The Gun Range, May 24

I have been fascinated with this location since a little girl, and learning to fish at the reservoir with my late grandparents.
I have always found this area a little creepy, and remember being a teenager and the Melton Times running a front page story on witchcraft and a sheep's head left in a pool of blood in a star on the ground at the side of the water. Being a kid I was hooked on the macabre findings.
This site hasn't long been posted by BG, and our history is probably very similar as there isn't much ,and what there is, is repetitive.
History-
In July 1918 the Midland Railway were asked to modify the "North Sidings" near Asfordby to accommodate a Government Gun Proof Range as requested by the Ministry of Munitions. The range was being built adjacent to these sidings, and a loop was provided by the Midland at the Government's cost, giving a total capacity for the North Sidings of 210 wagons. However a 1938 drawing discounts the loop (as a private siding), showing the capacity to be 186 wagons. The sidings for "Holwell Proof Butts" were further extended at the Government's request at the start of the Second World War - users including the Home Guard. An estimate for the work of £2300 dated October 31st 1939 exists at Kew but alas the siding drawing does not, so I cannot be sure what changes were made, or whether this arrangement of sidings remained in place until the end of 1968. The range became known as Asfordby Gun Range, servicing heavy-calibre guns, but the noise became a major source of annoyance to Asfordby residents. It is possible it fell into disuse for a while, because in 1965, local residents protested at plans by the MOD to reopen it, and a noise muffling tunnel was installed in 1968. When it did close in March 1971, some 70 employees were made redundant. The MOD blamed the closure of the 50year-old range and redundancies on the local residents. The last gun was fired at Asfordby Gun Range in October 1971 in a short ceremony to mark its closure. During the 1980s and 1990s, the badly decaying site was occasionally used for training exercises and now occasionally airsoft shooting days.

Nice report. Always wondered about this place. It's just up from Holwell pumping station, innit?

Really well covered, its cool & under rated place

BikinGlynn said:

Really well covered, its cool & under rated place

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Have to say I did nearly fill my pants when I saw the mannequins

If the range dated back to 1918, then not many NIMBY residents still alive in the 1960s to demand its closure. Reminds me of people buying houses close to airports or preserved railways - then objecting to the noise and/or dirty exhausts of planes and locos.

Loved the atmosphere you captured there, what were the mannequins and tee shirt all about?

It's used as a airsoft shooting loaction a few days a month, must be a prop building. Very unnerving when you don't except it I couldn't think of anything more terrifying than running around there, getting shot at. It's got a very creepy vibe as it is.

The sacks over the heads of the mannequins are particularly unnerving.

Stealthstar79 said:

It's used as a airsoft shooting loaction a few days a month, must be a prop building. Very unnerving when you don't except it I couldn't think of anything more terrifying than running around there, getting shot at. It's got a very creepy vibe as it is.

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A guy called Tank did an explore in a Belgium coal mine building some years ago which was an active airsoft venue. After he got in some "softers" turned up and started popping off... not conducive to a relaxed exploration really! They've also converted one of the Verdun forts so if you get in there you're likely to turn a corridor corner and cop a face full of goop!