Houghall student, Sharon Peel Hillam, tells us her story on how she became Raby Estates very first female volunteer gamekeeper!
Originally from West Yorkshire, I moved to Durham with my parents aged about 2 years old in 1985 but I still used to visit the family on 'Latham Farm' often over the years with my Grandparent's to visit my Great Grandmother and other family members in the company of my sister Alex. Being from a farming background, I also used to visit my Great Uncle too (John Hillam – farmer and former stock car racing driver) who is famous for the rotating barrel spreader who has been an agricultural machine manufacturer for over 45 years.
Fast forward to September 2022 and I decided to go back into education. I made enquiries at a college open day and signed up to a course at Houghall College in Durham there and then! My tutor Adam Crolla now teaches my fellow student friends, alongside myself, an Advanced Technical Diploma in Land and Wildlife Management, Level 3.
I have always been more of a kinesthetic learner and more hands on so I enjoy practical tasks in the outdoors in contrary to theory based classroom work. I know one thing for sure; that I personally don't wish to pursue a future job that involved sitting in an office, as it just isn't for me. I enjoy college as we learn an array of different things from how to build revetments near river banks, how to survey areas of land, ecology, history, environmental impact, demand and provision, countryside recreation, threats to habitats, conservation value & efforts, succession, human impact and so much more.
As part of the course students are required to carry out voluntary work so I approached the Head Gamekeeper (Andrew Hyslop) at Raby Estates who said I could help out and learn more about the moors on a weekly basis. Having already been involved with country pursuits and gundogs in the past, it was nice to throw myself back into this line of work albeit in a different way. I feel like I am making a small difference at Raby Estates and learning along the way, all whilst being outdoors on the moors. We have an upcoming module in Deer Management at college and I learn a lot about this (at Raby Estates) so my voluntary position there goes hand in hand with it, amongst the magnificent countryside and expansive moorland. I must say, the topography is absolutely astounding thanks to Andrew and his underkeeper’s managing the land to conserve the heather moors. Without their joint efforts there would be very little in the lines of a vast array of ground nesting birds, upland waders and the likes.
There is so much more to Game keeping than meets the eye. Every day is different and it's very diverse which really serves me well. There is a heavy emphasis on conservation strategies, predator and pest control. Without the land being managed, the likes of succession and ecological degradation would eventually take over, not to mention the lack of symbiosis, biodiversity and potential extirpation of flora and fauna (e.g.: like moss, which is a pioneer species) to an absolute vast array of different habitats and species, a lot of which are rare, conserved, protected and some even amongst sites of special scientific interest (SSSI).
I especially enjoy being able to identify the rare Black Grouse (Tetrao Tetrix) foraging as they reside in their rich natural habitat living in mutualism alongside other species in the area. Nothing makes me happier than knowing that I have helped manage sustainability on the moorland so we all have awe-inspiring sights to see and so that we can achieve ecological balance.
A typical day at Raby Estates will involve me helping to fill and load bags of wheat onto the Polaris to distribute to the pheasant feeder drums, deer stalking (being in attendance, in season), checking traps for vermin like stoats, heather burning / cutting and placing the medicated grit on the moors for the Grouse, so as to create rich habitats for an abundance of wildlife to flourish and thrive. In season I’ve helped out on a few Grouse shoots flanking. It’s a nice community to be amongst and I enjoy meeting new people and watching the Gundogs retrieving birds too.
As of late I have seen a stunning Barn Owl who is a lovely resident in the area which I see often and I await a nesting box that I have placed an order for so I look forward to putting that up.
There is a great misconception that people who are involved in these lines of work and types of community are amongst those that are mostly wealthy, upper class people. I am not one of those people. I just feel like I am of the lads, like 'the girl next door' who enjoys a bit of a different lifestyle who 'isn't your average' stereotypical woman. I am passionate about the countryside and would hope to maybe one day teach people about why it is so important to conserve it. Upper Teesdale is a beautiful place where I’m based and I enjoy being part of a great team working there. You can always near guarantee to see four seasons in a day especially at this time of the year!
I recently raised £392.50 by walking 135 miles within 30 days for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNASS) and I’m grateful to all of my sponsors. I did this as they provide a much needed public service for the likes of pioneering pre-hospital care to the scene of severely injured and ill patients every year and they are funded from people like me. One day we may need their help on the moors, however I hope none of us do.
If I don't work hard to try and inspire others then the public and generations to come will be none the wiser in relation to what moorland managers and Gamekeepers in rural areas do. Unfortunately, apparently there aren't many of us left.
I have a lot to be thankful for, I am indebted to my educators for teaching me what I now know, but if only I could tell all of my Grandparent’s what I am up to now. They’re no longer here and I won’t stop until I think they’re proud.
