Nestled down a lane near Ham House is London’s largest sporting rifle and pistol club, which has stood on the grounds for more than 100 years
As you walk down towards the Thames, with Ham House on your right, tucked down a narrow lane is the Ham & Petersham Rifle & Pistol Club (HPRPC). Off the beaten track, it is not only London’s largest shooting club, it’s the best equipped one in England. In its expansive grounds, hidden amongst playing fields and grazing horses, it has seven outdoor and two indoor ranges. Just yards from the river, you wouldn’t know it was there.
Yet this historic club has been a part of the community for more than a century. The club opened in 1906, founded by Charles Hanbury-Tracy, the 4th Lord Sudeley and supported by the Earl of Dysart. The Earl gifted the land to members on the condition that it was used for the furthering of sport, particularly shooting. Which means that this amazingly large area cannot be built on. The club still has Sudeley’s scrapbook with notes and documents of every event held there in the early twentieth century, as well as the international competition successes of its members. When it opened, it was, unusually, a meeting place for both the aristocracy and locals.
During the First World War, the private club opened its ranges to allow men headed to the front to practise their shooting – more than 24k trained there. The Surrey Comet praised the club for its ‘invaluable work during the war’. It did so again in the Second World War and, to this day, still has links with the Ministry of Defence, government and military police, enabling them to use it for training.
Over the course of the 20th century, the club continued to build on its reputation for excellence, both competing in and hosting national and international competitions.
Today, it is run by a team of volunteers and, walking around the large grounds, there is plenty of space for the 350 members. Says the Hon Secretary of the club, Julia Hilger-Ellis: ‘We get such a variety of people who come. Families who bring their children (minimum age 11 and strong enough to hold a rifle), young couples or those who have retired and want to take up a hobby. A real cross-section. We also have local cadets and scouts and support those doing their Duke of Edinburgh awards, as we also offer archery here.’
While some people think learning to shoot is a step up from paintballing, the reality is more like watching the televised Olympic teams competing. Training and safety at the club is paramount. Says Julia: ‘No one is running around shooting. Every member is trained really, really well, with one-to-one supervision. It’s a misconception that shooting is a violent sport. It isn’t. We are very clear that this is a sport. We shoot paper, clays and steel. Our job is to make sure everyone is 100% safe.’
There are guest mornings every month (the next one is 1 August (Covid permitting) although check the website for latest details) and you need to register to visit. Your details are then passed onto the police to be checked before you’re allowed to visit, which is required by the Firearms Act. It’s a very stringent process. And the guns are secured in armouries with CCTV, so no chance of a break in.
Trying archery is often the sport that brings people to club, but they then go on to try rifles and pistols. And they join for all sorts of reasons. Says historian, Susan Jonusas: ‘I was writing a book set against the backdrop of the Wild West, so I really wanted to know what it was like to shoot a black powder pistol. Then I was hooked.’ She is now a member, with her husband, and in charge of the club’s archives.
They have a wide range of different calibre guns which can be hired, but most members, like Morné van Dalen, eventually buy their own. ‘I joined years ago and enjoy that it is a competitive club. My discipline is Gallery Rifle and I am member of Team GB and the England team.’
With the land the club sits on secure from building development, thanks to Lord Sudeley and the Earl of Dysart’s legacy more than a century ago, the club can help produce future England players for another 100 years.
The club
- Air guns, .22, .38, .44, .45 calibre rifles & black powder pistols
- Archery
- 7 outdoor ranges (25 – 100 yards)
- 2 indoor ranges (10 – 25 metres)
- Social club
- hprpc.co.ukco.uk
- info@hprpc.co.uk
Full Membership: £200pa. £75 6 month probation fee. £2 gun hire.
Find out more about the club here.
Find more local history stories here.