CoWalk | Rippon Tor Rifle Range

Rippon Tor Rifle Range is one of Dartmoor’s hidden curiosities, an abandoned military training ground that now feels part forest, part forgotten time capsule. Built in the 1940s, it was used during World War II and long after for cadet training, only closing in the late 1970s. Today, its ivy-covered concrete and red brick structures and crumbling stop butt walls have become part of the landscape, quiet, eerie, and full of stories.

The walk begins at a quiet roadside gate, leading up toward a short stretch of tarmac road. Within minutes, you’re face to face with the first of several range buildings tucked amongst tall oaks. Kids love darting between the mossy walls and ducking into half-buried doorways, and the forest canopy gives the whole place a secret, hidden feel. But be safe! It’s old!

The extended route loops behind the range and up to the open moor, offering bigger…