GovWire

Guidance: Public access to military areas

Ministry Of Defence

August 24
08:22 2022

Overview

Location details, opportunities and restrictions for accessing military owned land in the UK.

Please read the safety information before accessing a military site. In addition further information on access restrictions can be found on the MOD byelaws page and the firing notices.

Health and safety reminder for all military training areas and ranges:

Further safety guidance for dog walkers can be found in our safety guide, Your dog and you on MOD land

EAST ENGLAND

East region firing times
East Anglia byelaws
East Midlands byelaws

Barton Road

Location

The site is located southwest of Cambridge, between Barton and Comberton.

Site description

This site is a small rifle range, in the undulating countryside of Cambridgeshire.

Access restrictions

The training area is used for live firing. When red flags (day) or red lights (night) are displayed, access is prohibited to the Range Danger Area.

Access opportunities

A small network of public rights of way, including the locally promoted Whitwell Way, (open at all times) connect the local villages across fields.

Further information

Contact the Commandant 01206 736149.
East region firing times.

Beckingham training area

Location

East of Newark-on-Trent, near the village of Beckingham.

Site description

An area of grassland lying in the floodplain of the River Witham where the waterlogged fields in winter and sympathetic management has resulted in a rich variety of wild plants. In addition to enjoying the plants you will also find a wide range of insects and some interesting birds. The site is adjacent to Stapleford Wood.

Access restrictions

The training area is used for live firing. There is no access at any time to the live firing danger area.

Access opportunities

There is a network of public rights of way mainly in the western area of the site. Please keep to these rights of way and do not stray off them.

Further information

Live firing notices are issued to local parishes and the police. For further information, contact the Range Office on 01636 626271.
East region firing times.

Fingringhoe ranges

Location

South of Colchester, in the Colne Estuary.

Site description

This is a remote area, south of Colchester, with much of the site below sea level, consisting of reclaimed wetland and marsh. The site extends out into the Colne Estuary, renowned as one of Essexs prettiest estuaries, with attractive waterside communities and contrasting landscapes of woodland, fields and marshes.

The marshland area of Fingringhoe Ranges is part of the Colne Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is also designated a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area (SPA). There is a nature reserve to the north east of the site.

Access restrictions

The training area is used for live firing: there is no access at any time to the Range Danger Area.

Access opportunities

A public right of way follows the northern and western boundaries of the site.

Further information

Contact the commandant on 01206 736149.
East region firing times.
Essex byelaws.

Middlewick Ranges & Friday Woods Training Area

Location

On the southern perimeter of Colchester.

Site description

Colchester is a large garrison town. Middlewick Ranges and Friday Woods Training Area are to the south of the town and include both live firing ranges and areas used for dry training, not involving live firing.

The areas are a mixture of woodland, arable cropping, and grassland, incorporating Donyland Woods. Some of the land is designated as part of the Roman River Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Access restrictions

The training area is used for live firing. When red flags (day) or red lights (night) are displayed, access is prohibited to the Range Danger Area.

Access opportunities

Public rights of way, including footpaths and bridleways, run through parts of the ranges and training area.

The Friday Woods Dry Training Area is a very popular area for local dog walkers. Please see details of a walk around Friday Woods.

Further information

Contact the Commandant on 01206 736149.
East region firing times.

Watton Brook

Location

Stanford training area consists of almost 11,000 hectares of heath, woodland and farmland used for a wide range of army training activities, including live firing.

Access restrictions

When red flags (day) or red lights (night) are displayed, access is prohibited. Visitors should check access times with the Range Control before visiting.

Further information

For information on access times call 01842 855367 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).


WEST ENGLAND

West Midlands firing times
West Midlands byelaws

Kingsbury Ranges

Location

Kingsbury Ranges are in North Warwickshire, 4 miles south of Tamworth, near the villages of Piccadilly, Kingsbury and Wood End.

Site description

The landscape of the rifle ranges at Kingsbury is gently undulating, with areas of grassed over spoil heaps, a relict of historic coal mining activity, and Kingsbury Wood; a broad leaved/mixed woodland, which has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Access restrictions

When the ranges are used for live firing, red flags (day) or red lights (night) are displayed: access is prohibited.

Access opportunities

There are 2 footpaths in the south east of the area, and the area north of the tramway contains 2 other public footpaths. These are outside the Range Danger Area and are always accessible.

Further information

For updated information on firing at Kingsbury Ranges phone:
Operations Room: 01874 635599 (24 hours)
Helpdesk: 0800 0223334 (24 hours)
Kingsbury Range: 01827 873012 or 07881 848323
Main Office: 01785 763127
Kingsbury firing times.

Leek and Upper Hulme

Location

Leek and Upper Hulme Training Areas are in North Staffordshire, 5 miles north of the town of Leek.

Site description

The Training Area is around 500 metres above sea level and the landscape is a mixture of pasture and rugged open moorland, over-lapped by the Peak District National Park. The land is a mixture of MOD freehold, lea

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