Hidden in Hampshire’s New Forest is an off-the-grid illuminated target, one of the many artifacts of Britain’s efforts in the Second World War. Ashley Walk became an established practice bombing range in November of 1939, with its lease agreed in February 1940 and becoming operational in August of the same year.
Given its extensive features, RAF Boscombe Down found the 5,000-acre site highly valuable. German reconnaissance photos from 1941 revealed that the area included domestic facilities for the crew, two small grass airstrips, observation shelters, and towers, making it optimal for training and testing. It also included high-level day and night bombing targets, with some targets illuminated by diesel generators for night practice.
Throughout the war, the RAF extensively utilized Ashley Walk, which resulted in numerous bomb craters and even an aircraft crash site. Activities on the range continued past the war but would discontinue in 1948.
While most targets and facilities no longer exist, several features have endured. The illuminated concrete target arrow and various chalk marks still survive and can be easily seen from above. The Ministry of Home Security target, covered with an earth mound, remains visible near one of the surviving observation shelters. Many craters are filled, but some persist and continue to serve as reminders of the range’s extensive use.
