Palé Hall: An Amphitheatre of Shooting?

“My favourite part of the day,” says Luke Selby, Chef Partner at Palé Hall in North Wales, “is the moment when everyone is back in the lodge after a great day in the field, the fire going, a glass of something strong in hand, reliving those special moments from the day.”

Palé Hall, a luxurious 22-room Victorian country house hotel in Snowdonia, has a long shooting heritage. In 1954 the 4th Duke of Westminster purchased the surrounding estate, emphasising its value for rural pursuits. Having been converted into a hotel in the early part of this century, the estate and hotel have been in the hands of new owners Anthony and Donna Cooper-Barney, who partnered with Luke to help make it a one-stop shop for understated luxury, fine dining, relaxation and adventure.

Lying within the stunning Dee Valley with the Berwyn mountains as a backdrop, driven game shooting, fly fishing and simulated shooting form a major element of the hotel’s offering. Luke is himself a keen game shot, and describes the shoot’s philosophy as one of care and attention to detail. Formerly of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Hide and Evelyn’s Table (where he earned a Michelin star), Luke and his team joins the team of guns on shoot days, ensuring everyone enjoys exceptional hospitality throughout. He’s the mastermind behind the lavish elevenses, served from RAMBO, a six-wheeled Land Rover Defender with a full bar in the back, as well as the hearty shoot lunches.

Game from the shoot and other local ingredients feature heavily on both the elevenses and shoot lunch menus. Wild game consommé, spiced partridge samosas and Kentucky Fried Pheasant are all hits with the guns at elevenses, Luke reports, while lunch is cooked over an open fire. On the other side of the line, the team is equally well qualified: Danny Hoskins, formerly of Llechweddygarth, is Head Keeper. “He’s a man who knows how to show a high bird!” says Luke.

The shooting extends over two areas. At Betws Gwerfil Goch, where the Alwen winds its way down the valley, the steep banks are lined with oak woods, the terrain could have been custom-built for high bird shooting. “It’s almost theatrical, the landscape,” says Luke. “My favourite drive is one we haven’t named yet but which I think we should call ‘Coliseum’. You can hear the river rushing behind you, and the beaters coming through the cover, you’re surrounded by the mountains; it's a proper amphitheatre of shooting.”

Closer to the hotel, at Blaen y Cwm, the landscape is different, but no less dramatic. It is more suited to showing some more accessible pheasants, as well as partridge which Luke’s tone of voice suggests are pretty memorable.

Elsewhere on the estate, the team can offer a full simulated clay package, featuring drives that mimic driven grouse, high pheasants and traditional partridge shooting.

Most visiting guns choose to make a stay of it, combining a day’s shooting with everything Palé Hall has to offer. From the hotel’s health and wellness facilities to fine dining in the Henry Robertson Dining Room, a drink in the Huntsman Bar or the new Whisky Lounge, and an extensive wine cellar, there’s plenty to enjoy beyond the field. “Our next team has booked out the entire hotel,” says Luke.

For those looking to experience exceptional driven game shooting alongside outstanding hospitality, Palé Hall offers a memorable sporting escape in the heart of North Wales. A limited number of private shoot days remain available this season, with bespoke packages combining sport, fine dining and luxury accommodation. Find out more here.