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Good Evening R. S-S and Best Wishes for 2010.
All your talk of German Guns and Diglee Reservoir has jogged my memory regarding Rifle Ranges.
We have previously ascertained there used to be a Rifle Range in the Goyt Valley, the “Pleasure Ground” which is of very keen interest to some of our local Town Councillors. However, would I be correct in saying there also used to be a Rifle Range somewhere in the Diglee / Ringstone / Old Golf Course area? I may be wrong but something is telling me that this was the case. I hope you are able to confirm it's existence and I am quietly confident you will be able to do so.
Please forgive me in moving slightly away from the original thread of “Goyt Valley” and if you would prefer that I start a new topic heading I would be more than happy to do so. Remember the Forum Police are watching!!!
Edited by moderator 08 January 2010 20:41:47(UTC)
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Hi,
Wasn't there also an old wall or something or other in Chapel or therabouts which was something to do with an old rifle range, which was knocked down some years ago without permission.
I accept this is hopelessly vague, but perhaps someone is able to fill in the details??
Cheers
Jon. |
Jon Goldfinch - Forum Administrator and Town Councillor
Whaley Bridge Town Council - Fernilee Ward
cllr.jong.wbtc@googlemail.com |
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The 1924 O.S. maps shows "Longside Rifle Range" in the field immediately blow the Dipping Stone. I've never seen any evidence in this field of any activity other than grazing.
parabuild attached the following image(s):
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Hello Horwich Ender,
You seem to go missing for long periods and your contributions are extremely welcome on here. So let’s have more of them.
I don’t know where you live but presumably in Horwich End where I feel sure there was a rifle range.
In fact Rock Banker may well be able to see it out of his back window. You never know when the snow finally goes he may even decide to go and dig out one of the lead bullets and put a photo of it on here for all to see.
R. S-S
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Many thanks Parabuild for confirming my thoughts and showing the position of the Longside Rifle Range. From the comments made by R. S-S it would appear there are even more former Rifle Ranges within our village which I was not aware of.
R. S-S, you state that Rockbanker would be able to see a Rifle Range out of his back window. I am assuming that Rockbanker actually lives on Rock Bank and as I am not aware of any properties on the railway banking, all the houses on this road are situated on the east side of the track. If this is the case the Rifle Range must be in the vacinity of the of the new cricket pitch or the adjoining field.
Urgent action is needed here to find the location of the Range and to see if it is still active. This needs to be done before the start of the cricket season as it may be necessary to warn any fast bowlers of the dangers of bowling from the New Horwich End!!!
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Looking at the aerial view on Google Maps shows some sort of earthwork or structure at Longside where on the O.S. map the "Target" of the rifle range is shown to have been. Maybe these are just water troughs. I shall take a look next time I am up that way. Edited by user 09 January 2010 15:36:29(UTC)
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Mr Parabuild,
Please tread very carefully; this has all the echoes of Quatermass and the Pit.
Do not unleash any evil forces on us.
This may very well turn out to be a job for Fr. Jamie.
R. S-S
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This may be a silly question BUT (I'm going to ask it anyway !) why are there rifle ranges in Whaley ? Is it for "sport", training for war, or dealing with local ne'er-do-wells !!! Was the Roy Rogers show coming to town, or what?
Perhaps it was for the "Dad's Army", from which my step-grandad was a deserter !!! 
Gnats Edited by user 09 January 2010 17:16:51(UTC)
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Gnatalee,
How can I put this?
Well OK the nail may have been hit on the head.
One of our lot went for Army training and did not really want to go to war and at the rifle range behind Rock Bank all men were assessed as to their ability to fire a rifle.
This man (who I am sorry I can not name because he has many relatives in Whaley) was given a rifle and depending upon his accuracy he either set off to war or stayed at home.
A galvanised dustbin lid was positioned against the banking about 50 yards away.
The Army assessor said to our man:
“Soldier, fire at the target and hit it dead centre.”
To which our man replied screwing up his eyes:
“Will do, Sir: but tell me is it a half crown or a two bob bit.”
“Next”.
And so he didn’t go to war but he had 20-20 vision until the day he died.
R. S-S
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Got to be one of my lot then !!! 
Gnats Edited by user 09 January 2010 20:54:33(UTC)
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Parabuild
It is interesting to overlay the google image on the 1924 map but confusing as to why the measurements on the map are in reverse if that is indeed the butts rather than the firing point-use of a metal detector might produce some evidence-in fact the rounds usually only penetrate about six inches in sand so may be just under the surface.
RSS.
I think that although your yarn was most amusing-the terrrain to the rear (East) of Rock Bank would be most unsuitable for a rifle range of more than 50 Yds due to the terrain and the possibility of damaging the Roosdyche (or bagging an umpire) - but I make no bones about it and have taken stock
cheers Edited by user 10 January 2010 09:16:15(UTC)
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Hello OTHBNFA,
We shall judge by the evidence presented by RockBanker when the snow has gone.
R. S-S
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This is what I can see today.... |
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Over the hill but not far away wrote:
RSS.
I think that although your yarn was most amusing-the terrrain to the rear (East) of Rock Bank would be most unsuitable for a rifle range of more than 50 Yds due to the terrain and the possibility of damaging the Roosdyche (or bagging an umpire) - but I make no bones about it and have taken stock
cheers
Hello OTHBNFA,
Yes I do think I understand what you mean about the dangers posed to personnel on the cricket field.
I dread to think what might happen should Daryl Harper umpire up there.
He certainly wouldn’t hear the shooting and if the worst happened he would probably be unable to decide whether he was hit or not.
R. S-S
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The ID parade could very well be the longest in history! Twenty thousand Englishmen full of Castle lager.
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Hi RockBanker
By the way, have you found R. S-S's Rifle Range yet? (Transferred from “The mysterious tale of the missing snow plough”thread to keep the Forum Police happy). Edited by user 21 January 2010 19:48:01(UTC)
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One of the rifle ranges was at the back of botany just across the small weir, they shot across the river towards the jug and spoon.
If you look into the field from the stile at the jug and spoon (towards botany)you will see what is left of the butts near the Taxal lodge fence.
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Well Parabuild, as intriguing as the Google earth image was, It is fortunate that we did not make the mistake of invading the area to look for weapons of mass destruction based soley on air photograpic interpretation.
A reconnoitre on foot revealed the "butts" to be no more than a mound of rubble and the "secret bunkers" to be drinking facilities for sheep. There are a couple of steel cover plates in the field - but alas more disappointment-no concealed evil dictators cowering within-just the sound of running water.
Although the OS map shows a rifle range here it is impossible to imagine a more unlikely site. Uphill with poor line of sight and a dry stone wall running through it, it could have been a battle range if for military use. Is there in fact any evidence that there was actually a range there at all?
Cheers
 Edited by user 24 January 2010 22:19:44(UTC)
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Is there in fact any evidence that there was actually a range there at all?
I found a ww1 clip with five live 303 rounds up there about 20 years ago, at the range behind Botany most of the bullet heads I found where Snider and Martini-Henry.
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