Ministry Of Defence
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:
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do not touch any military items
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wash your hands before you eat
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clean your shoes and boots before you enter your car or home
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read more on Accessing the training estate safely
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