Butts

Whilst visiting the Battlefield HQ in Newlands enclosure a couple of weeks ago we passed a wall set down towards the base of the hill, it interested me, but walking and talking I didn't investigate further; on my return home it dawned on me what it may represent. So today I went to see if I could substantiate my hypothesis. The wall is concrete re-enforced with a brick skin, approximately 5m long and 2m high; built in to a a recess in the slope, there is a sunken hollow to the rear and sides, the face down slope is mounded with earth...can you guess what it is yet? I thought it may be a small arms range associated with the war time activities in the area.

First I investigated the earthen mound and found what I had hope, projectiles, .45 cal and .303 cal; the site does indeed represent a firing range. Although eroded the mound still retained much of its original shape due to the stabilising plant cover and shelter from the elements the plantation had afforded. I found 3 .45 cal 'slugs', 1 badly corroded and 2 average condition, 3 .303 cal projectiles, 1 9mm 'slug' and a few impacted .303 cal projectiles. The soil conditions do not lend themselves to the preservation of metals.

The firing area had been badly disturbed during the post war years; plantation and subsequent removal and the bog woodland restoration programme had heavily truncated the archaeological horizons, leaving not chance of identify any firing platforms (if any) or the firing positions...or so I thought! The land below the butts is wet, covered in part with sphagnum moss, over grown with sedges and wet grasses amongst the stumps of felled conifers and heavily disturbed soils by forestry activities. Still, I searched anyway...and found a .45 cal case, badly corroded, the 2 more in the same condition; as I walked a line horizontal to the butts I found 5 in all, and all in a rough line. I also found a .303 cal projectile, un impacted, no scars; its position at the firing line suggesting it represents the remnants of a live round misplaced during practice, later either exploding during burning or merely decaying and becoming separated from the case. Incredible finds considering the condition and amount of truncation.