Northumbria Clay Pigeon Shooting Section
The clay shooting section has it’s own shooting ground situated on the Tranwell Airfield site just outside Morpeth. If you have never tried the sport and fancy a go there is an idea opportunity for you to come along, get some basic tuition, free use of safety equipment, and the supervised loan of a gun. All you pay for is the clays and cartridges which are available on site. As a novice you will probably spend £15 for a couple of hours entertainment. A commercial ground would charge you £50+ for the same facilities.
You don’t need a firearms licence to get started, the ground has what is known as a Sec 11 exemption cert. At the ground you will find a 50:50 mix of serving and retired Northumbria staff all of who will gladly help you get started. We also have invited guests who range from your average club shooter to UK champions.
Tranwell shooting ground opens every Thursday evening, 5pm till dusk, and will be available to NPSSC members between 20th April and the 24th. August 2016.
Why not put a reminder in your phone diary for a Thursday evening in spring 2017, come along and see what the sport is all about.
For those who have shot before and have a better idea of what the sport is all about we can provide the following separate layouts:
- Down the Line with acoustic release
- Ball trap with acoustic release
- English skeet
We also have the facility to put on a compact sporting layout using all electric traps and double rise. These two disciplines take a bit of setting up so are normally only available when we run an event day.
For those struggling with a particular sporting target we can also usually arrange something to allow practise, a bit of prior notice for this is also needed.
You won’t find a cheaper shooting ground in the Northeast. In order to keep costs as low as possible we do re-use the pick-ups and you might even be asked to mark a line or even fill a trap.
There is ample off road parking providing your not driving a low sports car. Refreshments tea, coffee, biscuits are available on site, and you can get under cover when it rains. Unfortunately we have no running water so there are no other facilities, just some large bushes. We share the field with a flock of sheep so some stout easily cleaned footwear is appropriate.
Getting there
From the south take the Morpeth slip off the A1 north, after 200m take a left which is signed for Whitehouse Farm Centre. Carry on for about a mile and at the T junction turn right. About ¼ mile the road takes a right bend with a turn on the left. Take the left turn, it is signed Tranwell Woods. Straight on to the next T junction where you turn left. It is then 0.66mls to the entrance gate which is on the right. Through the gate and follow the track for 1ml passing the old wooden huts on your right. You will be able to see the skeet towers and the steel containers, please close all gates you open.
From Morpeth take the B6524 under the A1 passed the large factory on the right. Take your next left turn signed Saltwick 2ml. Straight on for 1.3mls and the entrance gate is on your right. . Through the gate and follow the track for 1ml passing the old wooden huts on your right. You will be able to see the skeet tower and the steel containers, please close all gates you open
Google Earth coordinates for the entrance gate are:
55 07’ 38.99 N / 01 43’ 35.63 W
Nearest post code is NE61 6BG
Contact details
Chairman 1487 Steve Scorer
Secretary 739 Mark Mennim Assistant Sec. 7788 Matt Hough
Treasurer 9934 Chris Mcguckin Assistant Treas. 2763 Scott Parker
All are serving Northumbria staff so their contact details are available via the force computer system. If you can please contact one of them before your first visit to the shooting ground it would probably make your shooting experience more enjoyable.
Competition
Most of the clay shooting section are members of other local cubs and shoot at various grounds in the Northeast. One of the aims of the Tranwell shooting ground is to provide a practise facility and help in team selection to shoot at the two PSUK events held annually. There is a regional competition held in June/July and a national competition held over four days at the end the August. The events cover three clay shooting disciplines, sporting, skeet and down the line.
We also hold our own in force competition each September/October and normally hold one or two event days during the year in order to help in fund raising.
The CPSA is the governing body for our sport nationally and PSUK has its own clay shooting section. Both have web sites with lots of background information easily accessible via a search on their initials.
2024
Just an update with regards the club we have had a slow start to the year due to the weather conditions but have continued to practice and introduce new members, we recently attended the Regional Northern Clay Shooting competition dated the 4th July 2024
Northumbria officer did us proud taking 4 trophies over the competition
DTL(Down the line) team trophy – from left to right Retired Robert Bone, Insp Mathew Hough, PC Steve Scorer, PC Scott Parker and CV Chris McGUCKIN (regional 040724 Pic 1)
Skeet Team trophy – from left to right Retired Robert Bone, Insp Mathew Hough, PC Steve Scorer, PC Scott Parker and CV Chris McGUCKIN(regional040724 pic 2)
Cock of the North (hence the cockerel hat) – Individual Trophy for the individual over all disciplines – PC Steve Scorer
(regional 040724 pic 4)
Individual DTL trophy – PC Steve Scorer (regional 040724 pic 3)
With new member PC Steve Dodd taking part in his first regional competition
A good day had by all and a good start for this years National competition in August at Rufforth
