale
There is a type of elegance in the observations of the Victorian sportsman, and whilst “offpatch” in Scotland I find this account by E.T....
Sep 3, 20216 min read
Warnings from the past of the dangers of wildfowling
1st September saw the start of the wildfowling season. It is possibly one of the purest and most challenging forms of field sport still...
Jul 10, 20217 min read
A Tale of Kenzie Thorpe the Wild Goose Man of Sutton Bridge
Any one that enquires about wildfowling in The Wash will soon hear of the name Kenzie. MacKenzie Thorpe was a poacher, wildfowler, marsh...
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