# Rifle Range, Burton on Trent



## ashless (Apr 8, 2008)

Taken from http://www.british-history.ac.uk 

"A rifle club, newly-established in 1852, probably formed the nucleus of the Rifle Volunteer Corps set up in 1859. The marquess of Anglesey provided a shooting range at the north end of Burton meadow. When the volunteers were assigned to line regiments in 1883, Burton became the headquarters of a battalion of the Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire) Regiment, later a Territorial Army unit. "

This huge, almost monolithic structure sits at the northern end of Burton Meadow, graffiti free as it's pretty much out of chavving range. Amazing to think it's still there 150 odd years later.

On the approach.






Closer...





Strange period telegraph poles, rolled sheet and riveted.





10 sec timer then run like buggery to get the sense of scale, i'm about 5' 8" 





Dents





Plenty of shots picking out the brickwork, oops! You're supposed to aim for the big metal bit chaps! 





Side rooms in the structure





Target lifting/moving device? There is a gap above the pulleys for wires to run across the firing range





The upper floor had seen better days...





Viewed from the upper doorway





Bullets can be found all over the ground outside, big copper jacketed painful looking ones! The middle one was a beauty with the rifling marks still on it.





View from the back


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## crashmatt (Apr 8, 2008)

Nice find there, chief!

BTW, you don't happen to know how to dive, do you?


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## Foxylady (Apr 8, 2008)

That's really unusual and very interesting. Excellent report and pics, ashless. Enjoyed that.


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## fezzyben (Apr 8, 2008)

cool pics dude, you can see that place for miles


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## Richard Davies (Apr 8, 2008)

There used to be something like this near Great Dalby, not sure if it's still there.


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## johno23 (Apr 8, 2008)

Nice one mate,that thing looks massively massive in comparison to little you,
an unusual explore


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## Neosea (Apr 9, 2008)

Excellent, looks like some poor shots, those bullets are in too good a shape to have hit anything


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## Kaputnik (Apr 9, 2008)

Nice pics, there's a big monolithic wall that i was told was part of a rifle range, near the golf course at milford nr belper, derby's too.
just near the run of ancient coach road that at one time was the road to derby, there's also a decaying red brick tower at the end of the old road (more of a rough track really) which was a sighting tower used when the rail line was built, worth lookin at if you find yourself up that way


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## King Al (Apr 9, 2008)

Cool explore, nice and different


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## smileysal (Apr 9, 2008)

WOW, that wall is huge, excellent pics. Really great to see the holes in the wall higher up where they missed (that doesn't give confidence in their shooting skills does it lmao).

Excellent find, like it. Very unusual.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## ashless (Apr 9, 2008)

JOHNO23 said:


> that thing looks massively massive in comparison to little you



It's called being vertically challenged i'll have you know! 

Thanks all, makes it all worth almost being eaten alive by the local farmers 3 snarling sheepdogs!


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## Dirus_Strictus (Apr 9, 2008)

smileysal said:


> WOW, that wall is huge, excellent pics. Really great to see the holes in the wall higher up where they missed (that doesn't give confidence in their shooting skills does it lmao).
> 
> Sal



It is worth remembering, that the troops who practised on ranges such as this in 1913, had the Germans believing in 1914, that their 'Ten Rounds-Rapid Fire' was in fact machine gun fire. Such was the accuracy and density of fire.

I have had the privilege of owning and using many large calibre rifles. However my favorite has to be a SMLE Mk111, given to me by an old Bisley member many years ago. Even for a naturally lefthanded shooter, it is perfectly balanced.

As for the actual remains of the range - I have a feeling that much of the earthworks, in front of the metal bullet stop has been removed. Bullet splash from the metal backstop, would have made life interesting for anybody using the doorway in the side! Also - the target mechanism exposed to the firing line would have been shot to pieces, if the range was used as we see it now.


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## smileysal (Apr 9, 2008)

oooooooh cheers DS for that info. 

 Sal


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## ThenewMendoza (Apr 9, 2008)

There's one of these in Dukinfield, Tameside (that's Manchester, near where Harold Shipman prowled).

Sadly it merely consists of a bloody big wall, without the side rooms, think it dates from the 19th century.

Interesting stuff you found there, though.

TnM


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## MD (Apr 16, 2008)

ashless
have you got a flash earth link for this site id love to see it.
cheers matt


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