Danger marker

Studland is an oasis of tranquillity, especially through the winter when the beach and dunes are bereft of sun worshippers. It's difficult to imagine that the area was so contaminated with ordinance of ever calibre ofter World War 2, that it took nearly two decades for the beach to be opened again to the public, and even then there were areas that were deemed unsafe. It was Ukrainians who cleared the dunes of rockets and shells, rather that than return and face Uncle Joe. The interior which was still thought unsafe was marked by concrete markers. Over the years several have disappeared under the shifting dune, others though remain visible, spaced about 5m apart, some still even display the remnants of red paint. I don't know whether the whole things were painted red or a red band was painted around them, or whether the word 'Danger' was painted on them, I know it's in my head, I've come here all my life and I remember them, I just can't access that particular memory.  A few years back, whilst surveying and searching for Second World War remains, I had call to contact Bomb Disposal after discovering the tail fins of a bombardment rocket sticking out from the dunes at 45 degrees.

Old Range

For the most part unseen and forgotten, remnants of our past lay tucked away in every corner. Take the ruinous remains of this early 20th century firing range on the Avon Valley side of St Catherine's Hill. If it weren't for the remains of the concrete and brick markers gallery and the rusting target mechanisms, you'd not know it was there, the firing platforms are long overgrown, engulfed by flora, as is the range itself. We used to hangout here as kids. Initially collecting the metal jacketed projectiles which can still be found eroding out of the adjacent natural sandy butt and letting our imaginations run wild, though as we got older it was just a place to chill. Time (and maybe some vandalism) hasn't been kind to the remains of the markers gallery, which back in the day still provided some degree of shelter, now it's all but collapsed. Although the remains of the target mechanisms appear to have changed little from the late 70's, as far as I remember, anyway.  As for the site itself, it looks just as I remember it, well, not 'just as' though still easily recognizable. It interests the archaeologist in me to see sites decay, see how the fall from use and subsequently from memory, how slowly nature consumes them, until they're hidden for future archaeologists to find.