Monument record MWX4241 - Rifle Range, Ham Common, Hamworthy, Poole

A nineteenth century rifle range on Ham Common, Hamworthy, known from Ordnance Survey map evidence. It was disused by the mid 1920s but some features are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1947.

A rifle range on Ham Common marked on the Ordnance Survey 25-inch map epochs 1 and 2. (1) (2). The range is aligned roughly NE-SW with a terminal butt and target mechanism at the SW end. Firing positions are marked on the map in increments of 100 yards up to 800 yards from the target. A footpath runs along its length from the 800 yard firing position to the targets. A 900 yard firing position had been added by the time of the epoch 2 map. (2)

The rifle range had gone out of use by the mid 1920s, but the terminal butt survived as an earthwork as marked on the Ordnance Survey 25-inch map epoch 3 (3) and some features were visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1947 (4). The earthworks are not visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial imagery available (5/6). This site was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1864, 1886, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch one (Map). SDO10239.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1900, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch two (Map). SDO11594.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1923-33, Ordnance Survey 25-inch map, epoch three (Map). SDO11595.

<4> Channel Coastal Observatory, 15-OCT-2010, CCO Aerial Photographic Coverage 2009 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12622.

<4> Royal Air Force, 17-JAN-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1930 2040 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13006.

<5> XX-XXX-2009, Google Earth (Aerial Photograph). SDO12705.

Record last edited

Dec 2 2019 1:58PM