SHOOTING AT OULTON BROAD 37 



most energetic gunner would not average six shots a season 

 of six birds each. 



Between Lowestoft and Oulton Broad lies Lake Lothian, 

 once part of the Broad itself, now a tidal estuary with mud 

 flats and what the gunner loves, except marshes and scope. 

 But there is rarely anything here, and it is hardly worth a 

 visit, except, perhaps, in November, when plenty of wind is 

 blowing, or during a hard frost. 



The snipe marshes of " Whitecaste," marked on the rough 

 map before referred to, are quite historic in the annals of the 

 East Anglian hunting-grounds. They belong to the parish, 

 and are let to one person for the litter which grows on them, 

 to another for the shooting. Many years ago the snipe 

 shooting to be obtained here was indeed extraordinary. 

 Twenty years ago it was something to be remembered, and 

 the author can recollect having more than once seen from 

 500 to 1000 snipe on the wing at the same time. During 

 the migration they visited these marshes in hundreds, and 

 wisps of snipe were a common occurrence. 



The rent then was not more than two or three sovereigns, 

 if anything at all was charged, but as the reputation of the 

 ground spread the rent rose accordingly, until no one living 

 in the neighbourhood thought it worth their while to try and 

 hire it. The marsh is not more than forty acres in extent, 

 and it is said u a bet was once made that one could not dig up 

 a square foot of soil without it contained an ounce of shot." 

 We should say this yarn must be taken cum grano salis. 



The rands, bogs and pulk holes to the north of the river 

 and due west from Borrows Ham are now more or less 

 private, but they always were disappointing, rarely yielding 

 anything beyond rails and moorhens. To the west of White- 

 caste lie the poor's marshes, which everyone shoots over, yet 

 snipe are always found there if there are any in the 

 neighbourhood. 



A visitor staying in Oulton Broad who hires a little 

 shooting and is a genial sort of fellow and a keen sportsman, 

 will find he will get more sport than he requires, as every 



