Guess the Place

[johnfilmer]

It is indeed Shoreham Ranges.


You can still make out the target butts on Google aerial view, and there is an “explorer “ video on the net showing that they still have the target raising mechanism. I have a photo of the butts at Bisley circa 1980 before they were updated, with pretty much the same equipment.


The mapping that I use is simply OS maps on nls maps, then select where by town, then scale, then by clicking on the box on the background map, a selection of available maps is displayed on the right, decide on date by scrolling down, a quick click and then zoom to the feature you want.


The Fort Halstead detail that I found matched MartinR posting exactly.


Over to you JW.

[John Walker]

I think I've found the location.  North of Shoreham Village. Alongside the London Chatham and Dover railway line.  There's no rifle range showing on the map I use but the angle of the track and the road going under the line fits.
(I've never been able to locate the same map as you use John - OS 25 inch 1892 - 1914 is the one I use on Georeferenced Maps)

[johnfilmer]

Back from the joys of Sainsbury’s, cup of tea and GTP.


It is south of the M20 JW, in the more westerly end of the county.

[John Walker]

North or South of the M20?

[johnfilmer]

With a fairly strong family history from Medway, I have some old tools with the broad arrow mark.
However, I also have some Imperial sized reamers with broad arrow markings, but I bought those as military surplus in the mid 1960s. Only used one the other day!
MartinR, the track is twin, and was then.

[shoot999]

In my searching around, the BSWD markers around Chatham, for instance, all had a broad arrow between W and D.

Coincidentally Fort Halstead, in its modern form, was only mentioned to me on Boxing Day in the context of his friend who works there is very, very tight lipped about what goes on in there 
Meanwhile, back at the quiz... Martin's map question led me to set another. This is a rifle range, never shot there myself, but I did have the opportunity in the early 1980s. It was full-bore rifle, .303 or 7.62Nato.

The dreaded broad arrow. Any time you were stopped for search leaving a military established they would search through your tools, and woe betide you having anything with a broad arrow stamped on it. That was you nicked!

[MartinR]

That looks like a railway on the left of the snippet.  Is it a single-track branch or part of the main system?

[johnfilmer]

In my searching around, the BSWD markers around Chatham, for instance, all had a broad arrow between W and D.

Coincidentally Fort Halstead, in its modern form, was only mentioned to me on Boxing Day in the context of his friend who works there is very, very tight lipped about what goes on in there 
Meanwhile, back at the quiz... Martin's map question led me to set another. This is a rifle range, never shot there myself, but I did have the opportunity in the early 1980s. It was full-bore rifle, .303 or 7.62Nato.

[MartinR]

I'm pleased to hear that John.  As you know once solutions are supplied I chase them up and also learn from the information given by the group.  BTW, just in case it wasn't obvious, the little dots marked "B.S.W.D No. 1" to "B.S.W.D No.8" are "Boundary Stone, War Department".

[John Walker]

That was a good one Martin.  I was way off beam but I've learned a few things from it.

[MartinR]

Yes, specifically the Old Fort.  A summary of the public history of the site is on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Halstead.  Location:

• Nat'l grid:   TQ 49925 59138
• Coords:      51°18'42"N, 000°08'59"E or 51.31161,0.14972
• Post code: TN14 7BP (but this may be non-geographic).

If you look on these old maps at Chatham Royal Dockyard, it is just a blank.  I did consider that site for GTP, but the river would have made it too obvious.   In an era before satellites and drones, and less general aviation, keeping military installations blank made intelligence gathering for a putative enemy harder.

[johnfilmer]

It’s Fort Halstead, near Sevenoaks

[Beachbum]

YMCA ? Tunbridge Wells ?

[MartinR]

@John, no, not the River Bourne.  I repeat: "Go west, young man".
@Beachbum, south of the LC&D

[Beachbum]

North or South of the London Chatham and Dover Railway?