East Weares Rifle Range

East Weares Rifle Range is a disused rifle range on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. The range is situated within the area of East Weares, the east side of Portland, and sat below HM Prison Portland. It remains close to Portland Harbour, and is also known as the Naval Rifle Range. The same section holding the range holds a small scattering of ex-MOD buildings once used for the HMS Osprey Shore Establishment. These few buildings escaped demolition unlike the main establishment buildings back in 2004. The East Weares region holds various old historic relics such as Folly Pier, Folly Pier Waterworks, King's Pier and the Salt Pans. The rifle range remains on the private property of Portland Port Ltd, and has not been opened to the public. However it can be seen from surrounding coastal paths.

History
The East Weares Rifle Range was built between 1889 and 1903 for the Victorian military to train its sharpshooters. Constructed using huge ramps of earth and stone, the range's large stop butt structure had been built by the 1920s, out of Portland Stone. Aside from Portland Harbour being a major naval base, the Verne Citadel nearby held military soldiers too. Although it is uncertain of the year when the range became disused, it did continue to be active into the 1970s.

The majority of the site remains in good condition. The main part of the site features the monumental stone stop butt. The sloping back stop is infilled with earth and stone. This was the receiving end, where shots were fired into the bank. On the opposite 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 pulleys and cables. This section also holds an old rifle rack and some seats for those tasked with handling the targets. The soldiers would fire at the stop butt from a number of large stone and earth mounds spaced out across the area, to allow for shooting at different distances. Although the majority of these mounds have been greatly damaged or destroyed, the closest mound to the back stop still remains in good and complete condition. When a firing session was completed, the personnel within the gallery would use a stick to point at where the bullets had hit the target, and the shooter would check these from his position via binoculars. The shooter's aim would be adjusted if it was necessary.

Within the perimeter of the rifle range are two remaining sentry posts, where lookouts would warn away walkers when shooting was taking place. One is located almost adjacent to the range site, and has steps leading from the public coast path, whilst the other is located further south, and is again reachable via the coastal path. Both posts also have remaining, disused telephone posts which serviced the firing range, although one of two telephone posts at the southern-most sentry post has collapsed. Additionally there are two World War II pillboxes within the range's perimeter. Both were constructed in 1940-41, of reinforced concrete and stone, whilst both have a six sided plan. Both structures are still in good condition, although overgrown. One sits next to the adjacent sentry lookout, whilst the other is located on a banking against the stop butt structure. These were constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations, and various other examples are located on Portland.

The East Weares Rifle Range was not the only active range on the island. A smaller rifle and revolver range was once located along the coastline beyond King's Pier but this appears to have been demolished sometime later than the mid-1980s. This range's foundations were partly constructed using the remains of the nearby King's Pier, and was 300 yards long with targets. A pistol firing range remains close to the East Weares Rifle Range, further past the remaining HMS Osprey buildings. Some rifle ranges were also built within the Verne Citadel, as well as at Easton Lane's Drill hall and rifle range, near to the Independent Quarries. It has also been recorded that remains of a rifle range is located near the cliff-top edge of Bowers Quarries, and an old rifle range on Chesil Beach, located within Portland's boundary, which reportedly had 100 yard increments up to 800 yards.

The East Weares area, including the site of the range, has been labelled a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), largely due to the scrub and wildlife being of high nature conservation value. It was decided in 2007 to release ten British Primitive goats into the area to control the scrub, and these are still kept in the area today - often seen within the range's area, sometimes sitting on the stop butt.