Otterburn Ranges
The Otterburn Ranges form part of the Otterburn Army Training Estate (ATE) in Northumberland. The estate established in 1911[1] and covers about 93 square miles of the Southern Cheviots. The estate is owned by the Ministry of Defence, and used for training some 30,000 soldiers a year.
Otterburn is the United Kingdom's largest firing range, and is in frequent use — artillery can be clearly heard from Lindisfarne to the north-east and Fontburn Reservoir in the south. The ranges are used by AS-90 Artillery and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and Otterburn is the only place in the United Kingdom where the MLRS can be fired, requiring a range 11 miles long by 2 miles wide.[1][2]
The training area accounts for 23% of the Northumberland National Park.[3]
Because of the live firing, recreational use of the area is restricted, although it is possible for the public to use some parts of the estate subject to the relevant bylaws. The MoD publishes a booklet, Walks on Ministry of Defence Lands, which offers advice on this matter.[4]
Pictures
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The southern entrance -
Signpost for Otterburn Crossroads on the MOD ranges. -
Entrance to the Otterburn Ranges near Holystone
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Otterburn Ranges) |
- Location map: 55°22’10"N, 2°18’20"W
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Otterburn Public Information Leaflet pdf. hsmt.info
- ↑ Nicholas Schoon (26 April 1997) Travel: Tanks for the wildlife. The Independent
- ↑ Northumberland National Park – Otterburn Ranges. northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk
- ↑ Walking guides on the Defence Estate, including Otterburn. Ministry of Defence