A wild pheasant shoot at Deeping St Nicholas has been named the winner of the coveted Silver Award at the 2013 Purdey Awards for Game and Conservation.
Nicholas Watts, from Vine House Farm, received the award and a cheque for £3,000 at the annual ceremony in London.
The award was presented to Nicholas for his “outstanding wild game and habitat management” at Vine House Farm.
Since 2010, Vine House Farm has employed a full time keeper, whose determined vermin control has seen the farm’s wild pheasant populations treble, and songbird species flourish.
Visiting judges noted several key habitat improvements, such as 35km of new, open cultivated strips under environment stewardship schemes, introduction of double hedge plantings and changing local fen drainage board policy to allow single bank moving of dykes.
Nicholas also won the Purdey Silver Award in 2002.