This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
In July this year we reported the finding of a shotgun shell alongside a major road in Berkshire. This month, a team working on a restock site found two large artillery shells.
It is not unusual for forestry sites to have some interaction with unexploded ordnance, either from current or recent land use. On these sites the risk of unexploded ordnance is relatively evident and normally highlighted by the landowner. Some sites however have historical use as firing ranges, and others, especially urban areas, can have historical unexploded ordnance uncovered during excavations.
The risk of unexploded ordnance (UXO) should be assessed for every site. For most locations this will be simple as there will be no known risk of UXO’s. At the other end of the scale, it could be simply that the land’s current use presents a risk of UXO’s and therefore is high risk and controls therefore need to be agreed with the landowner. Other sites are less clear and take a little more understanding. Local knowledge is often very helpful.
It is important to know what to do if you find an unidentified metal object on site. Not all UXO’s are shaped as you might expect. Should you find an object you suspect could possibly be an UXO then move away, move others on site away and call your Tilhill Manager.
While these UXO’s may have been in the ground for 75 years, we cannot be certain that they are stable or inert.