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Yesnaby, Practice Firing Range
Firing Range (20th Century), Military Training Site (20th Century)
Site Name Yesnaby, Practice Firing Range
Classification Firing Range (20th Century), Military Training Site (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Forcewell
Canmore ID 106568
Site Number HY21NW 38
NGR HY 22093 16127
NGR Description HY 22093 16127 and HY 22090 16082
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/106568
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Sandwick
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY21NW 38.00 22093 16127 and 22090 16082
HY21NW 38.01 HY 22454 16043 Buildings; Huts
This gunnery range is situated at the W end of Yesnaby Road on cliffs N of Caul Geo.
A long concrete platform running the length of the site with up to ten diameters of holdfasts reflecting the differing calibres of guns which were used at this gun training site. Further small arms holdfasts can be detected at the S end of the firing platform in the shape of several small square concrete blocks with bolts still attached. Three brick built buildings survive, one of which retains the stumps of a tripod mast arrangement on the roof. Immediately to the rear of the building S of the track is what would appear to be the base of a mast with a small mound centrally positioned to three metal stanchions.
At HY 22454 16043 is a further brick built building its use and function is unknown.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE) 21 August 1996
The gunnery range is visible on RAF vertical air photographs (CPE/Scot/UK185, 1387-1389, flown 9 October 1946). The photographs show that apart from the brick and concrete buildings at the firing platform there were a further two Nissen and four small huts immediately to the E.
Information from RCAHMS (DE), November 2004
