ROSE HILL FARM RIFLE RANGE – Open for bookings!

Rifle ranges play a vital role in the UK’s shooting sports community, providing a safe and controlled environment for target shooters and hunters to zero their rifles, refine their skills, develop their reloads, and compete. However, ranges continue to close, and some military facilities have become either inaccessible or prohibitively expensive, increasing the demand for new venues. Despite this demand, new ranges remain rare, particularly those designed with modern facilities and forward-thinking features. The challenges of securing planning permission, acquiring suitable land, and obtaining the necessary funding mean that many proposed projects never come to fruition.
This is why the opening of a new rifle range in rural Suffolk is such a significant event. Even more remarkably, this range has been built with an innovative underground design, making it one of the most distinctive shooting facilities in the country. The project has been the work of a lone man on a mission, Tim Denton-Cardew, a former Royal Marine who has spent years planning, funding, and constructing a range that caters to deer stalkers, target shooters, and shooting clubs.

The mission
Having struggled to find a reliable and suitable place to practise, Tim took matters into his own hands and set out to build a modern rifle range that would meet the needs of the shooting community. His goal was to create a facility where shooters could train without concerns about weather, noise or accessibility issues that often make regular practice difficult.
For many rifle shooters, particularly deer stalkers, finding a safe and convenient location to zero rifles and refine techniques like shooting from sticks is a constant challenge. Many avoid using their own permissions due to potential noise issues, unsuitable terrain, or the risk of disturbing wildlife. Traditional outdoor ranges can also be hard to access, often requiring a membership of sorts, and being able to do the specific training or type of shooting you want is not always possible.
Tim faced these same obstacles and saw an opportunity to create a solution. After extensive research and visits to other ranges across the country, including Carlton Moor Tunnel Range in the Peak District and Rifleman Firearms in Somerset, he concluded that an indoor facility was the best way forward. Given the challenges of securing approval for an above-ground range, he opted for an underground or partially subterranean design. While the range is now fully operational, work continues on the reception, conference, and social areas. Well, he is only one man!
After years of planning, securing letters of support from various shooting organisations, and successfully applying for a rural development grant, he finally received planning permission. The build began just before the first COVID lockdown in 2020, but progress was slowed by the challenges of the pandemic and the difficulty of funding such a major project. Despite these obstacles, the range is now in operation, providing a vital resource for shooters in the region.

The range and its facilities
The 100m range is situated on a ten-acre site in the beautiful countryside near Kenton, Suffolk, and it can easily be found using Google Maps. There are five fixed firing points, and the design ensures that shooters have a comfortable and controlled environment in which to practise, while the underground nature of the range significantly limits the amount of noise coming from the site. The facility accommodates all common rimfire and centrefire calibres, and shooters can fire from the prone position, sticks, tripods, and even barricades, allowing for both precision shooting and practical rifle training. This part of the building is fully operational.
As well as providing a high-quality shooting environment, the range includes several additional facilities. As previously mentioned, there is a reception area, some toilets (including disabled facilities), a social space where shooters can gather before or after their sessions, and a conference room where training sessions, courses, and group meetings can be held. However, other than the standard toilet, all these areas are still being finished.
Future plans include the creation of a dedicated reloading area for load development, as well as a patio space where clubs can host social events, such as barbecues, during the summer months.

How to visit
Currently, Tim is keen for as many clubs and individuals as possible to visit the range, which operates on a booking system, and shooters who wish to use it should contact Tim directly. Since he works full-time as a paramedic, the availability of the range depends on his shift patterns, so just get in touch and he will do his best to accommodate you or your club.
The range is currently approved to open seven days a week, with standard hours being from 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and from 10am until 5pm on Sundays. An application is in place to extend these hours, which may allow the range to operate from 9am until 9pm in the near future.
For private shooters, the cost of using the range is £20 per hour, while clubs benefit from a 50% discount when they make a block booking, allowing groups to spread the cost and make training more affordable. The range also welcomes commercial clients, such as ammunition manufacturers looking for a controlled environment in which to test their products.

Supporting the future of shooting
I think it is fair to say that more ranges are closing than opening in the UK these days, so it is more important than ever to support new facilities. Without well-maintained and accessible ranges, shooters will have fewer opportunities to practise in safe, controlled environments, which could ultimately harm the future of shooting sports in the UK.
Rose Hill Farm Rifle Range in Suffolk is a passion project that represents a significant investment in the shooting community, and all money generated from bookings is being reinvested directly into completing and improving the facility.
For those who are looking for a high-quality indoor rifle range that allows for proper training and development, this facility is an excellent option. Whether you are a deer stalker needing to zero a rifle, a target shooter looking for a new place to train, or a club seeking a venue for regular practice, this range has a great deal to offer. By booking sessions, spreading the word, and supporting its development, shooters can help to ensure that this valuable new facility continues to grow and thrive.

Contact:
Tim Denton-Cardew
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07742 041 600