Moscar Lodge (S.Yorks)

“Veiled within the undulating topography of the peak district lies Moscar Lodge. We consider the lodge to be every countryman’s paradise, retaining period charm whilst providing modern amenities to rival any upmarket hotel.” So what would bring a ‘countryman’ – almost a metaphor for someone with a passion for wildlife and rural landscapes – to the expensive and newly-renovated Moscar Lodge? Shooting. According to The Lodge’s website “Moscar Lodge sits within 6,000 acres of enchanting Moorland for you and your houseguests to explore”, but the more prosaic truth is that the Lodge overlooks the burnt out and knackered SSSI Moscar Moor. Moscar Moor is owned by David Manners, the Duke of Rutland (whose Belvoir Castle, a shooting estate and home to the Belvoir Hunt, is also listed on bloodbusiness.info), and is perhaps the archetype of a modern grouse moor – a huge grouse farm (with surprisingly few grouse) ringed by snares and traps and patrolled by gamekeepers who act like local ‘hard men’ and – unless you are staying at the likes of Moscar Lodge – eye visitors with all the warmth of a chest freezer. It is a grim, almost wildlife-free site that any genuine ‘countryman’ (at least, one who actually understands and loves the countryside) would find incredibly depressing. If you’re just going there to kill what’s left of the local wildlife, though, perhaps not so much…