The May issue of The Field celebrates the landscapes of our country and those who manage, farm and revere them.

The past and present collide for Miles Malone when he spends a day with the gun of conservationist, beloved author and wildfowler Denys Watkins-Pitchford – best known as BB.

As the simulated shooting season gets into swing, The Field compiles some of the best – from Hollywood-worthy settings to those a stone’s throw from town. Meanwhile, Ian Saberton traces the rise of the gun as the sporting gentleman’s weapon of choice.

Roger Field takes a trip down memory lane to fish the River Coln – after 40 years – with an old pal from the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, as Octavia Pollock celebrates the unsung heroes of the countryside who volunteer hours of their time to sustain our sport and way of life.

Minette, Baroness Batters, trailblazing former president of the National Farmers’ Union, talks to Madeleine Silver about life on the farm, her youth riding racehorses and her hopes for the years ahead. Estate succession and keeping it in the family is a hot topic: Rupert Bates speaks to those planning for the future.

Our native rare breeds have helped carve out our landscape. Mary Skipworth highlights four for their value to farming and biodiversity. And talking of leaving a mark, England’s chalk figures have fascinated for generations.

As the second series of Rivals hits television screens, one-time neighbour of Jilly Cooper Sybilla Hart lifts the lid of the real ‘Rutshire’, plus Sir Johnny Scott looks at the life of legendary huntsman ‘Ikey Bell’ and Nick Herbert takes the wheel of the Polaris Ranger, the gamekeepers’ favourite, and much, much more.

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