Ministry Of Defence
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Accessing the training estate safely
Braunton Burrows Training Area
Location
The training area is located on the peninsula southwest of Braunton, North Devon, with Barnstaple and Bideford Bay to the west, the Taw and Torridge Estuary to the south and Braunton Marshes to the east.
Site description
The site is a complex dune system and beach managed by the Christies Estate, which is leased by the MOD to conduct dismounted, vehicle, surf and helicopter training.
Access restrictions
Appropriate signage is displayed to warn the public of military training.
The MOD employs staff to manage public safety where appropriate.
Access opportunities
The public can access the site from several points and paths. Parking is available at Sandy Lane car park.
Contact
- MOD Training Safety Officer: 01395 277891
- Duty officer: 07870 377807 (out of hours and weekends)
Related information
Dartmoor Training Area
Location
Dartmoor Training Area, Devon, comprises Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy Ranges which are used for live firing and training on foot.
Site description
Military training has taken place on Dartmoor since the early 1800s. Today the MOD uses around 11,000 hectares of Dartmoor National Parks 94,400 hectares.
Access restrictions
When the ranges are used for live firing, red flags (day) or red lights (night) are displayed and access is prohibited.
The ranges are subject to Devon byelaws. Land where MOD byelaws apply is excluded from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. Range Danger Areas (RDAs) are not depicted as public access land on Ordnance Survey maps.
Access opportunities
There is access land and a limited network of public rights of way across the training area.
Guaranteed access periods are published here:Dartmoor guaranteed public access.
Contact
- Telephone: 0800 458 4868 (free) or 01837 657210
Related information
Langport Range and dry training area
Location
Langport Range is located on Paradise Lane just north of Langport, Somerset.
Site description
The range consists of a 600 yd, 8-lane Gallery Range (GR), open farmland and Great Breach Wood.
The training area is used for dismounted, vehicle and helicopter training, and is marked with appropriate MOD signage and warning flags.
Access restrictions
When the range is used for live firing, red flags are displayed, access is strictly prohibited and all public rights of way are closed.
Access opportunities
Access through the training area is only permitted along the limited public rights of way during non-firing periods.
Contact
- MOD Training Safety Officers/Site Range Control: 01458 250255 or 01395277891
- Duty officer: 07870 377807 (out of hours and weekends)
Related information
Langport Range and dry training area firing times
Lulworth Ranges
Mupe Bay warning: stay clear of the north half of the beach at Mupe Bay for your safety. Due to the possibility of rock fall you are strongly advised to observe warning signs in the area.
Location
Lulworth Ranges are located on the south coast of Dorset, between Weymouth and Poole.
Site description
The ranges cover more than 2,830 hectares. The area is both a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
As with most of the Dorset coastline, this area has high geological interest. There is a mixture of limestone, chalk sands and clays, and in many places you can see clear distinctions between the different ages of rock strata.
Access restrictions
When the ranges are used for live firing, red flags (day) or red lights (night) are displayed and access is prohibited.
Access opportunities
Public access is permitted along the Dorset Coast Path running through the area, and several circular walks within the ranges.
There is car parking available at Whiteway and Tyneham and picnic facilities at Whiteway car park. Worbarrow Beach is also open to the public when the ranges are open.
Contact
- Telephone: 01929 404714
Related information
Penhale Camp
Location
Penhale Camp and training area is located on the North Cornwall coast, south of Newquay, between Holywell and Perranporth.
Site description
Penhale is a designated SSSI and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). There are two Scheduled Ancient Monuments: an Iron Age promontory fort on Penhale Point and Bronze Age barrows on Ligger Point. The sand dune system is also renowned for its beauty, with some of the highest dunes in the country.
The camp is on the coast of North Cornwall overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and is used by the armed forces and cadets for training.
Access restrictions
There is no permitted public access south and southwest of the dunes, except for the designated South West Coast Path.
Access opportunities
Access is only permitted along the South West Coast Path which follows the seaward edge of the training area. The rocky headland is open access land.
Contact
- Telephone: 01637 832001
Salisbury Plain Training Area
Location
Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) is located north of Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Site description
The currentSPTAestate is just over 38,000 hectares and occupies about one ninth of Wiltshire. It is the largest area of chalk grassland in northwest Europe, and contains 40% of this remaining habitat in the UK.
Around 20,000 of the areas hectares are a designated SSSI; a SAC and a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds.
SPTA also has around 2,300 archaeological sites, with Roman settlements that date back to 4000 BC. The area has one of the highest concentrations of ancient long and round barrows in Britain.
Access restrictions
When the training areas are used for live firing or major exercises, red flags (day) or red lights (night) are displayed and access is prohibited.
Access to Imber Range is out of bounds whether the flags/lights are displayed or not. Imber is subject to the Imber Ranges Byelaws 1963.
Bulford and Larkhill Ranges are subject to the Bulford Ranges Byelaws 1970 and Larkhill Artillery Range Byelaws 1965.
All green space is subject to the Salisbury Plain Military Lands Byelaws 1981.
Access opportunities
A network of public rights of way provide access across the training area.
Access to Imber Village and Imber Church is permit