East Weare Rifle Range

East Weare Rifle Range is a disused rifle range on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. The range is situated within the area of East Weares, the east side of Portland, and sat below HM Prison Portland. It remains close to Portland Harbour, and is also known as the Naval Rifle Range.

The range became a scheduled monument in October 2015. The majority of the site remains in good condition. The main part of the site features the monumental stone stop butt. The sloping back stop is infilled with earth and stone. This was the receiving end, where shots were fired into the bank. The rifle range remains on the private property of Portland Port Ltd, and has not been opened to the public. However it can be seen from surrounding coastal paths.

The East Weare Rifle Range was built between 1889 and 1903, on additional land the war department had to purchase. Constructed using huge ramps of earth and stone, the range's large stop butt structure had been built by the 1920s, out of Portland Stone. The range was built as part of a general development of the naval base and its training provisions, where it was used to train naval and other military service personnel, often stationed at East Weare Camp. The rifle range was built in close proximity to Portland's railway line, which the construction of had commenced in 1888. The line opened in 1900, and due to the closeness between the range and the line, red flags would be hoisted during firing sessions, meaning all railway employees were prohibited from entering the area.

The range ceased operational activity during the 1980s. After a civilian was killed by a stray round from a military range near Aldershot in Hampshire, the government decided to review all active firing ranges in the UK. The East Weare Rifle Range was classed as dangerous, due to the uncontrolled public footpaths surrounding it. It was used for shotgun and clay pigeon shooting for a limited time, before falling into total disuse. Today the rifle range stands as a reminder of the military presence at Portland. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it is home to high nature conservation valued scrub and wildlife. It was decided in 2007 to release ten British Primitive goats into the area to control the scrub.

...
Wikipedia