September 8th – I headed back to explore more of Hopwas Hays Wood, this time approaching from the bridleway across the old ranges. I stopped to check out the biggest one, which now seems derelict (although may not be). The dug-out and hand mechanisms for target raising are still there, although the mechanics are inhibited with catenary clamps. On the concrete slab roof of the dugout, locked hatches would seem to be covering an automatic target mechanism. It’s certainly fairly complicated, as armoured cables with lots of cores are cut off in the dugout, which seemed to connect them to the plant room at the end. A discarded optic sensor lies on top, together with some kind of equipment ID tags.

The sand-barrier to the rear is full of rabbit warrens and seems to be in process of being levelled by weather erosion. 

When I was young, I kept well clear of here. You could regularly hear machine gun fire from these ranges, but now the squaddies have gone, I wonder what’ll become of this stuff and the nearby assault course?