Duxford: Machine Gun Range and Shelter Sheds

The Machine Gun Range and Shelter Sheds at Duxford were constructed in 1918 as part of the initial development of the Training Depot Station. The range is a substantial brick structure with a tiled roof covering the shelter sheds.

The Machine Gun Range itself has an irregular plan and consists primarily of a thick, buttressed brick wall, approximately 37 metres long and three metres high, tapering to the top and capped with tile. The western two-thirds of the wall has been raised by approximately 0.75 metres. Extending at right angles from this section are two stepped, buttressed walls, roughly 20 metres apart. Between these walls lies an earthwork mound sloping to the south, retained by a low brick wall and surmounted by metal railings – a late 20th-century addition likely related to the installation of the Gibraltar Gun. Beneath the earthwork is a subterranean trench with concrete retaining walls (a "Target Trench") that runs the length of the wall, although these are not visible on the surface. An additional earthwork is present against the southern edge, also sloping to the south.

At the western end of the range wall, two brick-built compartments – a Target Store (to the south) and a Stop Butt (to the north) – form part of the structure. Staining on the brickwork indicates the former roof line of the Target Store. A modern workshop and garage, built of corrugated metal, is attached to the rear of the main wall and is not considered to be of historical or architectural significance.

The shelter sheds are located approximately 27.5 metres north of the Machine Gun Range and have a rectangular plan. They are constructed of brick with a sloping, overhanging tile roof, supported by iron brackets. The sheds are open-fronted, with regularly spaced brick piers dividing the compartments. Some sections, particularly towards the eastern end, have been infilled with doors to create enclosed storage and workshops, but the original fabric remains largely unaltered. Aerial photographs from 1921 show doors to the rear of the sheds, which survive and would have facilitated movement without maneuvering around the range.