Rippon Tor Rifle Range

Rippon Tor Rifle Range is a disused rifle range within Dartmoor National Park, Devon, England. The range is situated southeast of the 473 m high Rippon Tor, near the village Widecombe-in-the-Moor, and close to the road between Halshanger and Cold East Cross.

Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, most of the Moor saw renewed activity, as it was commandeered for the use of military training. Various training was undertaken, including artillery firing. A large area of 4,451 hectares to the south and south east of Hexworthy was taken over for rifle, machine gun and anti-tank firing. A new rifle range was built near Rippon Tor to train soldiers, an airfield was constructed on Roborough Down, and a new hutted camp was built at Plasterdown. The latter was later used as a hospital by the American Forces. The newtake below Rippon Tor was chosen as the site for the firing range, and it was successfully built in 1941. Following the end of the war, training cadets became the main users of the range.

Whenever training took place, red warning flags were hoisted on poles at Cold East Cross, Hemsworthy Gate, Rippon Tor and elsewhere around the site. 800 square metres of the surrounding moor would be closed to public access.

Bob Butler and Phill Germon, from Ashburton, were the original range wardens.

Although most main firing ranges in Dartmoor were closed by the late 1940s/early 1950s, Rippon Tor Rifle Range continued to be active until the mid-1960s. The range closed in 1977 on the expiry of its lease, although the closure was also pushed by the Dartmoor National Park Committee, who objected to its use due to dangers to the public walking on the moors. Afterwards further opposition continued from some who wanted the butt destroyed, however the landowner had decided that it should remain as a piece of wartime archaeology.

The majority of the site remains in good condition. The main part of the site features the monumental brick stop butt, estimated to be 55 metres long by 15.5 metres wide and around 9.2 metres high. This structure is supported by nineteen buttresses on the north side and six buttresses on both the east and west sides. The back stop is infilled with earth, gravel and sand to form a sloping bank facing South. This was the receiving end, where shots were fired into the bank. On the opposite side of the butt is the markers' gallery, which still holds the rusting machinery that once operated the raising and lowering of the targets, as well as remains of seat supports. The gallery consists of twelve target frames, (using the Hythe pattern), and associated winding mechanisms, housed in a concrete, earth-covered bunker. This section was built of cantilevered concrete sections on a brick wall, and allowed the range operators to raise and lower targets, patch shot holes and signal adjustments to firing points, where necessary. A now-roofless building is located at the eastern side of the gallery which once served as the target store and workshop.

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