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My better half and me went to castlemartain this weekend in while we were blipping about Pembrokeshire wales, and as eerie as it was it was - it was awesome. You can get right up close to a load of tanks as well as take the firing range tour (on special dates)

Found this on it online and does it the best justice

http://happyinpembrokeshire.com

I only thought I'd post because we sort of stumbled upon it. It's not like a proper tourist place or anything and when you visit you get this proper sense that you're hanging about somewhere you shouldn't be. The old bunkers would make amazing scenes for a massive point game of Flames of War...but they'd never let that happen

Anyone been there? Or can anyone suggest any other old military facilities in the uk to visit? We've got the bug

I've been there many years ago when I was a nipper on family holiday in Wales. The German army was there doing tank gunnery on some kind of exchange visit. Early morning with mist. We drove past but didn't go in.

The artillery ranges near Lulworth Cove can often be heard along the Dorset coast, if not so easily seen.

I also remember going to the Tank Museum at Bovington and seeing Chieftain tanks driving around on exercises.

Word of advice to all who read this. Whiile Castle martin offers tours on set dates, Millitary ragnes are not a place to pop along a see regardless of how intersting they may seem (they are normally just fields anyway). You may be breaking treapass laws and there is always a threat of unexploded ordanince etc. Especally areas that are indicated by a red flag meaning fireing is about too start or is underway.

Just beaware.

 Godeth wrote:
Word of advice to all who read this. Whiile Castle martin offers tours on set dates, Millitary ragnes are not a place to pop along a see regardless of how intersting they may seem (they are normally just fields anyway). You may be breaking treapass laws and there is always a threat of unexploded ordanince etc. Especally areas that are indicated by a red flag meaning fireing is about too start or is underway.

Just beaware.

Ye, be careful where you are going. Check an OS map. If its not on there or marked Danger Zone don't even bother. The first means your not supposed to go there, the second means there is live firing or unexploded ordinance.

On the other side:

https://www.gov.uk/public-access-to-military-areas

The MoD are quite good with allowing access to ranges. Bases, they don't like people accessing ones in use on there own so much.

Unused bases however can often be accessed by Urban explorers. Just make sure you keep away from anything that looks unsafe. Not that I would recommend trespass, but lost of disused bases are relatively open to the public, like Upper Hayford: www.raf-upper-heyford.org. Just make sure you don't go past any signs saying no entry or crawl through fences, but if you wander around these places and leave if someone asks you to then you can get to see plenty of interesting stuff.

If you like this kind of stuff I recommend fort nelson near Portsmouth. It is a Napoleonic fort, that now houses the royal armories big guns. More importantly you can wander round the place and mostly have it to yourself. The underground magazines are spooky...

Reading this thread reminds me of this:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
.......I also remember going to the Tank Museum at Bovington and seeing Chieftain tanks driving around on exercises.

Yeah Bovington rocks. The Mrs wouldn't come along (thought it would be boring or something?) so I spent a blissfully lonely day there tank about. The PIAT simulator was a highpoint.

As a way of returning the favour I took her to Lulworth cove and Park. Nice tea room for her and the constant din of both small and large calibre weaponry being let of at the ranges. I had a fun game of "what gun was that?" in my head as we toured the area.

Weymouth Harbour/Portland Bill used to be a favourite when we were kids too. My Dad (and his club) would always spend 2 weeks diving the wrecks around the harbour mouth. Us kids got to hang out on the dive boat and go and get a close look at the various Frigates refuelling. The best bit was trying to outrun the Navy launch that would come out a and tell you to bugger off if you got too close. Of course that when we only had Soviets and Argies to worry about, you'd probably get a burst of MG fire across the bow these days.

Ah, Bovington.
Where the monkeys over the road throw poo at the military hardware

http://www.monkeyworld.org