A NEW shooting ground and air rifle range is set to open at a 62-acre country estate in Kidderminster after the land was sold at auction.

The site of the old Honeybrook Kennels, off Bridgnorth Road, was sold to Shatterford resident Tim Warrington in July after going up for sale with a guide price of £800,000.

The land, which features a 19th century four-bedroom former farmhouse, had remained in the same family for more than 60 years and, until 15 years ago, operated a commercial dog breeding and greyhound school.

Work is now underway to tidy up the land and erect new stands ready for the launch of Shatterford Shooting Ground on October 11.

The ground will be available to book for clay pigeon shooting and air rifle target shooting on two Sundays per month between 10am and 3pm.

The new owner also hopes to restore the old greyhound schooling track after receiving substantial interest from trainers in the area.

Mr Warrington told The Shuttle: "The greyhound track is still in pretty good condition. I reckon we can get it up and running again pretty quickly.

"I used to shoot in competitions when I was younger and this is an ideal site for clay pigeon shooting because of the rolling hills.

"We're just testing out the waters with the shooting ground and tidying up the site at the moment.

"There is a huge demand for shooting grounds in this country - the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association's membership rose by 40 per cent last year and a lot of those new members were women. It's a fast-growing sport.

"We set up a page on Facebook and the response has been huge.

"We've had enquiries as far as Cornwall from people wanting to come to the site on a Sunday to shoot and then stay locally, so I'm hoping it will bring more tourism to the area as well."

In response to some concerns raised by local residents about potential noise issues, Mr Warrington said the relevant noise tests had already been carried out, while 1,200 trees are being planted around the perimeter to enhance the site and reduce the impact of gunshot noise on neighbours.

A total of five new jobs are expected to be created at the ground.

Search Shatterford Shooting Ground on Facebook for more information.