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Training areas as wildlife reserves

If you ever had access to the database showing all MOD owned land and properties you’d see the MOD is a huge land owner and in surprising places (e.g. barns on a small square of land in the middle of nowhere).

Also, I used to live adjacent to Ash Ranges (just to the east of Aldershot) - miles upon miles of poor quality soil, heathland, marshy ground, low quality woodland. When the ranges weren’t in use, they were open to the public.

The wildlife I found (apart from the everyday garden creatures) included lizards, slowworms, adders, grass snakes, toads, squaddies, kingfishers, woodpeckers (two different types), squirrels, deer, and various odd beetles, moths and BFO ants.

I’d say MOD lands are bastions for obscure wildlife.
 
I remember Purfleet in Essex had one, I only found out as I was living there for a while

A normal wildlife area, but with a few concrete structures left
 
One of Britain’s largest spiders has been discovered on a Ministry of Defence training ground in Surrey having not been seen in the country for 27 years.

A spokesman for the spider said: "If you were at risk from being stamped on by soldiers every bloody day of the week you would be f*cking good at hiding as well..."
 
I remember several decades ago reading that 1% of the UK's coastline was in the hands of the MOD. But that was before they shut Whitburn Ranges and Camp.

As you can see, now derelict. A link suggests the path behind the butts has eroded away, and it now runs in front of the butts.

I truly think that nothing remains as was of my life.
 
MoD used to produce a monthly magazine about conservation on MoD land, backing up claims that keeping Joe Public out benefitted all kinds of flora and fauna.
 
I remember several decades ago reading that 1% of the UK's coastline was in the hands of the MOD. But that was before they shut Whitburn Ranges and Camp.

As you can see, now derelict. A link suggests the path behind the butts has eroded away, and it now runs in front of the butts.

I truly think that nothing remains as was of my life.
I saw Whitburn and threw up a little bit!
 
At MVEE Kirkcudbright, the boffins who came from Chobham and Fort Halstead to use our facilities used to say that it was the only pheasant shoot with an Army range on it!
Something to do with our priorities, you can’t use that area as that is where the release pens are.
 
I saw Whitburn and threw up a little bit!
I grew up with my nearest bus stop on the northwest corner of the site. Many's the time I spent there as a child, and in 1977 it was the base for 15/19H and our Newcastle Freedom Celebration Parade. Because the camp was oversubscribed, I slept at home.
 

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