Mention of Margam reminds me to post some photos I took when visiting last summer. As can be seen, there's not much of the workshop building left but what remains looks visually and dimensionally similar the the building at Theddlethorpe.
The site is now surrounded by steelworks and I could find no trace of the track or other buildings associated with the range.
The first photo here is the remains of the door runners for the central workshop area.
The last 2 shots are a building that is situated along the road that approaches the range. I have no idea if the building was part of the range or not, but it looks WW2 era to me (I missed the beach party though!). Any thoughts as to what its purpose was ?
Thanks for posting these.
Due you have a grid reference for the building in the last two shots? It doesn't look like a quadrant shelter or markers/wing shelter but if it is it would be great to confirm. The same building is also in the relevant volume in Ivor Jones's trilogy and I believe he was of the opinion it was range related.
The rusting girders imply something was placed on top but access and fixing is unclear from the remains. A water tank seems to be the most obvious as the girders look a bit flimsy. Did you see the two storey markers/quadrant shelter in the dunes?
No Amount Of Evidence Will Ever Persuade An Idiot (probably not Mark Twain)
Grid reference is approx. SS784853 and the building is on the North side of the road which goes to the beach where one of the drainage ditches crosses the road. Thus the building is inland of the MTR towards the M4.
I didn't have time to look for the markers shelter but think it may be
here
.
Looking at Ivor Jones' book (South), he mentions on p172 that the "...moving target range, with its elaborate control linkage, can still be seen....". I'm intrigued as to what he's referring to as an elaborate control linkage - anyone got ideas ?
Also mentioned on p161 is a "400 yard ground range" - I've never come across a 400 yard range, is it anything like the 200yd MTRs ?
Splendid photo, especially as it is now gone. I am slowly building up a set of wartime or early post war aerials of these, some from the the internet mapping sites some bought.
No Amount Of Evidence Will Ever Persuade An Idiot (probably not Mark Twain)
I can't remember whether it's been posted before, but it would appear that the Clayshant Caravan Park that was on the 200yd MTR at West Freugh has closed down in the last few years, and the clubhouse that was based around the Turret Shelter has now been demolished.
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