First archaeological dig at Steyning Rifle Range uncovers some of the secrets of the past, including a selection of bullets spanning 100 years

Justin Russell, a professional archaeologist, leads the Steyning Downland Scheme's Rifle Range team of volunteers. He has been looking into the history of the site since 2017 but last week was his first opportunity to carry out experimental excavations. Steyning Rifle Range dates back to the mid-19th century and is probably the best preserved example of its type in Sussex. Justin said he had seen personal diaries and learned some of the stories from there but other than that, there were very few records of what went on.

During a week of work, a trench was dug at the highest point, near where the targets would have been, because Justin was intrigued by the even undulations there. However, due to time constraints, the main focus became a second trench, which was dug across the 200-yard firing point, after it threw up a bit of a mystery. Cutting the trench revealed a mysterious 'buried trench' that had been backfilled with rubble. At first, it was thought this may be the remnant of a long-forgotten firing trench, which would have been an obligatory part of rifle ranges in the 1950s.

Justin said: "It started off being quite straightforward. This was the 200-yard firing point and the soldiers would be lying prone on the ground or standing. We found a wooden board at the back and at the front, at a depth that suggests the 1930s. We also found a steel cable that was pinned to the board, running diagonally, which is odd, and a brick, which may have been used to raise up the bank. When we stripped off the topsoil, we came to chalk rubble, which you would not expect to find in the valley. It may have been a firing trench as we know the farmer would fill them in with rubble. But the curved shape suggests that perhaps they dug out the hole to make the firing point. It would have been in the Second World War and quite soggy."

There were lots of interesting discoveries, with around 450 bullets found in no time in the target area. That was perhaps not unexpected but there was some excitement when a fired bullet was also found in the trench on the firing line. Justin explained: "At this level, they were learning how to shoot here and they haven't quite got it right, so it has landed at this firing point. No one would have been here, they would have been further back behind the firing line."

The oldest find was the base of a Martini Henry case from the Zulu War era. Justin said: "That has been going around in the topsoil for many years and finally it gets pulled into the platform." There was also ammunition from the First World War, a bullet fired by a Bren gun that was used in the Second World War and a few American bullet cases. Justin said you could tell the Bren gun bullets from the unique oval indents. He added: "The American bullet you would not expect but actually in 1940, Britain bought a stockpile from America to arm the troops, trying to replace what was lost circa Dunkirk. The American guns used different ammunition, so they were given exclusively to the Home Guard to ensure there was no crossover. Finding that casing is nice - we knew the Home Guard was training here but to get that evidence is a nice tangible thing."

The valley floor was used as a shooting range for more than 100 years, with a target area at the tip. Justin said they would have started with only one iron plate target, with one person at a time firing, then four targets and finally eight, with the mechanism from those still remaining today. There would have been eight firing points back along the valley, at 100-yard intervals, reaching almost as far as Mouse Lane. The excavation has revealed items from America, Australia, South Africa and Canada, including 303 round nose casings dating from 1890-1907 and smaller 9mm ammunition from a Sten gun. Justin said: "We found 100 in half an hour, so a rich seam."

Landowner Richard Goring, chair of trustees, visited the site on Friday to view progress. He studied the various finds and encouraged Justin to continue his investigations. The Goring family owns the Wiston Estate, which includes the land managed by the Steyning Downland Scheme.